Snaresbrook Crown Court Listings: Today's List, Courtrooms and Visiting

Reading Snaresbrook Crown Court Listings

Snaresbrook Crown Court listings come as one daily list for the whole site. The list sets out each courtroom, the judge sitting there, the start time and the hearing type for every case.

In the eight daily lists this site stored from 6 to 15 October 2026, the court listed 688 hearings. That averages 86 a day, with 17 to 19 courtrooms sitting. The busiest day was Friday 9 October, with 104 hearings.

For tomorrow's hearings, check in the afternoon. The list for Thursday 15 October 2026 was updated by HMCTS at 3.54pm the day before. Late changes still happen overnight, so look again on the morning itself. The site's guide on when lists are published explains why times vary.

Two official services sit behind the list. The Court and Tribunal Hearings service publishes the Crown daily list.

Separately, the Xhibit status page for Snaresbrook shows what is happening in each courtroom once the day starts. It goes live from 10am and updates as hearings begin, pause and finish.

On 15 October 2026, Xhibit named Court 1 to Court 21, one more than the 20 that Historic England counts. Not every room sits every day, which is why the list usually shows 17 to 19. A courtroom that shows no case on Xhibit may simply not be sitting that day. For how each column on the list works, see the Crown Court daily list explained.

Does the Snaresbrook List Cover Other Buildings?

No. Every one of the 688 hearings stored from 6 to 15 October 2026 carried the same building name, Snaresbrook. In that period the list did not send anyone to another address in London.

The catch is inside the gates. The site is a Grade II listed former orphanage with courtrooms added in stages since 1973. The Historic England list entry describes where each group of courts sits. A courtroom can therefore be a few minutes' walk from the entrance hall.

Historic England does not say which numbers the annex courts carry. So if your letter names a courtroom above 14, ask at the reception desk which block it is in. Signs inside the building also point the way. Because of the walk, the 30 minutes suggested below is a minimum.

Which Snaresbrook Courtrooms Hear What?

Some Snaresbrook courtrooms run very different kinds of day. Knowing the pattern helps you judge whether a wait is normal.

The Busiest Courtrooms

Six rooms carried the most hearings in the stored lists. The right-hand column shows one sample day.

Court 9 averaged about ten hearings a day across the stored lists, and Court 12 about seven. A plea and trial preparation hearing in either room usually means waiting while other cases go first. The judge takes cases as lawyers and defendants become ready. By contrast, a trial courtroom may show only one or two entries all day, and a trial may not start until mid-morning.

Bail cases cluster in Court 4. On 15 October 2026 it heard bail applications, bail variation requests and reviews of bench warrants, alongside case management hearings. A bench warrant is a judge's order to arrest someone who did not attend. Families waiting on a bail decision often sit through several unrelated cases first, so arrive for the listed time anyway.

The Hearing Mix

Across the same eight lists, case management and first hearings led the mix. The table shows the main types only, so it does not add up to 688.

The Crown Prosecution Service brought 539 of these hearings; other prosecutors brought 125. About one hearing in five carried a flag for reporting restrictions. Only three took place by video link. The hearing types guide on the decoder tool explains each label.

What Time Do Snaresbrook Hearings Start?

Most Snaresbrook hearings start at 10am, with the rest spread through the day. No hearing in the stored lists started at 1pm, which is the lunch adjournment.

Another 85 entries carried no start hour of their own in the stored data.

The first listed time was 10am on seven of the eight days, and 10.15am on the other. The latest start times fell between 3pm and 4pm. Many entries say "not before", for example not before 11.30am. That means the case will not start earlier, but it can start later.

A morning time does not promise a morning hearing. Rooms such as Court 9 work through a queue, so a 10am plea hearing can run past lunch. Bring something to read and charge your phone, and tell work or family that you may be there all day.

Getting to Hollybush Hill by Tube or Car

Most people come by Central line. Snaresbrook station, on Station Approach, E11 1QE, is in Zone 4 and sits a short walk from the court gates on Hollybush Hill. Leytonstone and South Woodford stations are the stops either side.

Check the station before you set off. On 15 October 2026 the TfL page for Snaresbrook showed reported access issues, and the station has steps. If stairs are a problem, check TfL's step-free information for Leytonstone and South Woodford before you travel, and tell the court about your needs in advance.

Find a Court gives no parking information for Snaresbrook. Do not assume a space on site; ask the court before you drive, especially if you need a disabled bay.

Redbridge Council runs pay car parks nearby, listed on its car parks page. The closest council car park is Grove Park in Wanstead, E11 2RL, with 76 spaces. Several more sit around South Woodford High Road. Blue Badge holders park free in council car parks.

Coming from outside London, many people drive to an outer Central line station and take the Tube in. That avoids looking for a space in residential streets around Hollybush Hill at 9.30am, when lists are about to start.

Directions from your location: Google Maps · Apple Maps

Arriving, Security and Finding the Right Block

Allow at least 30 minutes between reaching the gate and your listed time. The walk up the drive, the security check and the inside walk all take time.

Everyone goes through airport-style security at the entrance. Bags go through a scanner, and staff may ask you to open or sip a drink. If you step outside for air or lunch, you queue and pass security again. The site's guide to security checks at court covers what is not allowed.

