Editing Debden, Uttlesford

{{Short description|Village in Essex, England}}
{{distinguish|Debden, Epping Forest}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox UK place
|country =                 England
|coordinates = {{coord|51.97812|0.26703|display=inline,title}}
|official_name=            Debden
|population =              778
|population_ref =          (2011)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11122643&c=CB11+3JX&d=16&e=62&g=6426490&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=0&s=1443447919097&enc=1|title=Parish population 2011|accessdate=28 September 2015}}</ref>
|shire_district=           [[Uttlesford]]
|shire_county =            [[Essex]]
|region=                   East of England
|constituency_westminster= [[Saffron Walden (UK Parliament constituency)|Saffron Walden]]
|post_town=                SAFFRON WALDEN
|postcode_district =       CB11
|postcode_area=            CB   
|dial_code=                01799
|os_grid_reference=        TL558335
}}
'''Debden''' is a small rural village in the [[Uttlesford]] district of [[Essex]] in the [[East of England]]. It is located 4 miles (6&nbsp;km) from [[Saffron Walden]] and 17 miles (27&nbsp;km) from [[Cambridge]].

[[RAF Debden]] is nearby and played a role in the [[World War II|Second World War]].

Since 2007 the village has shared twin status with the village of Tang Ting in rural [[Nepal]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tangting.org/ |title=Tang Ting Twinning Association |publisher=Tangting.org |date= |accessdate=2010-09-11}}</ref>

==History==
The village was recorded in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 as ''Depeduna'' (deep valley), and became known as Debden at the time of the Napoleonic Wars.

After the [[Norman conquest of England|Norman conquest]] the manor of Debden was granted to Ralph Peverel, but reverted to the crown after Peverel's grandson, [[William Peverel the Younger]], poisoned the [[Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester|Earl of Chester]]. King John later granted the manor to [[Geoffrey Fitzpeter, 1st Earl of Essex]] and it descended in that family until becoming Crown land again. Henry VIII granted it to [[Thomas Audley, 1st Baron Audley|Lord Audley]], from whom it descended to his grandson, [[Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk|Thomas Howard, Baron Howard de Walden and Earl of Suffolk]]. It was acquired in 1715 by wealthy merchant [[Richard Chiswell]], MP and remained in the Chiswell family for some 100 years. It then passed by marriage to the Vincent family who held it until 1882 when Mrs Cely-Trevilian, the last member of the family, sold it to [[William Fuller-Maitland]] of [[Stansted Mountfitchet]] Hall. By the First World War it had come into the possession of [[Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal|Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal]]. Later owners found [[Debden Hall, Uttlesford|Debden Hall]] too expensive to maintain, and so the house was demolished and part of the estate sold off in 1935.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.recordinguttlesfordhistory.org.uk/debden/debdentemplate.html|title= Debden history|accessdate = 12 June 2013}}</ref>

The [[Church of England Parish Church]] of St Mary the Virgin and All Saints is Grade I listed. A flint and stone church is 13th century but with considerable 18th-century restoration and rebuilding after the 1698 fall of the central tower which destroyed the chancel. The clerestorey and chancel were rebuilt in 1793 when the west bell turret, spire and parapets of the nave and aisles were probably added. The restoration and rebuilding was done by [[Trench Chiswell|Richard Muilman Trench Chiswell]] of Debden Hall, whose elaborate tomb in the chancel was designed by [[John Carter (architect)|John Carter]].

<gallery widths="200" heights="150">
Image:Debden church.JPG|Church of St Mary the Virgin and All Saints
Image:Cmglee_Debden_high_street.jpg|High Street, Debden in July 2012
Image:Debden village sign.JPG|Village sign
</gallery>

== Notable people ==
* [[Henry Vane the Younger]] (1613–1662), an English politician, statesman, and colonial governor.<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Vane, Sir Henry (1613-1662)|first=Philip Chesney|last=Yorke|volume=27|pages=892–894|short=1}}</ref>

==See also==
[[The Hundred Parishes]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Debden, Uttlesford}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070409012048/http://www.debden.org.uk/ Debden Village Homepage]
* [http://www.tangting.org/ Tang Ting Twinning Association Homepage]


{{authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in Essex]]
[[Category:Uttlesford]]


{{Essex-geo-stub}}