Maldon - Revision history

imported>SovalValtos: Undid 3 revisions from 1329988213 until 1329988468No cited connection Unsourced detail

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Undid 3 revisions from 1329988213 until 1329988468No cited connection Unsourced detail

← Previous revision		Revision as of 23:25, 28 December 2025
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	\|official_name = Maldon		\|official_name = Maldon
	\|coordinates = {{coord\|51.7318\|0.6758\|display=inline,title}}		\|coordinates = {{coord\|51.7318\|0.6758\|display=inline,title}}
	\|population = 14,~~941~~		\|population = 14,938
	\|population_ref = (2021 ~~Census~~)<ref name=~~"bua2011"~~>{{cite web \|title=~~Maldon~~\|url=https://www.~~citypopulation~~.de/en/uk/~~eastofengland~~/~~admin~~/~~maldon~~/~~E04004056__maldon~~/ \|access-date=25 October ~~2022~~}}</ref>		\| population_ref = (Parish, 2021)<ref name=2021census>{{cite web \|title=2021 Census Parish Profiles \|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2021_pp \|website=NOMIS \|publisher=Office for National Statistics \|access-date=31 March 2025}} (To get individual parish data, use the query function on table PP002.)</ref><br/>{{nowrap\|23,380 (Built up area, 2021)<ref name=bua>{{cite web \|title=Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales: Census 2021 \|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwales/census2021 \|website=Census 2021 \|publisher=Office for National Statistics \|access-date=17 October 2025}}</ref>}}
	\|civil_parish = Maldon		\|civil_parish = Maldon
	\|shire_district = [[Maldon District\|Maldon]]		\|shire_district = [[Maldon District\|Maldon]]
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	\|os_grid_reference = TL848070		\|os_grid_reference = TL848070
	}}		}}
	~~[[File:Maldon Moot Hall.jpg\|thumb\|upright=1.22\|[[Moot Hall, Maldon\|Maldon Moot Hall]] on the High Street]]~~
	'''Maldon''' ({{IPAc-en\|ˈ\|m\|ɔː\|l\|d\|ən}}, locally {{IPAc-en\|ˈ\|m\|ɒ\|l\|d\|ən}}) is a town and [[civil parish]] on the [[Blackwater Estuary]] in [[Essex]], England. It is the seat of the [[Maldon District]] and starting point of the [[Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation]]. It is known for [[Maldon Sea Salt]] which is produced in the area. ~~In 2011~~ the parish had a population of 14,~~220~~ and the ~~district~~ had a population of 61,~~700~~.		'''Maldon''' ({{IPAc-en\|ˈ\|m\|ɔː\|l\|d\|ən}}, locally {{IPAc-en\|ˈ\|m\|ɒ\|l\|d\|ən}}) is a town and [[civil parish]] on the [[Blackwater Estuary]] in [[Essex]], England. It is the seat of the [[Maldon District]] and starting point of the [[Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation]]. It is known for [[Maldon Sea Salt]] which is produced in the area. At the [[2021–2022 United Kingdom censuses\|2021 census]] the parish had a population of 14,938, and the Maldon built up area as defined by the [[Office for National Statistics]], which extends beyond the parish boundary to also take in [[Heybridge, Maldon\|Heybridge]] to the north, had a population of 23,380.
	~~<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[File:arms-maldontc.jpg\|left\|120px\|thumb\|Arms of Maldon Town Council]] -->~~

	==History==		==History==
	===Early and medieval history===		===Early and medieval history===
	The place-name ''Maldon'' is first attested in 913 in the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'',<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://unlockingessex.essexcc.gov.uk/uep/custom_pages/monument_detail.asp?content_page_id=89&monument_id=24719&content_parents=48\|title=Seax Archeaology – Unlocking Essex's Past\|website=Essex County Council\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828191236/http://unlockingessex.essexcc.gov.uk/uep/custom_pages/monument_detail.asp?content_page_id=89&monument_id=24719&content_parents=48\|archive-date=28 August 2017\|url-status=dead\|access-date=6 February 2019}}</ref> where it appears as ''Maeldun''. Maldon's name comes from ''mǣl'', meaning 'monument or cross', and ''dūn'' meaning 'hill', so translates as 'monument hill'.<ref>[[Eilert Ekwall]], ''Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names'', p. 312.</ref> East Saxons settled the area in the 5th century and the area to the south is still known as the [[Dengie Peninsula]] after the Dæningas. It became a significant [[Anglo-Saxon England\|Saxon]] port with a hythe or quayside and [[artisan]] quarters. Evidence of imported pottery from this period has been found in [[archaeological]] digs. From 958 there was a [[royal mint]] issuing coins for the late [[Anglo-Saxon England\|Anglo-Saxon]] and early [[Norman dynasty\|Norman]] kings.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Anglo-Saxon England's Realm of Essex \|url=http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Places/Place/337631 \|website=Ancient Worlds \|access-date=15 February 2014 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223134007/http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Places/Place/337631 \|archive-date=23 December 2011 \|df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|title=Moneyers of the late Anglo-Saxon Coinage\|url=http://etheses.nottingham.ac.uk/1818/1/481170.pdf\|website=University of Nottingham\|access-date=15 February 2014\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224001635/http://etheses.nottingham.ac.uk/1818/1/481170.pdf\|archive-date=24 February 2014\|df=dmy-all}}</ref>		The place-name ''Maldon'' is first attested in 913 in the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'',<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://unlockingessex.essexcc.gov.uk/uep/custom_pages/monument_detail.asp?content_page_id=89&monument_id=24719&content_parents=48\|title=Seax Archeaology – Unlocking Essex's Past\|website=Essex County Council\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828191236/http://unlockingessex.essexcc.gov.uk/uep/custom_pages/monument_detail.asp?content_page_id=89&monument_id=24719&content_parents=48\|archive-date=28 August 2017\|url-status=dead\|access-date=6 February 2019}}</ref> where it appears as ''Maeldun''. Maldon's name comes from ''mǣl'', meaning 'monument or cross', and ''dūn'' meaning 'hill', so translates as 'monument hill'.<ref>[[Eilert Ekwall]], ''Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names'', p. 312.</ref> East Saxons settled the area in the 5th century and the area to the south is still known as the [[Dengie Peninsula]] after the Dæningas. It became a significant [[Anglo-Saxon England\|Saxon]] port with a hythe or quayside and [[artisan]] quarters. Recent scholarship has linked it to [[Haegelisdun]], the site of the death of [[Edmund the Martyr]] at the hands of the [[Great Heathen Army]].<ref>{{cite journal\|last=Briggs\|first=Keith \|title=Was Hægelisdun in Essex? A New Site for the Martyrdom of Edmund\|journal=Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology & History\|volume=XLII, Part 3\|year=2011\|p=278}}</ref>

			Evidence of imported pottery from this period has been found in [[archaeological]] digs. From 958 there was a [[royal mint]] issuing coins for the late [[Anglo-Saxon England\|Anglo-Saxon]] and early [[Norman dynasty\|Norman]] kings.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Anglo-Saxon England's Realm of Essex \|url=http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Places/Place/337631 \|website=Ancient Worlds \|access-date=15 February 2014 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223134007/http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Places/Place/337631 \|archive-date=23 December 2011 \|df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|title=Moneyers of the late Anglo-Saxon Coinage\|url=http://etheses.nottingham.ac.uk/1818/1/481170.pdf\|website=University of Nottingham\|access-date=15 February 2014\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224001635/http://etheses.nottingham.ac.uk/1818/1/481170.pdf\|archive-date=24 February 2014\|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

	[[File:St. Peters Church Maldon.jpg\|thumb\|upright\|left\|Tower of St Peter's Church]]		[[File:St. Peters Church Maldon.jpg\|thumb\|upright\|left\|Tower of St Peter's Church]]
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	Hythe Quay at the confluence of the Chelmer and Blackwater, which flanks the northern edge of the town, was an important port and [[Cooks Yard]] remains significant for Thames barges. The [[River Blackwater, Essex\|River Blackwater]], that was diverted into the [[Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation]], re-emerges into the [[Blackwater Estuary]], through locks at the [[Heybridge Basin]], the stream bed passes down Heybridge Creek.<ref name="Foxearth">{{cite web\|last1=Clarke\|first1=Vernon\|last2=Clarke\|first2=Joan\|title=Down the Chelmer and up the Blackwater\|url=http://www.foxearth.org.uk/ChelmerAndBlackwater.html\|publisher=Foxearth and District Local History Society\|date=1979\|access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref> Here it delineates the border between Maldon Town and [[Heybridge, Maldon\|Heybridge Parish Council]].		Hythe Quay at the confluence of the Chelmer and Blackwater, which flanks the northern edge of the town, was an important port and [[Cooks Yard]] remains significant for Thames barges. The [[River Blackwater, Essex\|River Blackwater]], that was diverted into the [[Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation]], re-emerges into the [[Blackwater Estuary]], through locks at the [[Heybridge Basin]], the stream bed passes down Heybridge Creek.<ref name="Foxearth">{{cite web\|last1=Clarke\|first1=Vernon\|last2=Clarke\|first2=Joan\|title=Down the Chelmer and up the Blackwater\|url=http://www.foxearth.org.uk/ChelmerAndBlackwater.html\|publisher=Foxearth and District Local History Society\|date=1979\|access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref> Here it delineates the border between Maldon Town and [[Heybridge, Maldon\|Heybridge Parish Council]].

