Glen Lorne is an affluent neighbourhood in northeast
Harare
Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...
,
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
. It was originally known as Glen Lorne farm or Enterprise valley, beyond the city limits. It is located north of downtown Harare and is one of highest and hilliest suburbs. It is also one of the wealthiest and most prestigious neighbourhoods in Zimbabwe. Glen Lorne has been ranked the best neighbourhood in the city to live in by the
Mail & Guardian
The ''Mail & Guardian'' is a South African weekly newspaper and website, published by M&G Media in Johannesburg, South Africa. It focuses on political analysis, investigative reporting, Southern African news, local arts, music and popular cultu ...
. It is known as the area where the city's 'old money' lives, and is home to some of Zimbabwe's wealthiest citizens including former vice president,
Kembo Mohadi
Kembo Dugish Campbell Mohadi (born 15 November, 1949
), is a Zimbabwean politician and former Vice-President of Zimbabwe who served from 28 December 2017 to 1 March 2021. He briefly served as the Minister of Defence, Security and War Veterans in ...
. It is often compared to its larger and more well-known neighbour,
Borrowdale to the northwest.
History
Charles 'Lion' Stevens who emigrated to Harare from the
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when i ...
in April 1891 when he received a prospecting license and was described as a colourful character, was one of the first to survey the nascent suburb, actively prospecting in the Enterprise Gold Belt area.
As the name suggests, Glen Lorne, is peppered with places featuring
Scottish
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
nomenclature, as a nod to its early developers, the Salisbury Real Estate Company, a Scottish backed outfit, crucial in the development of early Harare. The area remained peri-urban up until the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, when mass
suburbanisation
Suburbanization is a population shift from central urban areas into suburbs, resulting in the formation of (sub)urban sprawl. As a consequence of the movement of households and businesses out of the city centers, low-density, peripheral urb ...
, made the northern suburbs extremely attractive to
affluent
Wealth is the abundance of valuable financial assets or physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the originating Old English word , which is from an I ...
, white residents.
Character
Glen Lorne is built among its several hills, preserved as indigenous
park
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...
land. Glen Lorne is full of discrete,
cul de sac
A dead end, also known as a cul-de-sac (, from French for 'bag-bottom'), no through road or no exit road, is a street with only one inlet or outlet.
The term "dead end" is understood in all varieties of English, but the official terminology ...
s and winding roads through the neighbourhood, which coupled with other physical boundaries (such as natural parkland and steep ravines) lead to a quieter residential area. Even though Glen Lorne is located in the middle of Harare, virtually no vehicular traffic and noise is low due the abundance of trees and foliage that surround the area.
The homes are mostly single family detached dwellings, many of which are at least 40 years old with newer properties in the far north and in infill areas. Houses range from Cape Dutch, Edwardian and
Tudor Revival in style to the more common contemporary designs.
Greystone Park Dam on the suburbs western edge is Glen Lorne's main recreational site, home to the annual autumn outdoor festival. The event typically consists of rides, games, flea market, braais and other outdoor activities. The event is traditionally on the first Saturday in May and is run and funded by private businesses.
Due to the suburb's relative tranquility, residents generally travel to nearby
Borrowdale and Chisipite for greater amenities.
Education
Though not in Glen Lorne proper, residents tend to send their children to the nearby private educational instructions that include;
*
St. John's College
*
Chisipite Senior School
Chisipite Senior School (or Chisipite) is an Independent school, independent Single-sex education, single-sex Secondary school, secondary Day school, day and Boarding school, boarding school for girls, located in Harare, Zimbabwe. The school is si ...
* Saint Michael's School
*
St. George's College, Harare
St George's College is a private Jesuit boys high school in Harare, Zimbabwe. The school, colloquially referred to as Saints or George's, is located in Borrowdale, a Harare suburb. The land was donated to the Jesuits. This led to the relocation ...
,
*
Hartmann House Preparatory School
Hartmann House Preparatory School (or Hartmann House, also referred to as HH) is an independent, preparatory, day school for boys in Harare, Zimbabwe. The school was founded in 1957 and named after Fr Hartmann SJ, a chaplain to the Pioneer Colu ...
References
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Suburbs of Harare
Harare