The roof of a 17th century explosive facility has partially fallen in.

Two of the Grade II listed outbuildings at the Royal Gunpower Mills in Waltham Abbey are having to endure the elements because their felt roofs have fallen in.

Each building consists of a two storey block originally containing the engine house, as well as timber windows and boarded panels which have deteriorated over the years.

An application submitted to Epping Forest District Council request permission to stabilise the structure of the building and the remaining areas of roofing, before constructing a new temporary roof.

The application reads: "The buildings are currently in a poor state of repair.

"Some areas of the roof have collapsed and the buildings therefore remain uncovered at these points.

"The remaining felt is also nearing the end of its lifespan and has deteriorated.

"This new finish will provide immediate protection to the buildings allowing them to remain stable for the future."

The known history of the Mills stretches back to 1672, when it was owned by the Walton family.

By 1735 it had become the largest and most complete works in Britain and was sold to the government in 1787.

The Royal Gunpowder Mills, as they were then known, were a major supplier of powder to the Army during the Napoleonic Wars and despite peacetime cutbacks in production, manufacturing continued throughout the 19th century

The site closed as a production factory in 1945 and became a explosive research facility before opening up to the public as a tourist attraction.