			==Governance==
			There are three tiers of local government covering Maldon, at [[Parish council (England)\|parish]] (town), [[non-metropolitan district\|district]], and [[non-metropolitan county\|county]] level: Maldon Town Council, [[Maldon District Council]], and [[Essex County Council]]. The town council is based at the Town Hall on Market Hill, which was built in 1998.<ref name=TC>{{cite web \|title=Contact us \|url=https://maldontowncouncil.gov.uk/contact-us/ \|website=Maldon Town Council \|access-date=15 November 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|title=Maldon Town Hall will be for all the community \|url=https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/5537779.maldon-town-hall-will-be-for-all-the-community/ \|access-date=15 November 2025 \|work=Daily Gazette \|date=10 November 1998}}</ref>

			===Administrative history===
			[[File:Maldon Moot Hall.jpg\|thumb\|upright=1.22\|[[Moot Hall, Maldon\|Maldon Moot Hall]] on the High Street]]
			Maldon was an [[ancient borough]]. Its date of becoming a borough is not known. It had [[Burgess (title)\|burgesses]] listed in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086, indicating that it was already a borough by then.<ref>{{cite web \|last1=Powell-Smith \|first1=Anna \|title=Maldon \|url=https://opendomesday.org/place/TL8507/maldon/ \|website=Open Domesday \|access-date=15 November 2025}}</ref> Maldon's earliest known [[municipal charter]]s date from the 12th century; some sources say the first charter was granted in 1171,<ref name=Houghton>{{cite web \|last1=Houghton \|first1=K. N. \|title=Maldon \|url=https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/constituencies/maldon \|website=The History of Parliament \|access-date=15 November 2025}}</ref> others say there was an earlier charter of 1155.<ref name=commissioners1835>{{cite book \|title=Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the municipal corporations in England and Wales, Appendix 4 \|date=1835 \|url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Report_of_the_Commissioners_Appointed_to/MHBTAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA2431&printsec=frontcover \|page=2431 \|access-date=15 November 2025}}</ref> From 1332 the borough also served as a constituency for parliamentary elections as the [[Maldon (UK Parliament constituency)\|Maldon parliamentary borough]], electing two [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)\|members of parliament]].<ref name=Houghton/>

			The borough was run by a [[municipal corporation\|corporation]], also known as the town council or borough council. In 1576 the corporation bought a 15th-century house at 39 High Street and converted it into the [[Moot Hall, Maldon\|Moot Hall]], serving as the corporation's meeting place and offices.<ref>{{NHLE\|desc=Moot Hall\|grade=I\|num=1256887}}</ref>

			The corporation's functions included running the parliamentary elections. In 1768 most of the corporation's members were removed from office following legal action taken by the town's former MP, [[Bamber Gascoyne (the elder)\|Bamber Gascoyne]], who had lost his seat at the 1763 election. The removed members were not replaced, and so the corporation ceased operating.<ref>{{cite web \|last1=Namier \|first1=Lewis \|title=Maldon \|url=https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/constituencies/maldon \|website=The History of Parliament \|access-date=15 November 2025}}</ref> For the next 42 years the remaining [[Freeman of the borough\|freemen]] of the borough ran the borough's parliamentary elections, but no corporation existed to exercise local functions. The borough was eventually awarded a new charter in 1810, allowing the corporation to be re-established. The borough covered the combined area of the three parishes of St Mary's, St Peter's and All Saints'. As well as the town itself, the borough boundaries also included extensive parts of the [[Blackwater Estuary]].<ref name=commissioners1835/>

			The borough was reformed to become a [[municipal borough]] in 1836 under the [[Municipal Corporations Act 1835]], which standardised how most boroughs operated across the country. The borough was enlarged in 1934 to take in [[Heybridge, Maldon\|Heybridge]] to the north of the river, which had formerly been a separate parish, and [[Osea Island]] from the parish of [[Great Totham]], alongside several other more minor adjustments to the boundaries with neighbouring parishes. At the same time, the [[urban parish]]es within the borough were united into a single parish of Maldon matching the enlarged borough.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Maldon Municipal Borough \|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10025898#tab02 \|website=A Vision of Britain through Time \|publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth \|access-date=15 November 2025}}</ref>

			The borough of Maldon was abolished in 1974, being replaced by the larger Maldon District which also covers extensive surrounding rural areas.<ref>{{cite legislation UK\|type=si\|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972\|year=1972\|number=2039\|access-date=19 May 2023}}</ref> The area of the former borough became [[Unparished area\|unparished]] as a result of the 1974 reforms. Two new civil parishes were subsequently created in 1987 covering the area of the pre-1974 borough: Heybridge north of the [[River Blackwater, Essex\|River Blackwater]] and Maldon to the south of the river.<ref>{{cite web \|title=The Maldon (Parishes) Order 1986 \|url=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20221202003224mp_/https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/lgbce/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/12353/maldon-parishes-order-1986.pdf \|website=Local Government Boundary Commission for England \|publisher=The National Archives \|access-date=15 September 2023}}</ref> The parish council for Maldon adopted the name Maldon Town Council.<ref name=TC/>

			Although now a separate parish again, Heybridge is classed as part of the Maldon built up area as defined by the [[Office for National Statistics]].<ref name=bua/><ref>{{cite web \|title=Built up areas (December 2022) boundaries \|url=https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/datasets/ons::built-up-areas-december-2022-boundaries-gb-bgg/explore?location=51.728497%2C0.676933%2C13.89 \|website=ONS Geography \|publisher=Office for National Statistics \|access-date=13 November 2025}}</ref>

	==Transport==		==Transport==
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	Maldon and its clock tower are featured in the young adult novel ''[[Timekeeper trilogy\|Timekeeper]]'' by Tara Sim (2016).		Maldon and its clock tower are featured in the young adult novel ''[[Timekeeper trilogy\|Timekeeper]]'' by Tara Sim (2016).

	Maldon is the hometown of two [[Marvel Comics]] superheroes: [[Brian Braddock]], the original [[Captain Britain]], and his twin sister [[Betsy Braddock]], longtime member of the [[X-Men]] as "Psylocke" and Brian's eventual successor as Captain Britain. It is also the home of their older brother, the X-Men villain [[~~Jamie Braddock\|~~Jamie Braddock]]. Many early Captain Britain stories took place within their fictional childhood manor in Maldon, first seen in ''Captain Britain'' #8 (1976).		Maldon is the hometown of two [[Marvel Comics]] superheroes: [[Brian Braddock]], the original [[Captain Britain]], and his twin sister [[Betsy Braddock]], longtime member of the [[X-Men]] as "Psylocke" and Brian's eventual successor as Captain Britain. It is also the home of their older brother, the X-Men villain [[Jamie Braddock]]. Many early Captain Britain stories took place within their fictional childhood manor in Maldon, first seen in ''Captain Britain'' #8 (1976).

	===Media===		===Media===
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	Maldon has a [[non-League football]] club [[Maldon & Tiptree F.C.]] who play at the Drewitt-Barlow Stadium.		Maldon has a [[non-League football]] club [[Maldon & Tiptree F.C.]] who play at the Drewitt-Barlow Stadium.

