Curious about some burnt-out gate houses

At Roydon, three miles South of Harlow, by the railway station, there are two burnt-out gatehouses. Ever curious, we investigated. The two buildings are part of the Briggens estate and are Grade II listed, built during the Edwardian period to create an impressive entrance to the estate from the railway station. Guests were collected by horse and coach and driven down the long lane to the estate.

The estate itself has been abandoned since 2010, when an application to run it as a wedding venue was denied.

What a waste! The main house is a large Georgian country house, mainly dating from around 1710, and was used as a country house and estate for Centuries.

When it was a hotel, from 1979 to 2006, it was describes as having large Georgian reception rooms used for dining, weddings and conferences, all within an estate landscaped by Charles Bridgeman in the 1720’s.

Much of this landscaping still remains, although it is now overgrown and derelict. An urban-exploration report from 2024 shows the house “standing but abandoned and heavily deteriorated internally”. 

What excited me most about the estate is it’s WW II history. Briggens House was used by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) as a forgery section. They worked in the cellars of the house, producing identity papers, ration books, passports and other documents for agents operating in occupied Europe. By the end of the war, hundreds of thousands of forged documents had reportedly been produced at the estate. I wonder whether the locals ever knew or suspected. How exciting! All this from being curious about a burnt-out gate house.

I do find it baffling, however, that such a wonderful building and estate can deteriorate so dramatically, and that it has stood empty for twenty years. I can think of endless uses for it; as a retreat, private clinic, homeless shelter, hotel, activity centre, or private residence. I think it’s sad that it just sits there, Grade II listed, unwanted, useless and rotting away. Maybe one day someone will have the funds and the vision to breathe new life into the estate.