The Old Harlow Conservation Area, designated in 1969, is the oldest. The special characteristics which led to its designation are described as follows:

1. Old Harlow conservation area is a unique place in a unique setting. Nestled on the edge of a post-war New Town, Old Harlow is the original settlement of Harlow. It developed from the medieval period as a market place and this is strongly reflected in the characteristic street pattern and historic buildings found on Market Street, Fore Street and the High Street and in the historic hamlet of Mulberry Green.
   
   
2. Old Harlow grew during the Victorian and Edwardian era with the opening ofthe Great Eastern Railway in 1848. This resulted in attractive homes along Bury Road, New Road and Park Hill which are of significant historic and architectural interest.
   
   
3. Though the setting of Old Harlow has radically changed over the last 50 years, it remains distinct from Harlow New Town and has retained much of its original market town character and provides an irreplaceable example of Harlow’s pre-New Town character.