Harlow, in Essex, is a 'new town' between London and Cambridge created after the Second World War. Originally designed to house people from the east end of London, it soon became known as 'pram town' due to the number of babies being born in the baby boom of the 1950s.
The town was designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd and is loosely based on a grid system of roads intersecting at round-a-bouts. The M11 motorway was built around the same time and was originally planned to run along the west side of the town. When it came to be built it ended up on the east side of Harlow, causing traffic problems ever since.
In modern times, the town has developed an unsavoury reputation due to television programmes such as 'The Only Way Is Essex' (based in nearby Loughton) and 'Educating Essex' (filmed at Harlow school Passmores). It also has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the country.
