Vicarage of Church of All Saints, Maldon (EHER 38262)

A timber framed and rendered vicarage, built in 1449, altered in the early 16th century and 17th century, and restored in 1902. It seems probable that the west cross-wing represents a chantry priest house from around 1449, provided under the Will of Sir Robert D'Arcy of Maldon (1385-1448), and to be used in conjunction with All Saints Church (EHER 7735). There are decorative carved panels from the restoration in 1902 throughout, and some 17th century wall paintings of the sacred monogram 'IHC' and religious iconography. The building features some exposed framing and is on a complex plain comprising a main block with hall and two cross-wings. The building is two storeys. The ground floor is jettied with the original brackets retained.

September 1971. Grade II* listed. A timber framed and rendered vicarage, built in 1449, altered in the early 16th century and 17th century, and restored in 1902. It has some exposed framing and a gabled plain tiled roof. It is on a complex plan comprising a main block with hall and two cross-wings. The building is two storeys. The ground floor is jettied with the original brackets retained. The front of the west cross-wing has barge-boards dated 1902, and carved with pomegranates. The exposed first-floor framing has double wall bracing. Rendered and truncated old stack on west flank. The gabled projecting porch also features barge-boards carved with a grape pattern, also from 1902. The two-storey hall block has much exposed framing with two major wall posts framing a probable window opening. The eastern cross-wing has two late, two-storeyed extensions on its east flank. These have parallel plain tile, gabled roofs, at right-angles to the cross-wing ridge. The southernmost of these has painted decorative tiling. A larger extension behind projects further and has exposed brick, and pantile-roofed lean-to extension on its east wall. Internally, the west cross-wing is a high quality, two-bay structure with a single chamber on each floor. There are fireplaces to the west flank, that to the upper floor having a stone late medieval surround. It is suggested that the original chimney stack position was in the rear bay of this flank where there is a substantial gap in the framing and a probable window opening adjoining. The rear wall of this structure has vertically aligned door openings on each floor, and presumably one or both of these gave access to a stair but this area was altered in the late 17th century (painted date on wall) to provide an additional rear bay. The inside face of the east wall has traces of wall painting of vertical red and white stripes and the sacred monogram 'IHC' in white on a red stripe with foliage ornament. Clover leaf motifs, white on the red stripes and black on the white stripes represent The Holy Trinity. The east cross-wing is of three bays with originally a single bay room on each floor in the front, and larger two-bay chamber to the rear. The general arrangement is that of a service wing with evidence for a pair of service doors into the hall to the west. The general construction suggests an early to mid 16th century date although there are some contradictory features. The east wall of the central bay has a contemporary stone fireplace on the ground floors. The present hall consists of two superimposed chambers which may be contemporary with the east cross-wing, but the general construction suggests a late 16th century date. To the rear of the hall is a late 18th century staircase with shaped tread ends and stick balusters. At its head, a short length of similar handrail acts as a kind of gallery. It seems probable that the west cross-wing represents a chantry priesthouse from around 1449, provided under the Will of Sir Robert D'Arcy of Maldon (1385-1448). Daily mass was to be celebrated at the altar of The Holy Trinity of All Saints Church (EHER 7735), explaining the subject matter of the surviving wall paintings. It has been suggested that this cross-wing represents the complete house but the elaborate bracing of the east flank, together with its unweathered state could suggest a parlour/solar to a contemporary or pre-existing open hall. However, some Essex priests' houses were certainly of a three-bay cross-wing format. <1> See photos <2>. A chantry priest's house was provided for in the will of Sir Robert D'Arcy, in around 1449. It is probable that the west cross-wing of the current Vicarage is part of this building. The chantry priest was to celebrate a daily mass at the altar of the Holy Trinity of All Saints (EHER 7735), and within the cross-wing are wall-paintings depicting the clover-leaf motif of the Holy Trinity and the sacred monogram IHC. <3> In 1448 Sir Robert D'Arcy left money for a chantry chapel in All Saints Church and two chaplains to be provided with a messuage and acre of land. The surviving western crosswing may represent that messuage. This three bay cross wing may have attached to a hall, pegs for a bench survive on the flank. A short time after the eastern crosswing was added. Major refurbishment in the 18th century with the eastern crosswing extended. The house was renovated in 1902, when plaster was removed from the front and the Tudor style oriel windows were created. The western cross-wing is built in oak with close studding and tension bracing. On both floors there was a large two-bay room to the front and a smaller single bay to the rear. The original fireplace is in the centre bay of the west wall. These were later relocated to the front bay. The doorway in the rear wall probably represents a former garderobe. A staircase provides access to the upper floor via a narrow third bay or the stair turret. The front elevation has two grand windows: on the ground floor is an oriel and first floor is an elaborate tracery window which may have also been an oriel. The rear elevation probably had a window on each floor to light the narrow bay. Two front bays have a fine crown post roof; the rear bay is hipped. The front elevation incorporated a crown post, the middle truss, a cross quadrate crown post with four-way bracing and the rear room a crown post strut supporting a high collar carrying the jack rafters of the hip. The collar purlin has an edge halved and bridled scarf with splayed halvings. The floor joists housed using central tenons with housed soffit shoulders. Indications of status include a moulded cornice on upper floor and a wall painting on the east wall representing Jesus and the Trinity. The eastern crosswing broadly shares the same plan. It was probably built as a service wing, as there are reveals for two doors on the ground floor. The crown post roof is very plain and has a hip in the third. The hall has been substantially rebuilt although some sooted rafters survive. <4>