	There are youth football teams in Maldon, among them being Maldon Saints. The town has a cricket club, with several adult and colts' sides, who play at two grounds: The [[Promenade Park]], Maldon and the main ground at Drapers Farm, [[Heybridge]]. The ground includes a dual-lane enclosed all-weather net facility. Overseas players from Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka have coached cricket in local primary schools as part of the "ECB [[Chance to Shine]]" programme. Drapers Farm is also the home of Maldon Rugby Union Football Club which was founded in 1947 by Tommy Harries, who was the landlord of the King's Head public house in Maldon High Street. The inaugural meeting was on 28 August 1947 at the Blue Boar Hotel. Maldon RFC run several senior male sides and one female side as well as all youth age groups from under 7s to under 18s.		There are youth football teams in Maldon, among them being Maldon Saints. The town has a cricket club, with several adult and colts' sides, who play at two grounds: The [[Promenade Park]], Maldon and the main ground at Drapers Farm, [[Heybridge, Maldon\|Heybridge]]. The ground includes a dual-lane enclosed all-weather net facility. Overseas players from Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka have coached cricket in local primary schools as part of the "ECB [[Chance to Shine]]" programme. Drapers Farm is also the home of Maldon Rugby Union Football Club which was founded in 1947 by Tommy Harries, who was the landlord of the King's Head public house in Maldon High Street. The inaugural meeting was on 28 August 1947 at the Blue Boar Hotel. Maldon RFC run several senior male sides and one female side as well as all youth age groups from under 7s to under 18s.

	Blackwater Leisure Centre<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Blackwater Leisure Centre {{!}} Maldon – Places Leisure\|url=https://www.placesleisure.org/centres/blackwater-leisure-centre/\|website=Places Leisure\|date=2023\|access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref> is the town's main leisure destination, located in the town's leisure quarter, adjacent to Madison Heights, with a 4 lane 25m swimming pool, 100+ station gym, group cycling studio, group exercise studio and sports hall with indoor courts.		Blackwater Leisure Centre<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Blackwater Leisure Centre {{!}} Maldon – Places Leisure\|url=https://www.placesleisure.org/centres/blackwater-leisure-centre/\|website=Places Leisure\|date=2023\|access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref> is the town's main leisure destination, located in the town's leisure quarter, adjacent to Madison Heights, with a 4 lane 25m swimming pool, 100+ station gym, group cycling studio, group exercise studio and sports hall with indoor courts.

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← Previous revision		Revision as of 16:57, 21 June 2025
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	Maldon has a [[non-League football]] club [[Maldon & Tiptree F.C.]] who play at the Drewitt-Barlow Stadium.		Maldon has a [[non-League football]] club [[Maldon & Tiptree F.C.]] who play at the Drewitt-Barlow Stadium.

	There are youth football teams in Maldon, among them being Maldon Saints. The town has a cricket club, with several adult and colts' sides, who play at two grounds: The [[Promenade Park]], Maldon and the main ground at Drapers Farm, Heybridge. The ground includes a dual-lane enclosed all-weather net facility. Overseas players from Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka have coached cricket in local primary schools as part of the "ECB [[Chance to Shine]]" programme. Drapers Farm is also the home of Maldon Rugby Union Football Club which was founded in 1947 by Tommy Harries, who was the landlord of the King's Head public house in Maldon High Street. The inaugural meeting was on 28 August 1947 at the Blue Boar Hotel. Maldon RFC run several senior male sides and one female side as well as all youth age groups from under 7s to under 18s.		There are youth football teams in Maldon, among them being Maldon Saints. The town has a cricket club, with several adult and colts' sides, who play at two grounds: The [[Promenade Park]], Maldon and the main ground at Drapers Farm, [[Heybridge]]. The ground includes a dual-lane enclosed all-weather net facility. Overseas players from Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka have coached cricket in local primary schools as part of the "ECB [[Chance to Shine]]" programme. Drapers Farm is also the home of Maldon Rugby Union Football Club which was founded in 1947 by Tommy Harries, who was the landlord of the King's Head public house in Maldon High Street. The inaugural meeting was on 28 August 1947 at the Blue Boar Hotel. Maldon RFC run several senior male sides and one female side as well as all youth age groups from under 7s to under 18s.

	Blackwater Leisure Centre<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Blackwater Leisure Centre {{!}} Maldon – Places Leisure\|url=https://www.placesleisure.org/centres/blackwater-leisure-centre/\|website=Places Leisure\|date=2023\|access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref> is the town's main leisure destination, located in the town's leisure quarter, adjacent to Madison Heights, with a 4 lane 25m swimming pool, 100+ station gym, group cycling studio, group exercise studio and sports hall with indoor courts.		Blackwater Leisure Centre<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Blackwater Leisure Centre {{!}} Maldon – Places Leisure\|url=https://www.placesleisure.org/centres/blackwater-leisure-centre/\|website=Places Leisure\|date=2023\|access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref> is the town's main leisure destination, located in the town's leisure quarter, adjacent to Madison Heights, with a 4 lane 25m swimming pool, 100+ station gym, group cycling studio, group exercise studio and sports hall with indoor courts.

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Sport: Added hyphen

imported>OAbot: Open access bot: url-access updated in citation with #oabot.

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{{short description|Town in Essex, England}}
{{about|the town in England}}
{{Distinguish|text = various places named [[Malden (disambiguation)|Malden]]}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox UK place
|country = England
|official_name = Maldon
|coordinates = {{coord|51.7318|0.6758|display=inline,title}}
|population = 14,941
|population_ref = (2021 Census)<ref name="bua2011">{{cite web |title=Maldon|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/eastofengland/admin/maldon/E04004056__maldon/ |access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref>
|civil_parish = Maldon
|shire_district = [[Maldon District|Maldon]]
|shire_county = [[Essex]]
|region = East of England
|static_image_name = Maldon 060309-2.jpg
|static_image_caption = Maldon viewed from the north east
|constituency_westminster = [[Maldon (UK Parliament constituency)|Maldon]]
|post_town = MALDON
|postcode_area = CM
|postcode_district = CM9
|dial_code = 01621
|os_grid_reference = TL848070
}}
[[File:Maldon Moot Hall.jpg|thumb|upright=1.22|[[Moot Hall, Maldon|Maldon Moot Hall]] on the High Street]]
'''Maldon''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɔː|l|d|ən}}, locally {{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɒ|l|d|ən}}) is a town and [[civil parish]] on the [[Blackwater Estuary]] in [[Essex]], England. It is the seat of the [[Maldon District]] and starting point of the [[Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation]]. It is known for [[Maldon Sea Salt]] which is produced in the area. In 2011 the parish had a population of 14,220 and the district had a population of 61,700.


==History==
===Early and medieval history===
The place-name ''Maldon'' is first attested in 913 in the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://unlockingessex.essexcc.gov.uk/uep/custom_pages/monument_detail.asp?content_page_id=89&monument_id=24719&content_parents=48|title=Seax Archeaology – Unlocking Essex's Past|website=Essex County Council|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828191236/http://unlockingessex.essexcc.gov.uk/uep/custom_pages/monument_detail.asp?content_page_id=89&monument_id=24719&content_parents=48|archive-date=28 August 2017|url-status=dead|access-date=6 February 2019}}</ref> where it appears as ''Maeldun''. Maldon's name comes from ''mǣl'' meaning 'monument or cross' and ''dūn'' meaning 'hill', so translates as 'monument hill'.<ref>[[Eilert Ekwall]], ''Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names'', p. 312.</ref> East Saxons settled the area in the 5th century and the area to the south is still known as the [[Dengie Peninsula]] after the Dæningas. It became a significant [[Anglo-Saxon England|Saxon]] port with a hythe or quayside and [[artisan]] quarters. Evidence of imported pottery from this period has been found in [[archaeological]] digs. From 958 there was a [[royal mint]] issuing coins for the late [[Anglo-Saxon England|Anglo-Saxon]] and early [[Norman dynasty|Norman]] kings.<ref>{{cite web |title=Anglo-Saxon England's Realm of Essex |url=http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Places/Place/337631 |website=Ancient Worlds |access-date=15 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223134007/http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Places/Place/337631 |archive-date=23 December 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Moneyers of the late Anglo-Saxon Coinage|url=http://etheses.nottingham.ac.uk/1818/1/481170.pdf|website=University of Nottingham|access-date=15 February 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224001635/http://etheses.nottingham.ac.uk/1818/1/481170.pdf|archive-date=24 February 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

