Maldon District
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Maldon is a
local government district The districts of England (also known as local authority districts or local government districts to distinguish from unofficial city districts) are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. As the st ...
in
Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. The council is based in
Maldon Maldon (, locally ) is a town and civil parish on the River Blackwater, Essex, Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon District and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation. It is known for Maldon Sea ...
, and the district includes other notable settlements such as
Burnham-on-Crouch Burnham-on-Crouch is a town and civil parish in the Maldon District of Essex in the East of England. It lies on the north bank of the River Crouch. It is one of Britain's leading places for yachting. The civil parish extends east of the town t ...
, Heybridge,
Wickham Bishops Wickham Bishops is a village and civil parish in the Maldon district of Essex, England. It is located around three miles north of the town of Maldon and around two miles south-east of Witham, in whose post town it lies. The place name ''Wickham ...
,
Southminster Southminster is a town and electoral ward on the Dengie Peninsula in the Maldon district of Essex in the East of England. It lies about north of Burnham-on-Crouch and south-east of Maldon; it is approximately east-north-east of London. To the ...
, Tolleshunt D'Arcy and
Tollesbury Tollesbury is a village in England, located on the Essex coast at the mouth of the River Blackwater. It is situated nine miles east of the historic port of Maldon and twelve miles south of Colchester. For centuries Tollesbury, the village of t ...
. The district covers the
Dengie peninsula __NOTOC__ Dengie is a peninsula in Essex, England, that once formed a hundred (subdivision), hundred of the same name (sometimes spelled Dengy). The peninsula is formed by the River Crouch to the south, the River Blackwater, Essex, Blackwater to ...
in the south, as well as the Thurstable Hundred area to the north of the
Blackwater Estuary The Blackwater Estuary is the estuary of the River Blackwater between Maldon and West Mersea in Essex. It is a 5,538 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). An area of 4,395 hectares is also designated a Ramsar Wetland o ...
, a total area of 358.78 km2. The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under th
Local Government Act 1972
It covered the
municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...
of
Maldon Maldon (, locally ) is a town and civil parish on the River Blackwater, Essex, Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon District and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation. It is known for Maldon Sea ...
and
urban district Urban district may refer to: * District * Urban area * Quarter (urban subdivision) * Neighbourhood Specific subdivisions in some countries: * Urban districts of Denmark * Urban districts of Germany * Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (hist ...
of
Burnham-on-Crouch Burnham-on-Crouch is a town and civil parish in the Maldon District of Essex in the East of England. It lies on the north bank of the River Crouch. It is one of Britain's leading places for yachting. The civil parish extends east of the town t ...
along with
Maldon Rural District Maldon (, locally ) is a town and civil parish on the Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon District and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation. It is known for Maldon Sea Salt which is produced i ...
. As of 2017, the district had an estimated population of 63,975. The majority of people live in the small rural villages, many of which have their origins in connections with the coast or agricultural economy. Many people know the district from its association with sailing.


Politics

A subdivision of the county of Essex, the
Non-metropolitan district Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially "shire districts", are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties (colloquially ''shire counties'') in a two-tier arrangement. Non-m ...
is served by Maldon District Council. The area is part of the
parliamentary constituency An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...
of
Maldon Maldon (, locally ) is a town and civil parish on the River Blackwater, Essex, Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon District and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation. It is known for Maldon Sea ...
.


Maldon District Council

There are 31 seats on Maldon District Council. Elections for all seats are held every four years; the last were held in May 2019. The result at that election was 17
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
and 14 Independent councillors. Following resignations and splits amongst both the Conservatives and the Independent Group, and two by-elections, the political make up at January 2022 was 10 Conservative, 3 non-aligned Conservatives, 11 Independent Group, 6 non-aligned Independents, and one vacant seat. Penny Channer, a Conservative, was appointed leader of the council at a meeting on 18 January 2022, effectively leading a Conservative minority administration. There are 29 town and parish councils. Former leader of Maldon district council John Smith was killed along with two family members while he commanded a light aircraft flight from Oban to Andrewsfield, Essex on 9 April 2007. An Air Accident Investigation report concluded that Smith was 5 times over the blood alcohol prescribed limit, this along with unreliable instrument readings and lack of IMC or instrument rating lead to disorientation and the crash. Smiths health was also questioned at a coroners inquest and it was reported he was not medically cleared to fly.