Once inside, find your courtroom on the screens or ask at reception. Then tell the usher outside the courtroom who you are. Ushers wear black gowns and keep the running order for that room. The guide to finding your courtroom explains what to say.

The building has a coffee pod, a chapel with chaplaincy volunteers at lunchtime, separate prayer rooms for jurors and the public, and Wi-Fi. Two video booths sit in the main walkway; security staff give access to them.

What Each Visitor Needs at Snaresbrook

Each person at Snaresbrook arrives for a different reason. The checklist below covers what matters most for each one on the day.

Defendants on Bail and in Custody

If you are on bail, come in through the public entrance and find your solicitor or barrister before the hearing starts. They usually wait near the courtroom or in the robing room, and they will want a few minutes with you before the case is called. Bring your court letter, any bail paperwork and the case number from the list. If you are running late, ring your solicitor first.

People held in custody never use the public entrance. Historic England records that they reach the courtrooms from cells in the south wing through underground tunnels, so family members will not see them arrive.

The guide for defendants explains each stage, from the first hearing to sentence.

Witnesses and Victims

Ask for the Witness Service at reception as soon as you arrive. Volunteers can show you a courtroom beforehand and seat you away from the defendant's supporters.

Witnesses should not sit in the public gallery before giving evidence. Trials at Snaresbrook can start late or move to another day, and a witness can wait several hours before being called. If the prosecution team tells you a trial has moved, ask for the new date in writing. Find a Court also lists a children's waiting room on the ground floor for young witnesses and their carers.

The witness guide explains expenses and special measures such as screens and video links.

Family and Friends

You can sit in the public gallery of most hearings, including sentences. Arrive early, because galleries in smaller rooms fill quickly on a busy sentencing day.

Some hearings involving children or sexual offences may be held with the gallery cleared. Expect to see the other side's family in corridors, in the grounds and at the station too. Keep conversations about the case for later, and leave the area calmly at the end of the day. If someone in custody is your relative, you cannot pass them anything in court; speak to their solicitor instead.

The family members guide covers what you can and cannot do in the gallery.

Jurors

Jurors report to the jury assembly area in the central entrance range. The first morning is mostly waiting while panels are chosen, and some jurors go home without sitting on a trial that day. Bring a book, a charger and lunch money, because the wait can last until the afternoon. The jury line in the contact box below deals with dates, deferrals and expenses.

You must not research the case online or discuss it with anyone outside the jury room. Juror expenses follow GOV.UK's rules on what you can claim, and travel is claimable only within England and Wales.

Court Observers and Reporters

Anyone can watch most hearings from the public gallery. Allow time for security, especially when a new trial week starts.

Xhibit is the quickest way to pick a room once the day starts, since it shows which hearings are under way. Phones must be silent, and photography or recording anywhere in the building is an offence. Many Snaresbrook entries carry reporting restrictions, so check with the court before publishing anything. The public gallery guide explains what observers may note down.

Why Has a Case Dropped Off the Snaresbrook List?

A case can leave the list for ordinary reasons. Common ones include a moved trial, a hearing dealt with on paper, or a case joined to another defendant's hearing.

With around 20 courtrooms and long waits for trial dates, Snaresbrook moves cases often. A trial can be taken out if the parties are not ready a few weeks before. Trials also wait in a warned list, which means they can be called at short notice. The warned list explained shows how that works.

If your name or case number is missing, first check the next day's list and the firm list, which sets trial dates further ahead. Then ask your solicitor, or ring the court's case progression line in the contact box below. The guide on why a case is not listed has a fuller checklist.

Where Can You Find Results After a Snaresbrook Hearing?

A listing records a hearing, never its outcome. Being on the list says nothing about guilt.

To find what happened, ask the solicitor or barrister in the case first. People not involved can ask the court office, although staff give limited information over the phone. Local news sites report some sentences, often a few days later.

Some third-party sites publish "results" pages for Snaresbrook. Treat them with care, because they can mix up cases with similar names. The official record of a sentence is held by the court.

From Orphanage to Crown Court

Snaresbrook's building began as a home for orphaned children, which explains its chapel, its long wings and its pond-side terrace. The dates below come from the Historic England list entry.

A steam engine in the old basement once pumped water from the Eagle Pond and drove the washing machines. Today the north wing's front still faces the pond across a terrace. The chapel keeps stained glass from about 1920 by the firm William Morris of London.

Contacting Snaresbrook Crown Court About a Case

Use the official numbers and email in the box below, and quote the case number from the list. The case progression line deals with hearing dates and paperwork.

Find a Court warns that scammers copy HMCTS phone numbers and email addresses. The court will never ask you to pay a fine or fee over the phone to avoid arrest. If in doubt, hang up and ring the number shown here.

Courts Near Snaresbrook

Many Snaresbrook cases start in an east London magistrates' court.

Barkingside, Stratford and Thames magistrates' courts all send serious cases up for trial or sentence, so a family may visit two courts in the same case. Wood Green Crown Court and the Central Criminal Court hear similar work elsewhere in London. Check the court name on the letter before setting off, because a wrong court costs a morning.