[[File:St. Peters Church Maldon.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Tower of St Peter's Church]]
It was one of the only two towns in [[Essex]] ([[Colchester]] was the other),{{clarify|date=November 2023}} and King [[Edward the Elder]] is thought to have lived here while combating the [[Danes (Germanic tribe)|Danish]] settlers who had overrun North Essex and parts of [[East Anglia]]. A [[Viking]] raid was beaten off in 924, but in another raid in 991 the defenders were defeated in the [[Battle of Maldon]] and the Vikings received [[Danegeld|tribute]] but apparently did not attempt to sack the town. It became the subject of the celebrated [[Old English]] poem "[[The Battle of Maldon]]". The battle is commemorated by a window in St Mary's Church and by a statue at the end of the Maldon Promenade Walk (facing the battle site of Northey Island and the Causeway) of the slain Saxon warrior [[Byrhtnoth]].

According to the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086, there were 54 households<ref>{{cite web |url=http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/TL8507/maldon/ |title=Maldon – Domesday Book |website=Domesdaymap.co.uk |access-date=1 December 2013}}</ref> and an estimated 180 townsmen in 1086. The town still had the mint and supplied a warhorse and warship for the king's service in return for its privileges of self-government. The town was awarded a charter by [[Henry II of England|Henry II]] in 1171, stating the rights of the town as well as defining its borders and detailing its duty to provide a ship for the monarch "when necessary".<ref>{{cite web |title=Maldon Town Council: History & Heritage |url=http://maldontowncouncil.gov.uk/history-heritage |website=Maldon Town Council |access-date=18 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820132956/http://www.maldontowncouncil.gov.uk/history-heritage |archive-date=20 August 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The town's All Saints' Church, unique in England in having a triangular tower,<ref>{{cite web |author=Alexis Brown |date=10 July 2013 |url=http://www.maldon.gov.uk/info/200139/explore_the_district/389/churches |title=All Saints' Church, Maldon – Churches – Maldon District Council |publisher=[[Maldon District Council]] |access-date=1 December 2013 }}</ref> dates from around this period. While the precise building date is unknown, the church existed by 1180, the date of the foundation of nearby [[Beeleigh Abbey]]. A Charter of [[Richard I]] of December 1189 confirms "certain grants to Beeleigh Abbey, including the Church of Blessed Peter in Maldon and the Church of All Saints' in the same town". St Mary's Church, on the Hythe Quay has a grade I listed Norman nave from 1130, though evidence exists of an earlier church on the site from at least a hundred years before. The hotel and public house now called The Blue Boar Hotel dates back to the latter half of the 14th century, having been built by the [[Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford|de Veres]] family headed by the Earl of Oxford and used as an occasional residence supplementary to their main seat, [[Hedingham Castle]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us – The Blue Boar |url=https://blueboarmaldon.co.uk/about-us/ |access-date=2025-03-27 |language=en-US}}</ref> Meanwhile, [[Moot Hall, Maldon|Maldon Moot Hall]] dates back to around 1420.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.themoothall.co.uk/about|title=About us|publisher=The Moot Hall|access-date=27 May 2021}}</ref>

===Renaissance and modern eras===
There were strong urban traditions, with two members elected to the Commons and three guilds which hosted lavish religious plays until they were suppressed by [[Puritans]] in 1576. Then, until 1630, professional actors were invited to perform plays, which were also stopped by Puritans. From 1570 to about 1800 a rival tradition of inviting prominent clergy to visit the town also existed. In 1629 a series of [[Maldon grain riots|grain riots]] took place, led by the wife of a local butcher.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lindley Keith |title=Review: Crowds and Popular Politics in Early Modern England |url=http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/review/618 |publisher=[[Institute of Historical Research]] |access-date=9 August 2013}}</ref>

[[File:St. Mary's church in Maldon - geograph.org.uk - 1493693.jpg|thumb|St. Mary's Church]]
In the 17th century [[Thomas Plume]] started the Plume Library to house over 8,000 books and pamphlets printed between 1487 and his death in 1704; the collection has been added to at various times since 1704. The Plume Library is to be found at St Peter's Church. Only the original tower survives, the rest of the building having been rebuilt by Thomas Plume to house his library (on the first floor) and what was Maldon Grammar School (on the ground floor).

In the church of All Saints is a memorial window to [[George Washington]], whose great-great grandfather, [[Lawrence Washington (1602–1653)|Lawrence Washington]], is buried here. Unveiled by an American diplomat on 5 July 1928, the window displays Saint Nicholas with the ''[[Mayflower]]'', [[Saint George]] and [[Saint Joan of Arc]] in the centre. At the top are the [[Coat of arms of the Washington family|arms of the Washington family]], and the arms of the USA, England, Scotland and Wales. At the bottom are depictions of George Washington, the landing of the [[Mayflower]], the signing of the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]] and the [[Statue of Liberty]].<ref>{{cite web |title=All Saint's Church Maldon |url=http://www.itsaboutmaldon.co.uk/allsaints/ |website=It's About Maldon |access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref>

Also in Maldon are Maldon Baptist Church in Butt Lane, Maldon Methodist Church in the High Street, and Maldon United Reformed Church on Market Hill. Maldon Mosque is in Church Street.

During [[World War II]], Maldon was featured in the German invasion plan for Britain, [[Operation Sea Lion]]. The plan called for the Germans to advance to a line between Maldon and the [[River Severn]] after they had landed in the southern coast of England.<ref>{{cite book|last=Wheatley|first=Ronald|title=Operation Sea Lion: German Plans for the Invasion of England, 1939–1942|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kzdnAAAAMAAJ|year=1958|publisher=Clarendon Press|location=Oxford|oclc=458977803|page=40}}</ref>

==Geography and geology==
[[File:Maldon's name comes from Mael meaning 'monument or cross' and dun meaning 'hill' - Wiki (20205950760).jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Maldon waterfront on the River Blackwater]]
Maldon is on the tidal [[River Chelmer]] by the [[Blackwater Estuary]]. It is on the [[A414 road|A414]] {{convert|10|mi|km}} east of [[Chelmsford]] and {{convert|49|mi|km}} north-east of [[Charing Cross]], London, via the [[A13 road (England)|A13]] road.

Essex is a county built on [[London Clay]], overlain with pockets of [[gravel]] deposited by [[riparian]] action; the lowest land is made up of river alluvium and salt marsh. At Maldon, the railway cutting (now a road cutting) provided a reference section for geologists. There are three landslips on the north-facing river cliff of the Blackwater at Maldon. The middle slip is called the West Maldon Landslip, which was caused by repeated rotational slips of the bedrock London Clay,<ref>(Bristow 1985, Hutchinson 1965).</ref> which is trying to reach a stable angle.<ref>{{cite web|title=Geology Site Account: West Maldon landslip|url=http://www.essexfieldclub.org.uk/portal/p/Geology+Site+Account/s/West+Maldon+landslip/o/West+Maldon+landslip|website=Essex Field Club|access-date=9 May 2017}}</ref>

Hythe Quay at the confluence of the Chelmer and Blackwater, which flanks the northern edge of the town, was an important port and [[Cooks Yard]] remains significant for Thames barges. The [[River Blackwater, Essex|River Blackwater]], that was diverted into the [[Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation]], re-emerges into the [[Blackwater Estuary]], through locks at the [[Heybridge Basin]], the stream bed passes down Heybridge Creek.<ref name="Foxearth">{{cite web|last1=Clarke|first1=Vernon|last2=Clarke|first2=Joan|title=Down the Chelmer and up the Blackwater|url=http://www.foxearth.org.uk/ChelmerAndBlackwater.html|publisher=Foxearth and District Local History Society|date=1979|access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref> Here it delineates the border between Maldon Town and [[Heybridge, Maldon|Heybridge Parish Council]].

