Visitors to London can make an excursions, by train or car, to Harlow and Hemel Hempsted New Towns. The Master Plan for Harlow was the work of Sir Frederick Gibberd. Like Hemel Hempsted, it is based on the idea of retaining the valleys to form a park system and locating the development on the surrounding hilltops. The valleys are less marked than those at Hemel Hempsted and this aspect of the plan is less successful. The town centre is full pedestrianised and there is a notable collection of modern sculpture, collected by Lady Gibberd. For those whose interest is more in landscape design than landscape planning, the Gibberds own home is of more interest than the New Town. It is a very fine garden, much of it made by Gibberd with his own hands. He had a genius for working with concrete and the planting design is very good. Access by train from Liverpool Street Station (about 30 mins).
