Roydon

Roydon Conservation Area extends from the parish church of St.Peter-ad-Vincula, which stands at the north end of the High Street opposite The Green, to Harlow Road. Roydon has been a distinct rural community for over 900 years. The Domesday survey notes that there were at least 20 village households in the year 1085 lying at the heart of a 720 acre Manor.

Two of Roydon's four medieval manor houses were located in the village - Temple Roydon and Roydon Hall. Temple Roydon was named after the Order of the Knights Templar who were granted the manor in 1205 at the height of their crusades. Several place names record this connection - e.g. Temple Farm and the Crusader public house. Roydon Hall once stood on a site down the lane leading from The Green to Roydon Lock. Henry VIII displayed his infant son Edward to the people of Roydon at the Hall in 1538. It was demolished in 1864.

There are many attractive, and some unusual, listed buildings in the area. The Church of St.Peter-ad-Vincula dates from 1225, and was probably built on the remains of an even older church. It is listed Grade I. Just south of the church and opposite Temple Farmhouse (listed Grade II) are the village lock-up (c.1800) and stocks which are also Grade II listed buildings.

There are some reminders of the traditional self-contained nature of the village, such as the Old Forge in Harlow Road and four distinctive pubs. Much new development has taken place in the village since 1950.  Despite some unfortunate early estate development, the fine character of the village has survived.  Some of the more recent developments (such as Church Mead) have been designed to complement the historic character of the village.