Rowfant House: Dereliction at the Edge of Industry
Just beyond the hum of Gatwick and the A264 lies a place where time has pressed pause. Tucked between overgrown hedgerows and an industrial estate in West Sussex sits the remnants of Rowfant, a once-grand estate turned wartime base, turned council depot, now slowly fading into decay.
Origins & Wartime Use
Originally part of a much larger private estate centred around Rowfant House—a 16th-century manor still preserved—the surrounding outbuildings served in WWII logistics and postwar council works, hosting workshops, garages, and salt barns.
Council Depot & Industry
For decades it was a hub for West Sussex County Council’s Highways and Transport division—gritting, salt storage, and road-works maintenance. Functional brick shells and steel trusses replaced timber barns, but functionality gave way to neglect in the 2010s.
Decay & Atmosphere
Now, brick shells stand with collapsed roofs, rusted metalwork, and oil-stained concrete. Heavy machinery is long gone, leaving only splintered gates and weather-beaten signage. Nature and industry fight for space.
Contrast & Context
What gives Rowfant its weight is the collision of steel and concrete with hedgerows and woods. Birdsong echoes where once engines roared. It’s a site caught between war, work, and wilderness—unmarked, uncelebrated, but not unnoticed.
Visiting Details
Location: Near Copthorne, West Sussex
Use: Council depot, wartime logistics, estate outbuildings
Status: Disused and derelict
Visited: July 2025
Access: Fenced but breached – structural caution advised