==Transport==
===Rail===
[[File:ECR(1851) p61b - Maldon Railway Station.jpg|thumb|[[Maldon East and Heybridge railway station|Maldon East railway station]] in 1851]]

Maldon was previously served by two railway lines. Today, the nearest railway stations to Maldon are [[Hatfield Peverel railway station|Hatfield Peverel]], [[Witham railway station|Witham]] and [[North Fambridge railway station|North Fambridge]]. Hatfield Peverel is the closest railway station to the north of the town, whilst North Fambridge is closest to southern parts of the town.

Maldon's first railway link was a [[Witham to Maldon branch line|branch line to Witham]] opened in 1846. Later, a second line linked Maldon with [[South Woodham Ferrers railway station|Woodham Ferrers]] on the [[Crouch Valley line]] between [[Southminster railway station|Southminster]] and [[Wickford railway station|Wickford]]. Whilst Wickford is itself on the line between [[Shenfield railway station|Shenfield]] and [[Southend Victoria railway station|Southend]] (thus providing Maldon with another route into [[Liverpool Street railway station|London Liverpool Street]]), a short-lived spur line at Wickford also gave direct access towards Southend.

Edward Arthur Fitch, writing in about 1895, states that from London's Liverpool Street station to [[Maldon East and Heybridge railway station|Maldon East]] via [[Witham railway station|Witham]] there were eight trains on weekdays and three on Sundays and that, via Wickford, there were five trains on weekdays and none on Sundays. The fastest train took 85 minutes via Witham and 82 minutes via Wickford.<ref name="Fitch">Fitch, Edward Arthur: ''Maldon and the River Blackwater''. Gowers 1895.</ref>

[[Maldon West railway station]] was opened in 1889 by the [[Great Eastern Railway]]. The line between Maldon and South Woodham Ferrers closed to passengers in 1939, the Maldon and Witham line closed in 1966.

===Bus===
Regular bus services in and around the town are operated primarily by [[First Essex]] and [[Hedingham & Chambers|Hedingham]]; key routes include the 31 from Chelmsford, the 75 from Colchester and the 90 from Witham.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stops in Maldon |work=Bus Times |date=2023 |access-date=24 June 2023 |url= https://bustimes.org/localities/maldon |quote= }}</ref>

==Industry==
[[Maldon Sea Salt]] has been produced in the town since 1882 by the Maldon Crystal Salt Company; it is also the location of the first [[Tesco|Tesco store]] to be designated as a "supermarket" in the country, established in 1958.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tescoplc.com/about/our-history/|title=Our History|access-date=2 November 2020}}</ref>

Maldon's Hythe Quay is the residence of a number of [[Thames sailing barge]]s, these are among the last cargo vessels in the world still operating under sail, albeit now used for education and leisure. Some ten to fifteen of the surviving fleet count Maldon as their home port, and many others are regular visitors alongside at the Quay. An annual sailing barge race ends with a parade of sail and prize-giving at the quay. [[Cooks Yard]], where barges were once built, is still working at the end of Maldon Quay.

==Culture==
The town holds the charitable [[Maldon mud race]] where competitors race across the Blackwater estuary at low tide, along the bank and back through the water. The race generated over £55,000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maldonmudrace.com/about/history/|title=History : The Maldon Mud Race|website=Maldon Mud Race|access-date=28 August 2017}}</ref> for charities in 2014. Maldon also hosts the international Maldon Festival,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maldonfestival.org.uk/|title=Maldon Festival 2017 – Classical Music, Opera, Jazz and more.|website=Maldonfestival.org.uk|access-date=28 August 2017}}</ref> which takes place each year in late June and July.

The town holds an annual "Taxi Day" which sees mentally and physically disabled children from London driven to Maldon in London Black Cabs for a fun day of activities and a meal. The event dates back to 1952 when a London cab driver visited the Elizabeth Fry Special School (formerly Grange Road Special School) in [[Plaistow, Newham|Plaistow]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newhamstory.com/node/1744 |title=Grange Road Special School | the Newham Story |access-date=19 August 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827181515/http://www.newhamstory.com/node/1744 |archive-date=27 August 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> He wanted to do something special for the young patients he saw there. He wrote to every one of Essex's seaside towns to arrange an outing and the only town that was willing to help was Maldon; thus, Taxi Day has remained a tradition ever since.

Maldon is twinned with the Dutch town of [[Cuijk]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1042219939134 |title=The UK & the Netherlands: Town Twinning |access-date=24 January 2007 |website=British Embassy, The Hague |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912094040/http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPage&c=Page&cid=1042219939134 |archive-date=12 September 2007 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The charter between the two towns was signed in 1970 to cement the relationship.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://members.lycos.nl/jerom/maldon.htm |title=Maldon–Cuijk twinning|website=Members.lycos.nl |access-date=24 January 2007 }}</ref>

===Cultural references===
[[File:ECR(1851) p61 - Maldon.jpg|thumb|upright|350px|Maldon from ''The Eastern Counties Railway Illustrated Guide'', 1851]]
Maldon and the surrounding area are the setting for a series of books by the prolific author [[Samuel L. Bensusan]].<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.theindexer.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=77&Itemid=54|last=Vickers|first=John A|title=A Marshland index|journal=The Indexer – the International Journal of Indexing|volume=19|issue=4|date=October 1995|pages=276–278|doi=10.3828/indexer.1995.19.4.10 |access-date=28 August 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717001435/http://www.theindexer.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=77&Itemid=54|archive-date=17 July 2011|df=dmy-all|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Bensusan's stories recall a lost way of life among the towns and villages in the area, and along the local coastline and marshland. In Bensusan's books, Maldon is called Market Waldron.

Maldon has been the setting for numerous television productions, including ''[[Lawless Heart]]'' (2001) starring [[Bill Nighy]], and [[BBC1]]'s ''[[The Murder Game (TV series)|The Murder Game]]'' (2003) where numerous Blackwater Estuary locations were used including Green's Flour Mill at the bottom of Market Hill and Steeple Marshes. An episode of the TV series ''[[Lovejoy]]'' featuring [[Ian McShane]] was also filmed there.

In [[H. G. Wells]]' ''[[The War of the Worlds]]'' (1898); Maldon is the town from which the narrator's brother and two female companions manage to escape across the Channel.

Maldon is a location mentioned in "[[The Rose Garden (short story)|The Rose Garden]]", a short ghost story by [[M. R. James]], and published in ''[[More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary]]'' (1911).

Maldon and its clock tower are featured in the young adult novel ''[[Timekeeper trilogy|Timekeeper]]'' by Tara Sim (2016).

Maldon is the hometown of two [[Marvel Comics]] superheroes: [[Brian Braddock]], the original [[Captain Britain]], and his twin sister [[Betsy Braddock]], longtime member of the [[X-Men]] as "Psylocke" and Brian's eventual successor as Captain Britain. It is also the home of their older brother, the X-Men villain [[Jamie Braddock|Jamie Braddock]]. Many early Captain Britain stories took place within their fictional childhood manor in Maldon, first seen in ''Captain Britain'' #8 (1976).

===Media===
Local news and television programmes are provided by [[BBC East]] and [[ITV Anglia]]. Television signals are received from the [[Sudbury transmitting station|Sudbury]] TV transmitter.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

Local radio stations are [[BBC Essex]] on 103.5 FM, [[Heart East]] on 102.6 FM, [[Radio Essex]] on 107.7 FM, [[Greatest Hits Radio East]] on 100.2 FM, and Caroline Community Radio, a community based radio station that broadcast on 94.7 FM.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://carolinecommunityradio.co.uk/#home.html|title=Caroline Community Radio|access-date=15 October 2023}}</ref>

The town is served by the local newspaper, Maldon and Burnham Standard.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/england-eang/maldon-burnham-standard/|title=Maldon and Burnham Standard|date=20 February 2014|website=British Papers|accessdate=15 October 2023}}</ref>

==Sport==
Maldon has a [[non-League football]] club [[Maldon & Tiptree F.C.]] who play at the Wallace Binder Ground.

