The Old Custom House (EHER 38432)

A late 16th century timber framed and rendered building, formerly the custom house, now a house. It has early 18th and early 19th century alterations, and has been refronted with a facade of grey/blue header brick with red brick dressings. The roofs are covered in plain tiles and it has a parapet. It is two storeys with attics and the rear elevation has two projecting wings.

October 1951. Grade II* listed. A late 16th century timber framed and rendered building, formerly the custom house, now a house. It has early 18th and early 19th century alterations, and has been refronted with a façade of grey/blue header brick with red brick dressings. The roofs are covered in plain tiles and it has a parapet. It is two storeys with attics and the rear elevation has two projecting wings. The ground floor has a central doorcase with fluted Doric pilasters, a flat hood and a six-panel door, approached by four stone steps and wrought-iron handrails. Each side there are two similar sash windows, and the tall plinth is rendered. To the south-east is a tall, rendered early 19th century block with a steep, gambrel roof. The ground floor has a wide flat-roofed bay window with small panes. To the north-east is a lower rendered extension with gabled roof. The front range contains remains of a late 16th century two-storey and unjettied timber-framed house, formerly with a roof of wind-braced clasped-purlin type. The exposed north-east wall has remains of diamond-mullioned windows to the attic, fist and ground floors. The north-eastern rear extension range has a roof of A-frame type with high mounted collars, and many-pegged curved braces between the principals and collar (identical to roofs of No.4 Silver Street, EHER 38455). At the south-west end of front range, the base of a late 16th century chimney stack is exposed in the attic, and has two octagonal shafts with moulded bases. In the early 18th century the roof was raised, with reused material. The inside face of the front wall has original early 18th century details in the north-east room. The central entrance hall has early 19th century panelling and a dogleg staircase with barleysugar balusters (some renewed), and arched openings on the first floor landing with moulded capitals and pilasters. The south-west front room has 18th century pine panelling. The early 19th century rear wing has contemporary fireplaces on the ground and first floor, and a first floor room has a window with vertical sliding shutters. The ground-floor bay window has reeded pilasters on its flanks. <1> See photo <2>. The Old Custom House (No. 34 Market Hill) is a late 16th century timber framed building in origin, with early 18th century and early 19th century additions. Its presence reflects Maldon's role as a port. <3> Eighteenth century refronting in brick using many grey blue headers, conceal an apparent unjettied late 16th century timber frame with rear wall stack, chamfered arch fireplace and diamond mullioned windows. The front range contains the base of a 16th century chimney stack, with two moulded octagonal shafts in the attic. There is good 18th century internal detail including barley sugar balusters. <4> The building abuts No.36 Market Hill (EHER 38433) to the north and No.32 Market Hill (EHER 38430) to the south.