39 High Street and Moot Hall (EHER 7720)

A tower house built in the early-mid 15th century for Sir Robert D'Arcy. Three storeyed and brick-built, the plan comprises two intersecting rectangles with an octagonal stair turret to the NE angle of the front range. Acquired by the Borough Council in 1576 and subsequently used as a courthouse. Alterations were carried out during the late 18th/early 19th century and in around 1900. It was used as a police station from 1836 and is now Town Council premises. Summary from record 38333: Early-mid C15 tower house, town council premises since 1576.

October 1951. Grade I listed. An early-mid 15th century tower house, now used as town council premises. It was remodelled internally in the late 18th-early 19th centuries, and the parapet, top of the stair turret and the NW angle of the rear range were rebuilt in around 1900. It was originally built for Sir Robert D'arcy (1358-1448, Henry V's escheator for Essex) and acquired by the Borough Council in 1576. It is said to have been given to the town by Robert D'Arcy and sometimes the building is known as the D'Arcy tower. It is an unusual building, as it may have been built as a defensive tower. It is built from red brick in English bond, the walls being at least 2ft thick, and the roof is covered in lead. Moot Hall, including No.39 High Street, was built as a residence for Sir Robert D'arcy. New evidence in the form of blocked doorways and straight joints in the brickwork suggests that a two-storey first-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 the octagonal stair tower was without its elaborate spiral stair. The latter appears to be part of a second phase, when walls were thickened up and the building raised to its present height. It seems probable that the stair was the work of foreign brickmakers, being identical to others at Someries Castle (Bedfordshire) and Faulkbourne Hall (Essex, EHER 29794). In the 16th century the house was sold to a Maldon merchant and was again sold to the Borough of Maldon in 1576. At some time, No.39 had become a separate residence, probably during the period of merchant ownership. The Moot Hall has been used as a court since 1576. From 1836-88 the ground floor was used as a Police Station and housed cells. After 1889 it housed the Essex Constabulary until the Police Station in West Square (EHER 49867) was built in 1913. The building plan comprises two intersecting rectangles, with the rear range attached to the NW corner of the front range. It may be an addition. There is an octagonal crenelated stair turret to the NE angle of the front range, which is internally cylindrical. It is a three-storey building with a vaulted cellar in the rear range, partly below ground. To the High Street the ground floor has been faced in gault brick and a pair of doors are beneath a Doric portico with a late 19th century iron balustrade. On the first floor are a pair of full-height round-arched sash windows, one of which gives access to the balcony. Between the windows, a plaque records the installation of a clock on iron brackets, also between the windows, in 1881. Above the clock is a 20-pane sash window on the second floor. The rear elevation of the main range is partly concealed by later additions and has a mix of windows. The ground floor of the rear range is cement rendered and lined out on the rear elevation. The west elevation has rectangular slit windows on the stair turret. There is a timber bellcage under a shingled spirelet of 1881. The list description contains much information on the internal layout of the building. Of note is the late 18th-early 19th century court fittings in the first floor rooms, following the conversion of the building. These include raised-and-fielded-panelled benches, dock, witness box, judge's bench, dado panelling. There is also 17th century dado panelling and moulded and crenellated wall plates in the chamber. No.39 is also included in the listing and was originally part of Moot Hall. It is now a shop, and dates to around 1440. It is partly of red brick in English-bond and partly timber framed and rendered. The gabled roof is covered in plan tile. It is also of three-storeys and has a two-storey 19th century rear extension. The front is rendered with parapet. It has a late 19th century shop front of hardwood with deep projecting fascia on brackets and a band of rectangular leaded lights over a plain shop front with brick stall-riser and a recessed entrance. It has been much altered since its original construction in the early-mid 15th century. <1> See photos <2>. October 1976. Field survey. Moot Hall (name confirmed) is a 15th century brick built tower with later 17th and 19th century windows. Its imposing elevation makes it an outstanding building. See