There are youth football teams in Maldon, among them being Maldon Saints. The town has a cricket club, with several adult and colts' sides, who play at two grounds: The [[Promenade Park]], Maldon and the main ground at Drapers Farm, Heybridge. The ground includes a dual-lane enclosed all-weather net facility. Overseas players from Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka have coached cricket in local primary schools as part of the "ECB [[Chance to Shine]]" programme. Drapers Farm is also the home of Maldon Rugby Union Football Club which was founded in 1947 by Tommy Harries, who was the landlord of the King's Head public house in Maldon High Street. The inaugural meeting was on 28 August 1947 at the Blue Boar Hotel. Maldon RFC run several senior male sides and one female side as well as all youth age groups from under 7s to under 18s.

Blackwater Leisure Centre<ref>{{Cite web|title=Blackwater Leisure Centre {{!}} Maldon – Places Leisure|url=https://www.placesleisure.org/centres/blackwater-leisure-centre/|website=Places Leisure|date=2023|access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref> is the town's main leisure destination, located in the town's leisure quarter, adjacent to Madison Heights, with a 4 lane 25m swimming pool, 100+ station gym, group cycling studio, group exercise studio and sports hall with indoor courts.

Two short lived [[Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom|greyhound racing]] tracks existed at Sealey Farm on the Fambridge Road (opening on 3 September 1932 and closing the same year)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://greyhoundracingtimes.co.uk/2019/04/27/maldon-sealey-farm/|title=Sealey Farm Maldon|publisher=Greyhound Racing Times}}</ref> and around the former Spital Road football ground in 1931.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://greyhoundracingtimes.co.uk/2019/04/27/maldon-spital-road/|title=Maldon Spital Road|publisher=Greyhound Racing Times}}</ref> The racing was independent (not affiliated to the sports governing body the [[National Greyhound Racing Club]]) and they were known as flapping tracks, which was the nickname given to independent tracks.<ref>{{cite book|last=Barnes|first=Julia|title=Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, page 417|year=1988|publisher=Ringpress Books|isbn=0-948955-15-5}}</ref>

==Notable people==
Essex and England cricketer [[Sir Alastair Cook]] (born 1984) played for Maldon Cricket Club throughout his early years. Brought up in nearby [[Wickham Bishops]], his brothers played for the club as well. Cook remains closely associated with the club, being an Honorary Life Member, while acting as a huge role model for the club's young players. Cook made his Essex debut in 2003, before making his international debut, aged 21, in 2006.

Singer/songwriter and TikTok star [[Sam Ryder (singer)|Sam Ryder]], born 1989, [[United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022|represented the UK]] in the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2022|2022 Eurovision Song Contest]] with his song "[[Space Man]]", where he came 2nd with 466 points.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-05-15 |title=Eurovision 2022: How Sam Ryder turned things around for the UK |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-61450874 |access-date=2022-05-15}}</ref>

Private David Embleton (1853–1912) won a [[Victoria Cross]], in his army name of [[Frederick Corbett]], in the [[Ahmed ʻUrabi|Arabi Pasha Rebellion]] in Egypt on 5 August 1882. He was buried in an unmarked grave in London Road Cemetery, Maldon, but in 2004 the regimental association provided a memorial and in 2005 the Essex Society for Family History provided another. He served in the [[King's Royal Rifle Corps]]. Although awarded the VC for standing by a wounded officer, he subsequently forfeited his VC after committing theft against another officer in 1884.

[[Edward Bright]] (1721–1750) was the "fat man of Maldon", a grocer who, at {{convert|47.5|stone}} was reputed to be the fattest man in England. His coat could encompass seven men. After his death, etchings of a painting of him were much sought after. His chair resides in Maldon Moot Hall.

[[John Cook (musician)|John Cook]] (1918–1984) was a prolific 20th century Anglo-American composer, organist and church musician.
[[File:Sailing Barge Thalatta River Blackwater 2004.jpg|right|thumb|{{ship|Sailing barge|Thalatta}}, whose home port is Maldon, was built in 1906.]]
[[John Arthur Kemp|John Kemp]] (1926–1987): John Kemp's work on the preservation of Thames sailing barges in the 1960s was critical to re-establishing Maldon as the foremost sailing barge port in the country. John Kemp was responsible for the creation of the East Coast Sail Trust, a schoolship scheme for young people using the sailing barges [[sailing barge Thalatta|Thalatta]] and Sir Alan Herbert, operated from Maldon. He was author of three books and chronicler of the Maldon and Essex coastal scenes and the unique character of the marshland folk, especially in the Maldon and Burnham Standard, Essex Chronicle and [[Essex County Standard]] newspapers.

[[Myra Sadd Brown]] (1872–1938), [[Suffragette]], women's rights activist and internationalist was born in the town.

[[John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh|John Strutt]] (1842–1919) was a British mathematician who made extensive contributions to science. He was born in Langford Grove, Maldon, inherited the title [[Baron Rayleigh]] in 1873 and won the [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] in 1904, in part for discovering the inert gas [[argon]].

[[Horatio Gates]] (1727–1806), the English general who fought for Britain in the [[French and Indian War]] and the rebel side in the [[War of American Independence]], was born in Maldon.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

[[Ethan Lawrence]] (born 28 September 1992) is an English actor, born in Maldon. He is known for playing the roles of Joe Poulter in the BBC series Bad Education and James in the Netflix black comedy series After Life.

[[Virginia Crosbie]] (born 8 December 1966), former Member of Parliament for [[Ynys Môn (UK Parliament constituency)|Ynys Môn]], was born in Maldon before attending school in [[Colchester]].

== Twin towns ==
Maldon is [[sister city|twinned]] with:
* [[Villeparisis]], [[Île-de-France (region)|Île-de-France]], France
* [[Cuijk]], [[North Brabant]], Netherlands

==Gallery==

<gallery mode=nolines heights=220px widths=220px>
File:Brythnoth statue Maldon.jpg|[[Byrhtnoth]] statue marking the [[Battle of Maldon]] in 991, in which Byrhtnoth died
File:Maldon High Street.jpg|High Street
File:Brent at Maldon 1.jpg|Tugboat ''Brent'' moored on the River Chelmer
File:Maldon Market Hill.jpg|Market Hill
File:Sailing barges at Maldon.jpg|Promenade view north, with St Mary's Church at left
</gallery>

==Nearby places==
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Beeleigh Abbey]]
* [[Brightlingsea]]
* [[Burnham-on-Crouch]]
* [[Chelmsford]]
* [[Danbury, Essex|Danbury]]
* [[Great Totham]]
* [[Hazeleigh]]
* [[Heybridge, Maldon|Heybridge]]
* [[Langford, Essex|Langford]]
* [[Little Totham]]
* [[Maylandsea]]
* [[Mundon]]
* [[North Fambridge]]
* [[South Woodham Ferrers]]
* [[Steeple, Essex|Steeple]]
* [[Tiptree]]
* [[Tollesbury]]
* [[Tolleshunt Major]]
* [[Tolleshunt Knights]]
* [[Tillingham]]
* [[Cold Norton]]
* [[Witham]]
* [[Woodham Mortimer]]
* [[Woodham Walter]]
{{div col end}}

==See also==

* [[Cooks Yard]] – barge building and repair yard on the River Chelmer at Maldon
* [[Plume School]] – secondary school in Maldon

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Maldon}}
{{Wikivoyage|Maldon}}
* [http://www.visitmaldon.co.uk/ Visit Maldon]
* [http://www.maldon.gov.uk/ Maldon District Council]
{{Essex}}
{{Maldon}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Maldon, Essex| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Essex]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Essex]]
[[Category:Maldon District]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Essex]]

