Debden, Epping Forest
Debden is a suburb of the town of Loughton, located in the Epping Forest district of Essex. Essentially a large housing estate, it was built by the London County Council between 1947 and 1952 as an out-county estate, with the intention of rehousing people from London whose homes were demolished during the Second World War. Debden, which covers about 650 acres, is not recognized on most road maps as the area has never officially been named Debden, thus dividing the town between "old" Loughton and the "new" estate.
Named after the Domesday manor of Tippendune and hamlet of Debden Green (approximately 2 miles north of Loughton), the estate was designed with families in mind with large houses, open spaces, schools, and amenities. Most of the streets were named after local dignitaries, and the longest was named after local hero Thomas Willingale. The commercial centre of Debden is The Broadway, with shops, a bank, a supermarket, a BP garage. This is located near Debden tube station. Served by the London Underground Central Line, it was renamed from Chigwell Lane in 1947 and serves the estate as well as the local further education college, which attracts students from all around London. The college is in the process of being rebuilt and part of its land is being developed for housing. The college also owns Loughton Hall, which was once the heart of Debden. The building is now very run down and the college is trying to sell it to raise funds for its building projects. Debden is also served by frequent buses including services 20, 167, H1, 397, 250 and the Loughton/Debden circulars 542 and 543. The H1 is probably the most popular with residents offering an hourly service to the major shopping area of Harlow
Debden also is home to the East 15 Acting School and the Bank of England Printing Works where UK banknotes are printed and from where they are distributed.
The suburb's high schools include Debden Park High School, and Davenant Foundation School.
Football club
The local football club, Debden Sports, were established in 1948 and joined the Essex Olympian Football League Division Three in 2003. In the 2005-06 season, they were members of the Essex Olympian Football League First Division but dropped out of that league at the end of the season and entered teams in both the Ilford and District League and the Romford and District League. This club currently plays in the Hertfordshire Senior County League and still has teams in the Romford and District League.