20 High Street (EHER 38320)

20 High Street is a mid-to-late 14th century timber-framed structure of special historic interest that is documented from the 1440s as the Saracen’s Head Inn. The building consists of a largely intact late 14th century parlour cross-wing to the left of an integral open hall that was almost completely rebuilt in the 19th century but preserves the framing of a probably slightly older service cross-wing in its right-hand wall. The rest of the service wing was demolished after a fire in 1895. During the first half of the 16th century an additional parlour wing with an octagonal crown-post was built in the inn yard to the south, and at an odd angle dictated by the corner plot. The heavily framed service wing contained an undershot cross-passage which survives today as an external alley to the right. The building may have been the location for the 'sorcery' against the Queen said to have occurred at the inn in 1580.

September 1971. Grade II listed. No. 20 High Street is incorrectly shown on the OS map as No. 18 High Street. It is a timber framed and rendered 14th, 15th and 16th century building, now a shop and offices. The building is two storey and comprises a main rectangular block and angled wing at the rear. The front has an 'M-profile' roof which is covered in plain tile. The ground floor has a 19th century small shop front window with adjoining left door, and a large sash window to the right. There is a rendered plinth around the whole building. The exposed south-west flank (which faces the north-east flank of No.18) is part-rendered, part-black weatherboarded. There is an exposed post on the north-west corner with a mortice for a jetty bracket. The rear of the wing has black weatherboarding on the gable and upper floor and render below. The north-eastern half of the main range is a two-bay cross-wing with internally exposed framing on the first floor. A late 14th century date seems probable for this part of the structure. The south-western half of the front range is later and without obvious features, but may incorporate material from a former hall. To the rear of the main range is a mid 16th century timber frame, which is exposed internally on the ground floor. This small rectangular structure has the remains of two former windows in its north-west face. The ceiling has moulded joists and moulded spine, and on the first floor, the rear tie beam and an intermediate tie beam are exposed. Those elements probably represent an earlier structure rather than relating to the mid 16th century work below. The RCHME mentions a beam dated 1597 which is not now in evidence and perhaps part of a further undetectable phase. <1> See photos <2>. East cross-wing is late 14th century, with jowled posts, a tie beam and braces exposed on the first floor, and a moulded girding beam, visible from the ground floor and facing the probable site of a former hall. The hall was probably removed in the 16th century. The north-west corner post shows the rebate for a jetty bracket, possibly for the hall, or for a previous building. The rear range is early mid 16th century and has exposed framing, with remains of two former windows and moulded ceiling beams. The first floor tiebeams and crown posts are visible. <3> March-April 2023. Heritage assessment. 20 High Street is a mid-to-late 14th century timber-framed structure of special historic interest that is documented from the 1440s as the Saracen’s Head Inn. It lies immediately to the south-west of the medieval market place beside All Saints Church (EHER 7735) in central Maldon and the restrictions of its corner site are reflected in its irregular proportions. The building consists of a largely intact late 14th century parlour cross-wing to the left of an integral open hall that was almost completely rebuilt in the 19th century but preserves the framing of a probably slightly older service cross-wing in its right-hand wall. The rest of the service wing was demolished after a fire in 1895 but is shown in a photograph from around 1890. During the first half of the 16th century an additional parlour wing with an octagonal crown-post was built in the inn yard to the south, and at an odd angle, blocking the service wing’s windows. Its principal room retains a moulded ceiling of exceptional quality, complete with rare original ceiling boards between its joists. This room was lit by a large gable window facing a narrow, triangular light well of just 0.75 or 2.5 ft in width that would have been shared by the rear window of the hall. It may have been the location for the sorcery against the Queen said to have occurred at the inn in 1580. The 14th century parlour wing tapers from only 3.4 m in internal width on the street to a mere 2.7 m at its rear gable (11 ft and 8.75 ft respectively), and in practice was smaller still as it include a recessed high-end with a moulded dais beam facing the hall. A typical 14th century splayed scarf joint is visible in its roof-plate. The heavily framed service wing contained an undershot cross-passage which survives today as an external alley to the right. The early photograph depicts an unusually large jettied structure and it is possible that the medieval parlour lay in its spacious front room while the cramped parlour operated as a shop near the market place. With its recessed high-end and undershot passage the central hall would have extended to a respectable 5.8 m or 19 ft in length by much the same in width, but only a fragment of its crown-post roof structure remains. The building accordingly illustrates the complexity and sophistication of medieval inns on restricted urban sites. <4> Note: The west extent of the mapped polygon represents the, now destroyed, 14th century service wing and covered medieval cross-passage (now preserved as an open foot passage). It has been transcribed from Fig. 5a in <4>. The building abuts No. 20A High Street to the north-east. May-December 2025. Archaeological monitoring and recording. Monitoring at 20 High Street, Maldon, revealed two brick wall foundations and a brick floor extending to the south-east from the extant Grade II listed building, and relating to a demolished portion of the building. The two brick wall foundations probably date to the 16th century with made-ground 'L5' and brick floor 'F1' a later 18th to early 19th century addition to the structure. <5>