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	==History==		==History==
	===Early and medieval history===		===Early and medieval history===
	The place-name ''Maldon'' is first attested in 913 in the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'',<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://unlockingessex.essexcc.gov.uk/uep/custom_pages/monument_detail.asp?content_page_id=89&monument_id=24719&content_parents=48\|title=Seax Archeaology – Unlocking Essex's Past\|website=Essex County Council\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828191236/http://unlockingessex.essexcc.gov.uk/uep/custom_pages/monument_detail.asp?content_page_id=89&monument_id=24719&content_parents=48\|archive-date=28 August 2017\|url-status=dead\|access-date=6 February 2019}}</ref> where it appears as ''Maeldun''. Maldon's name comes from ''mǣl'' meaning 'monument or cross' and ''dūn'' meaning 'hill', so translates as 'monument hill'.<ref>[[Eilert Ekwall]], ''Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names'', p. 312.</ref> East Saxons settled the area in the 5th century and the area to the south is still known as the [[Dengie Peninsula]] after the Dæningas. It became a significant [[Anglo-Saxon England\|Saxon]] port with a hythe or quayside and [[artisan]] quarters. Evidence of imported pottery from this period has been found in [[archaeological]] digs. From 958 there was a [[royal mint]] issuing coins for the late [[Anglo-Saxon England\|Anglo-Saxon]] and early [[Norman dynasty\|Norman]] kings.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Anglo-Saxon England's Realm of Essex \|url=http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Places/Place/337631 \|website=Ancient Worlds \|access-date=15 February 2014 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223134007/http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Places/Place/337631 \|archive-date=23 December 2011 \|df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|title=Moneyers of the late Anglo-Saxon Coinage\|url=http://etheses.nottingham.ac.uk/1818/1/481170.pdf\|website=University of Nottingham\|access-date=15 February 2014\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224001635/http://etheses.nottingham.ac.uk/1818/1/481170.pdf\|archive-date=24 February 2014\|df=dmy-all}}</ref>		The place-name ''Maldon'' is first attested in 913 in the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'',<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://unlockingessex.essexcc.gov.uk/uep/custom_pages/monument_detail.asp?content_page_id=89&monument_id=24719&content_parents=48\|title=Seax Archeaology – Unlocking Essex's Past\|website=Essex County Council\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828191236/http://unlockingessex.essexcc.gov.uk/uep/custom_pages/monument_detail.asp?content_page_id=89&monument_id=24719&content_parents=48\|archive-date=28 August 2017\|url-status=dead\|access-date=6 February 2019}}</ref> where it appears as ''Maeldun''. Maldon's name comes from ''mǣl'', meaning 'monument or cross', and ''dūn'' meaning 'hill', so translates as 'monument hill'.<ref>[[Eilert Ekwall]], ''Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names'', p. 312.</ref> East Saxons settled the area in the 5th century and the area to the south is still known as the [[Dengie Peninsula]] after the Dæningas. It became a significant [[Anglo-Saxon England\|Saxon]] port with a hythe or quayside and [[artisan]] quarters. Evidence of imported pottery from this period has been found in [[archaeological]] digs. From 958 there was a [[royal mint]] issuing coins for the late [[Anglo-Saxon England\|Anglo-Saxon]] and early [[Norman dynasty\|Norman]] kings.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Anglo-Saxon England's Realm of Essex \|url=http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Places/Place/337631 \|website=Ancient Worlds \|access-date=15 February 2014 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223134007/http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Places/Place/337631 \|archive-date=23 December 2011 \|df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|title=Moneyers of the late Anglo-Saxon Coinage\|url=http://etheses.nottingham.ac.uk/1818/1/481170.pdf\|website=University of Nottingham\|access-date=15 February 2014\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224001635/http://etheses.nottingham.ac.uk/1818/1/481170.pdf\|archive-date=24 February 2014\|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

	[[File:St. Peters Church Maldon.jpg\|thumb\|upright\|left\|Tower of St Peter's Church]]		[[File:St. Peters Church Maldon.jpg\|thumb\|upright\|left\|Tower of St Peter's Church]]
	It was one of the only two towns in [[Essex]] ([[Colchester]] was the other),~~{{clarify\|date=November 2023}}~~ and King [[Edward the Elder]] is thought to have lived here while combating the [[Danes (Germanic tribe)\|Danish]] settlers who had overrun North Essex and parts of [[East Anglia]]. A [[Viking]] raid was beaten off in 924, but in another raid in 991 the defenders were defeated in the [[Battle of Maldon]] and the Vikings received [[Danegeld\|tribute]] but apparently did not attempt to sack the town. It became the subject of the celebrated [[Old English]] poem "[[The Battle of Maldon]]". The battle is commemorated by a window in St Mary's Church and by a statue at the end of the Maldon Promenade Walk (facing the battle site of Northey Island and the Causeway) of the slain Saxon warrior [[Byrhtnoth]].		It was one of the only two towns in [[Essex]] ([[Colchester]] was the other), and King [[Edward the Elder]] is thought to have lived here while combating the [[Danes (Germanic tribe)\|Danish]] settlers who had overrun North Essex and parts of [[East Anglia]]. A [[Viking]] raid was beaten off in 924, but in another raid in 991 the defenders were defeated in the [[Battle of Maldon]] and the Vikings received [[Danegeld\|tribute]] but apparently did not attempt to sack the town. It became the subject of the celebrated [[Old English]] poem "[[The Battle of Maldon]]". The battle is commemorated by a window in St Mary's Church and by a statue at the end of the Maldon Promenade Walk (facing the battle site of Northey Island and the Causeway) of the slain Saxon warrior [[Byrhtnoth]].

	According to the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086, there were 54 households<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/TL8507/maldon/ \|title=Maldon – Domesday Book \|website=Domesdaymap.co.uk \|access-date=1 December 2013}}</ref> and an estimated 180 townsmen in 1086. The town still had the mint and supplied a warhorse and warship for the king's service in return for its privileges of self-government. The town was awarded a charter by [[Henry II of England\|Henry II]] in 1171, stating the rights of the town as well as defining its borders and detailing its duty to provide a ship for the monarch "when necessary".<ref>{{cite web \|title=Maldon Town Council: History & Heritage \|url=http://maldontowncouncil.gov.uk/history-heritage \|website=Maldon Town Council \|access-date=18 August 2010 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820132956/http://www.maldontowncouncil.gov.uk/history-heritage \|archive-date=20 August 2010 \|df=dmy-all }}</ref> The town's All Saints' Church, unique in England in having a triangular tower,<ref>{{cite web \|author=Alexis Brown \|date=10 July 2013 \|url=http://www.maldon.gov.uk/info/200139/explore_the_district/389/churches \|title=All Saints' Church, Maldon – Churches – Maldon District Council \|publisher=[[Maldon District Council]] \|access-date=1 December 2013 }}</ref> dates from around this period. While the precise building date is unknown, the church existed by 1180, the date of the foundation of nearby [[Beeleigh Abbey]]. A Charter of [[Richard I]] of December 1189 confirms "certain grants to Beeleigh Abbey, including the Church of Blessed Peter in Maldon and the Church of All Saints' in the same town". St Mary's Church, on the Hythe Quay has a grade I listed Norman nave from 1130, though evidence exists of an earlier church on the site from at least a hundred years before. The hotel and public house now called The Blue Boar Hotel dates back to the latter half of the 14th century, having been built by the [[Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford\|de Veres]] family headed by the Earl of Oxford and used as an occasional residence supplementary to their main seat, [[Hedingham Castle]].<ref>{{Cite web \|title=About Us – The Blue Boar \|url=https://blueboarmaldon.co.uk/about-us/ \|access-date=2025-03-27 \|language=en-US}}</ref> Meanwhile, [[Moot Hall, Maldon\|Maldon Moot Hall]] dates back to around 1420.<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://www.themoothall.co.uk/about\|title=About us\|publisher=The Moot Hall\|access-date=27 May 2021}}</ref>		According to the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086, there were 54 households<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/TL8507/maldon/ \|title=Maldon – Domesday Book \|website=Domesdaymap.co.uk \|access-date=1 December 2013}}</ref> and an estimated 180 townsmen in 1086. The town still had the mint and supplied a warhorse and warship for the king's service in return for its privileges of self-government. The town was awarded a charter by [[Henry II of England\|Henry II]] in 1171, stating the rights of the town as well as defining its borders and detailing its duty to provide a ship for the monarch "when necessary".<ref>{{cite web \|title=Maldon Town Council: History & Heritage \|url=http://maldontowncouncil.gov.uk/history-heritage \|website=Maldon Town Council \|access-date=18 August 2010 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820132956/http://www.maldontowncouncil.gov.uk/history-heritage \|archive-date=20 August 2010 \|df=dmy-all }}</ref> The town's All Saints' Church, unique in England in having a triangular tower,<ref>{{cite web \|author=Alexis Brown \|date=10 July 2013 \|url=http://www.maldon.gov.uk/info/200139/explore_the_district/389/churches \|title=All Saints' Church, Maldon – Churches – Maldon District Council \|publisher=[[Maldon District Council]] \|access-date=1 December 2013 }}</ref> dates from around this period. While the precise building date is unknown, the church existed by 1180, the date of the foundation of nearby [[Beeleigh Abbey]]. A Charter of [[Richard I]] of December 1189 confirms "certain grants to Beeleigh Abbey, including the Church of Blessed Peter in Maldon and the Church of All Saints' in the same town". St Mary's Church, on the Hythe Quay has a grade I listed Norman nave from 1130, though evidence exists of an earlier church on the site from at least a hundred years before. The hotel and public house now called The Blue Boar Hotel dates back to the latter half of the 14th century, having been built by the [[Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford\|de Veres]] family headed by the Earl of Oxford and used as an occasional residence supplementary to their main seat, [[Hedingham Castle]].<ref>{{Cite web \|title=About Us – The Blue Boar \|url=https://blueboarmaldon.co.uk/about-us/ \|access-date=2025-03-27 \|language=en-US}}</ref> Meanwhile, [[Moot Hall, Maldon\|Maldon Moot Hall]] dates back to around 1420.<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://www.themoothall.co.uk/about\|title=About us\|publisher=The Moot Hall\|access-date=27 May 2021}}</ref>
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	==Sport==		==Sport==
	Maldon has a [[non-League football]] club [[Maldon & Tiptree F.C.]] who play at the ~~Wallace Binder Ground~~.		Maldon has a [[non-League football]] club [[Maldon & Tiptree F.C.]] who play at the Drewitt-Barlow Stadium.

