John Hanbury died suddenly in 1923 before taking occupation of Hylands. Christine was later left alone when her son, Charles John MacKenzie (Jock) Hanbury, became one of the first pilots to die in the Second World War in a flying accident. Christine Hanbury made great changes to the grounds, including a lawn tennis court, rhododendron borders and a private area in the gardens dedicated to the memory of her husband and son. During World War II, the estate was the site for a German Prisoner of War Camp, and the house was used by the SAS as their headquarters. Mrs Christine Hanbury died in 1962, aged 89, leaving the house and estate to her trustees, and for the final time in its history, Hylands was again offered for sale. Chelmsford Borough Council purchased the house and estate at auction in 1966 and set about opening it to the public and eventually restoring both the House and the grounds. However, the house was in a dilapidated condition at the time of the purchase and by 1971 the servants quarters had been demolished. A motion to knock down the entire house was narrowly defeated by 15 votes to 9. Restoration of the House The House was in a state of progressive deterioration but, despite its poor condition, in 1967 Hylands House became a Grade II listed building. In 1985 the Borough Council set up a restoration fund and later that year English Heritage gave their consent to the Council's proposal to reduce the house to its 19th-century appearance. Prior to work commencing Hylands House was re-graded to become a Grade II* listed building. As a result of the collaboration of the Director of Leisure Services, Malcolm Gilham and the Borough Architect, Esmond Abraham, phased restoration work began in 1986, and by 1996 the external work to the House had been completed and the Entrance Hall restored to its Georgian grandeur. The Blue Room and Boudoir were refurbished and once again the house was full of the sound of people. The Friends of Hylands House was formed and they have undertaken fundraising to assist with the furnishing of the House. In 1998 planning began to celebrate the opening of the East Wing. The Manager, Linda Pittom (then Palmer) and her team, worked to ensure that not only the 'VIP 'official opening, the celebrations for those working on the project and the very first