London Borough of Redbridge, United Kingdom

Snaresbrook Crown Court

London Borough of Redbridge, United Kingdom

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

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Heritage registerHistoric England listing↗

Snaresbrook Crown Court, situated in the London Borough of Redbridge, is a Grade II listed building originally constructed between 1841 and 1843 in Jacobean gothic style by architects George Gilbert Scott and William Bonython Moffatt. Built initially as the Infant Orphanage Asylum by philanthropist Andrew Reed, it later served successively as the Royal National Children's Foundation and the Royal Wanstead School before the British government acquired and converted it into a Crown Court in 1973 at a cost of £1.6 million, opening to the public on 26 November 1974. Set within 18 acres of grounds featuring Eagle Pond, the court now operates 20 rooms and processes approximately 7,000 cases annually, making it the busiest Crown Court centre in the United Kingdom. A 1988 annex addition provides further capacity, while subsequent interior alterations and extensions have adapted the historic structure to contemporary judicial needs.