	There are youth football teams in Maldon, among them being Maldon Saints. The town has a cricket club, with several adult and colts' sides, who play at two grounds: The [[Promenade Park]], Maldon and the main ground at Drapers Farm, Heybridge. The ground includes a dual-lane enclosed all-weather net facility. Overseas players from Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka have coached cricket in local primary schools as part of the "ECB [[Chance to Shine]]" programme. Drapers Farm is also the home of Maldon Rugby Union Football Club which was founded in 1947 by Tommy Harries, who was the landlord of the King's Head public house in Maldon High Street. The inaugural meeting was on 28 August 1947 at the Blue Boar Hotel. Maldon RFC run several senior male sides and one female side as well as all youth age groups from under 7s to under 18s.		There are youth football teams in Maldon, among them being Maldon Saints. The town has a cricket club, with several adult and colts' sides, who play at two grounds: The [[Promenade Park]], Maldon and the main ground at Drapers Farm, Heybridge. The ground includes a dual-lane enclosed all-weather net facility. Overseas players from Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka have coached cricket in local primary schools as part of the "ECB [[Chance to Shine]]" programme. Drapers Farm is also the home of Maldon Rugby Union Football Club which was founded in 1947 by Tommy Harries, who was the landlord of the King's Head public house in Maldon High Street. The inaugural meeting was on 28 August 1947 at the Blue Boar Hotel. Maldon RFC run several senior male sides and one female side as well as all youth age groups from under 7s to under 18s.
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	Blackwater Leisure Centre<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Blackwater Leisure Centre {{!}} Maldon – Places Leisure\|url=https://www.placesleisure.org/centres/blackwater-leisure-centre/\|website=Places Leisure\|date=2023\|access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref> is the town's main leisure destination, located in the town's leisure quarter, adjacent to Madison Heights, with a 4 lane 25m swimming pool, 100+ station gym, group cycling studio, group exercise studio and sports hall with indoor courts.		Blackwater Leisure Centre<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Blackwater Leisure Centre {{!}} Maldon – Places Leisure\|url=https://www.placesleisure.org/centres/blackwater-leisure-centre/\|website=Places Leisure\|date=2023\|access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref> is the town's main leisure destination, located in the town's leisure quarter, adjacent to Madison Heights, with a 4 lane 25m swimming pool, 100+ station gym, group cycling studio, group exercise studio and sports hall with indoor courts.

	Two short lived [[Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom\|greyhound racing]] tracks existed at Sealey Farm on the Fambridge Road (opening on 3 September 1932 and closing the same year)<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://greyhoundracingtimes.co.uk/2019/04/27/maldon-sealey-farm/\|title=Sealey Farm Maldon\|publisher=Greyhound Racing Times}}</ref> and around the former Spital Road football ground in 1931.<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://greyhoundracingtimes.co.uk/2019/04/27/maldon-spital-road/\|title=Maldon Spital Road\|publisher=Greyhound Racing Times}}</ref> The racing was independent (not affiliated to the sports governing body the [[National Greyhound Racing Club]]) and they were known as flapping tracks, which was the nickname given to independent tracks.<ref>{{cite book\|last=Barnes\|first=Julia\|title=Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, page 417\|year=1988\|publisher=Ringpress Books\|isbn=0-948955-15-5}}</ref>		Two short-lived [[Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom\|greyhound racing]] tracks existed at Sealey Farm on the Fambridge Road (opening on 3 September 1932 and closing the same year)<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://greyhoundracingtimes.co.uk/2019/04/27/maldon-sealey-farm/\|title=Sealey Farm Maldon\|publisher=Greyhound Racing Times}}</ref> and around the former Spital Road football ground in 1931.<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://greyhoundracingtimes.co.uk/2019/04/27/maldon-spital-road/\|title=Maldon Spital Road\|publisher=Greyhound Racing Times}}</ref> The racing was independent (not affiliated to the sports governing body the [[National Greyhound Racing Club]]) and they were known as flapping tracks, which was the nickname given to independent tracks.<ref>{{cite book\|last=Barnes\|first=Julia\|title=Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, page 417\|year=1988\|publisher=Ringpress Books\|isbn=0-948955-15-5}}</ref>

	==Notable people==		==Notable people==
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	[[Edward Bright]] (1721–1750) was the "fat man of Maldon", a grocer who, at {{convert\|47.5\|stone}} was reputed to be the fattest man in England. His coat could encompass seven men. After his death, etchings of a painting of him were much sought after. His chair resides in Maldon Moot Hall.		[[Edward Bright]] (1721–1750) was the "fat man of Maldon", a grocer who, at {{convert\|47.5\|stone}} was reputed to be the fattest man in England. His coat could encompass seven men. After his death, etchings of a painting of him were much sought after. His chair resides in Maldon Moot Hall.

	[[John Cook (musician)\|John Cook]] (1918–1984) was a prolific 20th century Anglo-American composer, organist and church musician.		[[John Cook (musician)\|John Cook]] (1918–1984) was a prolific 20th-century Anglo-American composer, organist and church musician.
	[[File:Sailing Barge Thalatta River Blackwater 2004.jpg\|right\|thumb\|{{ship\|Sailing barge\|Thalatta}}, whose home port is Maldon, was built in 1906.]]		[[File:Sailing Barge Thalatta River Blackwater 2004.jpg\|right\|thumb\|{{ship\|Sailing barge\|Thalatta}}, whose home port is Maldon, was built in 1906.]]
	[[John Arthur Kemp\|John Kemp]] (1926–1987): John Kemp's work on the preservation of Thames sailing barges in the 1960s was critical to re-establishing Maldon as the foremost sailing barge port in the country. John Kemp was responsible for the creation of the East Coast Sail Trust, a schoolship scheme for young people using the sailing barges [[sailing barge Thalatta\|Thalatta]] and Sir Alan Herbert, operated from Maldon. He was author of three books and chronicler of the Maldon and Essex coastal scenes and the unique character of the marshland folk, especially in the Maldon and Burnham Standard, Essex Chronicle and [[Essex County Standard]] newspapers.		[[John Arthur Kemp\|John Kemp]] (1926–1987): John Kemp's work on the preservation of Thames sailing barges in the 1960s was critical to re-establishing Maldon as the foremost sailing barge port in the country. John Kemp was responsible for the creation of the East Coast Sail Trust, a schoolship scheme for young people using the sailing barges [[sailing barge Thalatta\|Thalatta]] and Sir Alan Herbert, operated from Maldon. He was author of three books and chronicler of the Maldon and Essex coastal scenes and the unique character of the marshland folk, especially in the Maldon and Burnham Standard, Essex Chronicle and [[Essex County Standard]] newspapers.