Maldon Moot Hall

Description

Tower house built early-mid C15 for Sir Robert D'Arcy. Aquired by the Borough Council in 1576. Alterations occured during the late C18-early C19 and during the C19-C20. Also used as a Police station from 1836. Now Town Council premises. Three-storied structure with red-brick walls and lead-covered roofs. Has a semi-octagonal stair-turret at the NE angle and small annexe at the NW angle. Much altered and most of the existing windows were inserted late in C19. Unusual building in that it originally included a defensive tower. Evidence in the form of blocked doorways and straight joints in the brickwork suggest that a two-storey 1st-floor hall structure was first intended, squeezed into an already developed urban frontage. This probably had a hall at right-angles to the frontage and an octagonal stair tower. In a second phase of building an elaborate spiral stair was inserted into the tower, and the building, including the tower, was raised in height. It is probable that the brick stair at least was the work of foreign brickmakers, as it is identical to examples at Someries Castle (Bedfordshire) and Faulkbourne Hall (Essex). (Derived from listing report)