Mark Hall & Templefields
Harlow 002 · 5 sub-areas · 8,191 residents
Harlow 002 is a residential pocket of Harlow in the East of England, home to around 8,200 people. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for about £1,320 a month — slightly above the UK national median and broadly in line with the wider Harlow market. Nearly half of residents own their home, and almost as many are in social housing, giving this part of town a markedly different tenure mix from most of southern England.
Mark Hall & Templefields is a commuter neighbourhood within Harlow — train into London runs in around 49 minutes, and the rhythm of weekday mornings is shaped by it.
Overview
What's it like to live in Mark Hall & Templefields?
The area is unusually green for its density — 8 parks and 3 playgrounds sit within five minutes' walk of the centroid; Recorded crime is higher than the national norm — common for built-up urban areas, but worth weighing if you're looking for a quieter base; Public transport is genuinely strong; most errands and a fair share of social life don't need a car; rents are roughly in line with the national norm, at around £1,513 a month for a typical home; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 5 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Mark Hall & Templefields in Harlow
Living in Mark Hall & Templefields
Harlow 002 sits within one of Essex's most planned towns, and that history shows in the neighbourhood's character — a mix of post-war housing stock, generous greenspace close by, and a community that has remained relatively settled over time. Around 83% of local greenspace is within a comfortable walk, and the nearest park or open space is just under 200 metres away on average, so if outdoor access matters to you, this part of Harlow delivers it without much effort.
On cost, the neighbourhood sits in a middle band for the local area. A two-bedroom home runs around £1,320 a month, and a three-bedroom comes in at roughly £1,560. Those figures aren't cheap by the standards of northern England, but they're considerably more manageable than commuter-belt towns closer to London — and the rail link is real. The public transport journey to London takes around 50 minutes, which is why Harlow 002 carries a commuter-town flag in the data. The trade-off is that most people here drive: nearly 59% of residents commute by car, while fewer than 6% use public transport.
The neighbourhood has a notably young population — around one in four residents is under 18, and the overall age profile skews younger than many comparable Essex areas. Owner-occupation stands at 44%, but the social housing share of around 41% is well above most southern English neighbourhoods of this size. That shapes the community feel considerably: this isn't a transient renting market or a buy-to-let corridor, but a more rooted, mixed-tenure area.
Deprivation here sits in the lower deciles nationally — an IMD decile of around 3.4 places Harlow 002 among the more deprived neighbourhoods in England, which partly explains the affordability relative to surrounding parts of Essex. For more on how individual streets and pockets compare, see the sub-areas list below.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Harlow 002 a nice place to live?
- It depends on your priorities. Green space is genuinely close — over 80% of it is within a short walk — and the area is more affordable than much of Essex. The trade-offs are a higher-than-average crime rate and a below-average share of highly-rated schools nearby. It suits people who value space, community roots, and a reasonable London commute over polished surroundings.
- What is the rent in Harlow 002?
- A one-bedroom home runs around £1,020 a month, a two-bedroom about £1,320, and a three-bedroom roughly £1,560. Rents have risen around 6.7% in the past year. These figures are estimates scaled from council-level data using local sale prices, so treat them as a solid guide rather than a precise published figure.
- Is Harlow 002 safe?
- The crime rate here is around 172 incidents per 1,000 residents a year — more than double the UK national average of roughly 80. That's a notable gap. Volume crime and anti-social behaviour tend to drive elevated rates in post-war town areas like this, but it's worth checking specific crime categories for the streets you're considering rather than relying on the area headline alone.
- What's the commute from Harlow 002 to London?
- The public transport journey to London takes around 50 minutes. The nearest mainline rail station is about 1.5 km away — roughly a 19-minute walk. Most residents drive rather than walk to the station. That said, nearly 59% of commuters here travel by car rather than by rail or bus.
- Who lives in Harlow 002?
- A mixed, relatively settled community. Around 44% own their home, and about 41% are in social housing — a much higher social housing share than most of southern England. Nearly a quarter of residents are under 18, pointing to a family-oriented area. Most residents were born in the UK, and the neighbourhood has a moderately diverse ethnic mix.
- What schools are near Harlow 002?
- There are 75 schools within 2 km, so there's plenty of choice — but only around 35% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, well below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is just under 2.6 km away. It's worth checking individual Ofsted reports and catchment boundaries before choosing where to live.
- Is Harlow 002 a good area for families?
- The high share of under-18s and the mix of owned and social housing suggests many families already live here. Green space is accessible — over 80% is within a walkable distance. The main concern for families is school quality: the proportion of nearby schools rated Good or Outstanding is considerably below the national average, so researching specific schools carefully is important.