Copped Hall facts for kids
Centre of east front
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| Established | 1995 (purchase by a trust and opened to the public) |
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| Location | Epping, Essex Essex United Kingdom |
| Type | General interest museum. Restoration of historic building. |
| Collections | Georgian |
| Owner | The Copped Hall Trust |
| Public transit access |  Epping +40 minute walk |
| Nearest car park | On site |
| Copped Hall | |
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| Built | 1751 |
| Original use | House |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Designated | 1984 |
| Reference no. | 1337306 |
Copped Hall is a large country house in Essex, England. It is near Waltham Abbey, Essex. The house was built in the mid-1700s. Since 1999, it has been slowly restored.
You might also hear it called Copt Hall or Copthall. These names usually refer to the even older houses that stood here before the current one. Copped Hall can be seen from the M25 motorway.
Contents
History of Copped Hall
Early Beginnings
The land where Copped Hall stands has a long history. In the time of King Richard I, around the late 1100s, the land was given to a family called Fitz Aucher. They held it from a nearby Abbey.
Later, during the reign of King Edward I, the land went back to the Abbey. It stayed with the Abbey until King Henry VIII closed down all the monasteries in England. This was known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
A Grand Mansion is Built
In 1564, Queen Elizabeth I gave the estate to Sir Thomas Heneage. He then built a very fancy mansion on the site. Queen Elizabeth I often visited Essex. She even stayed at Sir Thomas Heneage's house in 1575.
Later, Sir Thomas Heneage's daughter sold the estate to the Earl of Middlesex. After him, it was owned by Charles Sackville, Earl of Dorset. He sold it in 1701 to Sir Thomas Webster.
The New Georgian House
In 1739, Edward Conyers bought the estate. He only owned it for three years before he passed away. His son, John, inherited the property. The old mansion was falling apart. John decided to build a brand new house instead of fixing the old one.
The old house was taken down around 1748. The new house was built between 1751 and 1758. This is the large Georgian house you see today. It was built in a beautiful parkland. People said it was "one of the principal ornaments of the country."
The gardens had a special feature called a ha-ha. This is a hidden ditch that keeps animals away from the house without blocking the view. The mansion was placed to overlook two valleys. It was a very well-designed building.
John Conyers' son, also named John, inherited Copped Hall next. He made many changes to the house.
Times of Change
His son, Henry John Conyers, was very interested in hunting. Some say he didn't pay much attention to the house. The family sold Copped Hall in 1869.
It was bought by George Wythes. He had become rich by building railways around the world. In 1910, Country Life magazine featured Copped Hall with many photos.
Sadly, in 1917, a fire started by an electrical problem badly damaged the main house. The Wythes family moved into another house on the estate called Wood House.
After the Wythes family, the estate was sold around 1950. For many years, Copped Hall was left empty and uncared for. Parts of the house were taken apart for building materials. The orangery (a type of greenhouse) was even blown up during army training in the 1960s. Many statues and garden decorations were sold off.
In 1995, the ruined house was used as a filming location. The band The Cranberries filmed their music video for "I Can't Be with You" there.
Bringing Copped Hall Back to Life
In 1995, a group called the Copped Hall Trust bought the house and its gardens. They have been slowly working to restore it. You can visit the house on certain days to see the progress. They are trying to make it look like it did in the Georgian era.
The parkland around the house is now owned by the Conservators of Epping Forest.
In 2004, Charles, Prince of Wales (now King Charles III) visited Copped Hall. He looked at the restoration work. He also opened an art show of 18th-century plant paintings. These paintings were done by Matilda Conyers, whose father built Copped Hall.
A group called the West Essex Archaeology Group (WEAG) does archaeological digs at Copped Hall every year. They look for remains of the older Tudor house that was there before the current Georgian one. They even offer special weekends and field schools for people who want to learn about archaeology.
Wood House
Wood House is another home on the Copped Hall estate. It was built in 1895. The Wythes family moved there after the 1917 fire. Famous singer Rod Stewart lived in Wood House for several years. He sold it in 2019.
Gallery
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Copped Hall from the south (December 2006)
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View from the west (May 2004)
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Closeup of the chimneys (December 2006)
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A view of the estate (December 2006)
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Closeup of west elevation (May 2004)
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South-eastern corner (December 2006)
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Remains of the orangery (April 2006)
