Harlow: A short walk past the cricket ground

Buses 8, 47, 59 and 147 stop nearby in High Street. Ask for the Victoria Hall stop.

There are several car parks nearby with the first hour free.

[1] Leave the Health Centre by the main entrance and turn left towards the road. There is a car park opposite you. Turn right and walk past the entrance to the pedestrian shopping area on the right. There is a yellow road salt bin just past this. Look across the road and you will see a road sign for Spicers Lane.

[2] Cross the road carefully towards this sign. Walk straight ahead on the path which forks left from the pavement by the sign.

[3] At the end of the path turn left to walk along the pavement of Chippingfield. You will see a line of bollards by a bend in the road.

[4] Stop just before the bollards and turn left into a narrow pathway that runs along the side of the cricket ground.

A. The cricket ground is known as Marigolds. It was founded in 1774. The name Marigolds may come from the late 18th century  house of the same name on the High Street which backs on to the ground.

[5] Although it looks as though you are heading towards a dead end, carry on along the path as it passes the pavilion to turn right and the end of the path, keeping the cricket ground on your right. The path is very narrow here and gets covered with leaves in autumn, but the surface is quite good. Follow the path along until you come to three steps down to the road. There is no handrail but you can get some support from the wall on your left.

[6] At the bottom of the steps, turn left passing Magnolia House and follow the pavement round to the left at the junction with New Road. There are many old houses in this area. On your right you will see clapboard houses, then a thatched cottage. On your left is late 18th century house No 64 called Marigolds. This has an elaborate Victorian porch and a flag pole.

B. The thatched cottage is called The Chestnuts. The tree concerned was felled in 1925.  The house is decorated with pargeting. Raised patterns are made with lime plaster. The designs are worked by hand.

[7] Just after passing Marigolds, cross the road carefully, at the traffic island. Turn left then, immediately, right to take the path past the bungalows ahead of you ,numbers 5 to 13 Rosemary Close.

[8] As you arrive at Garden Terrace Road, turn left. You will pass the Women’s Institute Hall on your right. Turn left by the car park and cross carefully over the road to return to the Health Centre.

As the age of the buildings and cricket ground indicate, this area of Harlow was the centre of the town before the post WW2 new town. Unlike many of the villages that were incorporated into the new town, Old Harlow has retained much of its identity.