HISTORICEB018 ENVIRONMENT Maldon District Historic Environment Characterisation Project 2008 abc i EB018 Front Cover: Aerial view of the Causeway onto Northey Island ii EB018 Contents FIGURES........................................................................................................................................................... VII ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................................................................................IX ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..................................................................................................................................X MALDON DISTRICT HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERISATION PROJECT..................... 11 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 11 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT ................................................................................................................... 12 2 THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT OF MALDON DISTRICT .......................................................... 14 2.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 14 3 CHARACTERISATION OF THE RESOURCE.................................................................................... 33 3.1 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT CHARACTER AREA DESCRIPTIONS.............................................................. 35 3.1.1 HECA 1 Blackwater Valley........................................................................................................... 35 3.1.2 HECA 2 Chelmer Valley ............................................................................................................... 36 3.1.3 HECA 3 North of the Blackwater Estuary.................................................................................... 38 3.1.4 HECA 4 Maldon and Heybridge ................................................................................................... 40 3.1.5 HECA 5 Saxon and Medieval Town of Maldon............................................................................. 42 3.1.6 HECA 6 Historic Heybridge and the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation ................................ 44 3.1.7 HECA 7 Danbury Ridge................................................................................................................ 46 3.1.8 HECA 8 Blackwater Estuary......................................................................................................... 47 3.1.9 HECA 9 The Dengie...................................................................................................................... 49 3.1.10 HECA 10 Southminster to Bradwell......................................................................................... 50 3.1.11 HECA 11 Dengie Marshes ....................................................................................................... 51 3.1.12 HECA 12 Crouch Marshes....................................................................................................... 53 3.1.13 HECA 13 Burnham-on-Crouch ................................................................................................ 54 3.1.14 HECA 14 Historic Centre of Burnham-on-Crouch .................................................................. 55 4 CREATION OF HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT CHARACTER ZONES................................................. 57 4.1 GENERAL BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................... 57 4.2 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................................. 57 4.3 THE SCORING OF THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT CHARACTER ZONES.................................................. 58 4.3.1 Diversity of historic environment assets........................................................................................58 4.3.2 Survival ......................................................................................................................................... 59 4.3.3 Documentation .............................................................................................................................. 59 4.3.4 Group Value Association .............................................................................................................. 59 4.3.5 Potential........................................................................................................................................ 60 4.3.6 Sensitivity to Change..................................................................................................................... 60 4.3.7 Amenity Value ............................................................................................................................... 61 iii EB018 5 MALDON HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERISATION ZONES..................................... 62 HECA 1 BLACKWATER VALLEY ................................................................................................................ 63 HECZ 1.1: NORTHERN BLACKWATER VALLEY................................................................................................ 63 HECZ 1.2: WICKHAM BISHOPS........................................................................................................................ 65 HECZ 1.3: BLACKWATER VALLEY .................................................................................................................. 67 HECA 2 CHELMER VALLEY................................................................................................................. 69 HECZ 2.1: LAND ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE CHELMER VALLEY ............................................................ 69 HECZ 2.2 CHELMER AND BLACKWATER NAVIGATION..................................................................................... 71 HECZ 2.3 SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE CHELMER VALLEY ..................................................................................... 73 HECA 3 AREA TO THE NORTH OF THE BLACKWATER ESTUARY .................................................. 75 HECZ 3.1: GREAT TOTHAM AREA ................................................................................................................... 75 HECZ 3.2 AREA AROUND HIGH HALL ............................................................................................................. 77 HECZ 3.3 TOLLESHUNT KNIGHTS .................................................................................................................... 78 HECZ 3.4 TOLLESBURY AND TOLLESHUNT D’ARCY........................................................................................ 80 HECZ 3.5: TOLLESHUNT MAJOR ..................................................................................................................... 82 HECZ 3.6: GOLDHANGER AREA ................................................................................................................ 83 HECZ 3.7: CHIGBOROUGH AND SLOUGH HOUSE FARM............................................................................. 85 HECZ 3.8 LAND BETWEEN HEYBRIDGE BASIN, CHELMER NAVIGATION AND HEYBRIDGE............................... 87 HECZ 3.9 HEYBRIDGE BASIN AND THE CHELMER NAVIGATION ...................................................................... 88 HECZ 3.10 HEYBRIDGE BASIN ......................................................................................................................... 89 HECA 4 MALDON AND HEYBRIDGE.......................................................................................................... 91 HECZ 4.1 ROMAN HEYBRIDGE......................................................................................................................... 91 HECZ 4.2 CRESCENT ROAD.............................................................................................................................. 93 HECZ 4.3 INDUSTRIAL AREA ON THE CAUSEWAY............................................................................................ 95 HECZ 4.4 HEYBRIDGE...................................................................................................................................... 96 HECZ 4.5 MODERN HEYBRIDGE....................................................................................................................... 98 HECZ 4.6 THE TOWN DOWNS AND ARCHERY BUTTS....................................................................................... 99 HECZ 4. 7 MALDON POST MEDIEVAL TOWN AREA ........................................................................................ 100 HECZ 4. 9 MALDON MODERN DEVELOPMENT AREA ..................................................................................... 103 HECZ 4.10 COMMERCIAL ESTATE MALDON................................................................................................... 104 HECZ 5 SAXON AND MEDIEVAL TOWN OF MALDON........................................................................ 105 HECA 6 HEYBRIDGE..................................................................................................................................... 110 HECZ 6.1 HISTORIC HEYBRIDGE.................................................................................................................... 110 HECZ 6.2 HEYBRIDGE HALL AND POST MEDIEVAL HEYBRIDGE .................................................................... 112 HECA