photograph. <3> January 1981. Scheduled Ancient Monument. A late medieval brick building. Regular English bond suggests not much pre-1500 in date. Rectangular unbuttressed tower, smaller tower at NW corner, polygonal stair-turret at NE with inset brick hand-rail (as at Tattershall), original windows in brick (not stone dressed) on north face, cruciform loop on west (street) face, parapet altered in the 18th century. Both towers are three storied, cellar below smaller, remains of three garderobes at junction of towers. Some rooms have embattled wooden cornice. Parapet altered in the 18th century. In the 18th century the first floor was fitted up as court room, the fittings are well preserved. The floor above is now a council chamber and has good 18th century furnishings. <4> <5> A three-storied structure with red-brick walls and lead-covered roofs. Built in the 15th century, it has a semi-octagonal stair-turret at the NE angle and small annexe at the NW angle. It has been much altered and most of the existing windows were inserted late in the 19th century. It is an unusual building in that it originally included a defensive tower. There are no ancient features in the south front, the west front has an original cruciform loop, now blocked. Above the annexe is a bell-turret with five modern bells. Within, original moulded timbers survive in the main room on the ground floor and in the room in the annexe which also has an original doorway with a four-centred head. Under this room is a vaulted cellar. The second storey, now a police court, has a window of old bricks, a blocked loop and some 17th century panelling in the annexe. The third floor is now a council chamber, and has late 17th and early 18th century furniture and some old portraits. One photo. <6> Originally a plain brick tower of around 1435 with higher stair-turret to the rear. Original ceiling-beams survive on the ground floor. The porch must have been added in around 1830 and is placed astride the pavement. It has four Tuscan columns. The upper windows are relatively recent in date. <7> In the late 15th century the D'Arcy family acquired a large area of High Street frontage between All Saints and St Peter's churches for a grand town house. The SE corner tower alone remains. Later it was taken over by the corporation as a new Moot Hall. The rest of the site was recolonised in the 16th century. <8> D'Arcy House on the High Street was built for Sir Robert D'Arcy (1358-1448). The original D'Arcy mansion was a timber framed building standing in approximately the area of Nos. 43-47 High Street. Refurbishment of 43-47 entailed the excavation of a stanchion pit which by chance had been driven straight down a barrel-lined well, dated to the late 13th and late 14th centuries, and this feature would have been within or just behind the original D'Arcy townhouse. At the beginning of the 15th century a new brick-faced residence was built for Sir Robert D'Arcy. Evidence in the form of blocked doorways and straight joints in the brickwork suggest that a two-storey first-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). <9> In the 16th century the house was sold to a Maldon merchant, who in turn sold it to the Borough of Maldon in 1576 for £55. At some time No. 39 had become a separate residence, probably during the merchant's ownership. The brick front wall of No. 39 was removed in the early 17th century and a new timber-framed wall substituted. The Borough used D'Arcy's Tower as the Moot Hall, and as a court from 1576. A veranda-like extension was added to the front facade with an open-fronted shop below (used by a glover). From 1836-88 the ground floor was used as a police station and housed cells. After 1889 it housed the Essex constabulary until the police station in West Square was built in the early 20th century. The Moot Hall court room retains its late 18th-early 19th century fixtures and fittings, including benches, dock, witness box and judge's bench. <9> <10> TL 84970705. <11> Moot Hall, Maldon (previously called Town Hall (<11>), and sometimes D'Arcy Tower (<12>), is a very unusual 15th century building, partly built as a defensive tower; grade 1. It was much altered in the 17th-19th centuries. <6> <11> <12> Moot Hall. Built in the 15th century (top part and parapet rebuilt 18th-19th century). Grade I (see list for details). <13> Originally a plain brick tower of around 1435. Porch added 1830. <14> See photo <15>. See also <16> and <17>. Site Assessment: Unusual, as partly built as a defensive tower. <1> <6> Restored in 1986-1987. The corner was rebuilt; necessary because three chimney flues and the outer wall of the tower in this area were only half a brick thick and cracked as a result. <18> Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import.