Tickets Alert: Hard hat tours of Copped Hall

Just outside the M25 on the edges of northeast London is a semi-derelict 18th-century country house, and they’re offering tours of the building.

Copped Hall. (7th December 2023) – source: Wikipedia

As part of the restoration works, they will be offering hard hat tours throughout this year, taking in the second floor and the attic on the third floor. They say that newcomers to Copped Hall are recommended to attend the general Guided Tours first, but candidly, while that gives you more of the history, hard hat tours are enjoyable in themselves.

Copped Hall was built in the 1750s as an impressive Georgian country home, and after passing through a few owners ended up being sold and stripped bare in the 1950s. By the 1990s, it was a derelict shell, but over the past 20 years, the building has been slowly restored.

And there will be roughly monthly tours of the upper floors to see the work that’s underway at the moment.

Visitor numbers are strictly limited to 6 visitors on each tour, and the tour is unsuitable for those under 16. You’ll need to wear sensible shoes and dress for a cold building.

The hard hat tours last an hour and will take place on the following Sundays at 9:45am and 10:45am

• 18th February
• 17th March
• 21st April
• 19th May
• 16th June
• 18th August
• 15th September
• 20th October
• 17th November

Tickets are on sale from here, and more details are here.

Getting to Copped Hall

If you are driving, then you can park there.

If using public transport, well, it’s a challenge.

Copped Hall is about halfway between Debden tube station (Central line) and Waltham Cross station (Greater Anglia), with an hourly 66A bus that runs between the two. However, it stops a fair distance from the house, so add about a 40 minute walk.

If you miss the bus back, the bus stop is right next to a steakhouse, so at least there’s somewhere to wait for the next one.

Alternatively, it’s about an hour’s walk from Theydon Bois tube station, and considering that the bus is infrequent and only saves you about 15 minutes, maybe walk it?