Forty five minutes by train from any London station you find these places. Southend. Sidcup. Croydon. Harlow. Basildon.

What’s wrong with Basildon? 

It’s a ghastly place. A town in the middle of nowhere, among the muddy flat fields of Essex. Inhabited by no-hopers who can’t afford to move out. Where the shopping centre is the most interesting place you can go.

But one brave man is trying to  rehabiliate Basildon’s reputation. In fact, says Vin Harrop, it’s a fine example of the Utopian ideals of the nineteen-sixties – and it has some amazing modern architecture.

He is behind a Heritage Trail of the town that shows visitors some architectural gems. Sir Basil Spence’s Brooke House, for instance, is a Grade II listed block of flats. (Remember, Sir Basil also designed Coventry Cathedral, widely regarded  as a landmark of 60s architecture.)

I actually think Basildon has a bit of a split personality. On the one hand, it’s a mess. Litter everywhere, uncared-for buildings, no real spirit to it. And on the other hand, that Utopian dream – the idea that things could be better, if only we designed them better.

And if you like the ironies contained in that split personality, Basildon might be an interesting place to visit. Start off at Fenchurch Street Station – there are four trains an hour.

More info on Basildon here – a blog from one of the members of the Heritage Trail team.

 Picture credit: Nick Ellis on Flickr

Post from: The London Traveler