Debden, South Essex

Debden is a suburb of the town of Loughton, located in the English county of Essex. Essentially a large housing estate, it was built between 1947 an 1952 with the intention of rehousing people from London whose homes were demolished during the Second World War. Debden is not recognized on most roadmaps and usually combined with Loughton, which can lead to some class divides between "old" Loughton and the "new" estate.

Named after the 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, and a library. This is located near to Debden station. Served by the London Underground Central Line, it was renamed from Chigwell Lane in 1949 and serves the estate as well as the local sixth-form college. Debden is also served by frequent buses including services 20, 167, and 397.

Debden also is home to the Harry Corbett E15 Acting School and the Bank of England Printing Works where the UK's banknotes are printed and distributed.

The postcode is IG10, and the telephone code is 0208 5.

Debden shares its name with a village in North Essex, which was made famous by an aerodrome used during the Second World War. (See Debden, North Essex.)