History

The first evidence of a settlement to the north of Maldon at Elms Farm is from the Middle Bronze Age 3500 years ago. From 500 BC onwards the red hills of the Crouch and Blackwater show us that there was a continuous and extensive activity in the salt making which still prospers today. Later, during the
Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
, about 100 BC, there was a port, set among the marshlands at the junction of the Blackwater and Chelmer rivers. This settlement may have been of regional religious significance, and there is evidence that it traded luxury goods with Europe. Elms Farm continued as a port and market place but was clearly superseded in importance by Colchester in the 1st century AD, when
Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...
became the first capital of the
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
administration. The Romans founded
Othona Othona or Othonae was the name of an ancient Roman fort of the Saxon Shore at the sea's edge near the modern village of Bradwell-on-Sea in Essex, England. The Old English name ''Ythanceaster'' for the locality derives from the Roman name. Hist ...
in the 3rd century. It was a fortress at the mouth of the Blackwater built to protect the estuary from Saxon pirates. It was here in 654 AD that
St Cedd Cedd ( la, Cedda, Ceddus; 620 – 26 October 664) was an Anglo-Saxon monk and bishop from the Kingdom of Northumbria. He was an evangelist of the Middle Angles and East Saxons in England and a significant participant in the Synod of Whitby, ...
founded the church of
St Peter-on-the-Wall The Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall, Bradwell-on-Sea, is a Christian church dating from the years 660-662 and among the oldest largely intact churches in England. It is in regular use by the nearby Othona Community, in addition to Church of Engl ...
, the oldest church in England to retain much of its original fabric. In 664 AD
St Cedd Cedd ( la, Cedda, Ceddus; 620 – 26 October 664) was an Anglo-Saxon monk and bishop from the Kingdom of Northumbria. He was an evangelist of the Middle Angles and East Saxons in England and a significant participant in the Synod of Whitby, ...
attended the
Synod of Whitby In the Synod of Whitby in 664, King Oswiu of Northumbria ruled that his kingdom would calculate Easter and observe the monastic tonsure according to the customs of Rome rather than the customs practiced by Irish monks at Iona and its satellite ins ...
which merged the Anglo-Celtic Church with the Church of Rome. Recent changes in the coastline have revealed the remains of extensive Saxon 5-7th century fish traps. The Church stands today overlooking the North Sea from whence came further invaders in the 10th century - the Danes. In 912 AD and 914 AD
Edward the Elder Edward the Elder (17 July 924) was King of the Anglo-Saxons from 899 until his death in 924. He was the elder son of Alfred the Great and his wife Ealhswith. When Edward succeeded to the throne, he had to defeat a challenge from his cousin Æt ...
camped at Maldon to organise defences in the desperate fight against the Danes. In 917 AD the Saxons were defeated at Colchester and besieged at Maldon, but eventually, the Danes were defeated. In 991 AD there was a major battle between the pillaging Danes led by Olaf Trygvassen who had already attacked Ipswich, and Earl Bryhtnoth's men who were defending Maldon on the instruction of the Saxon King Ethelred the Unready. Earl Bryhtnoth was in his sixties. The battle was recorded in a poem which is regarded as one of the finest examples of early English literature. The famous
Battle of Maldon The Battle of Maldon took place on 11 August 991 AD near Maldon beside the River Blackwater in Essex, England, during the reign of Æthelred the Unready. Earl Byrhtnoth and his thegns led the English against a Viking invasion. The battle ...
took place beside the River Blackwater on 10 August 991, during the reign of Ethelred the Unready. The Anglo-Saxons, led by Byrhtnoth and his thegns, fought against a Viking invasion, a battle which ended in defeat for the Anglo-Saxons.


Geology, landscape and ecology

The district is in the east of Essex (). Most of the district is the
Dengie peninsula __NOTOC__ Dengie is a peninsula in Essex, England, that once formed a hundred (subdivision), hundred of the same name (sometimes spelled Dengy). The peninsula is formed by the River Crouch to the south, the River Blackwater, Essex, Blackwater to ...
. Still, a significant area is also the area above the
Blackwater Estuary The Blackwater Estuary is the estuary of the River Blackwater between Maldon and West Mersea in Essex. It is a 5,538 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). An area of 4,395 hectares is also designated a Ramsar Wetland o ...
, bounded by the River Blackwater to the west until near
Kelvedon Kelvedon is a village and civil parish in the Braintree District of Essex in England, between Chelmsford and Colchester. It had a population of 4,717 in 2001, reducing to 3,587 at the 2011 Census. It is now home to several businesses including ...
, the boundary then continues south of
Tiptree Tiptree is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the English county of Essex, situated south-west of Colchester and around north-east of London. Surrounding villages include Messing, Essex, Messing, Tolleshunt Knights, Toll ...
to the Salcott inlet on the Blackwater Estuary. There are very few settlements on the boundary of the district with the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
, in contrast with other coastal districts of Essex, due to the Dengie Marshes. The district has a rural character ranging from the tidal salt marshes to farmland and rolling wooded ridges. A network of country lanes provides access to the countryside from the towns and villages. A remote area of tidal mud-flats and saltmarshes at the eastern end of the Dengie peninsula forms the Dengie Special Protection Area. The River Blackwater and
River Crouch The River Crouch is a small river that flows entirely through the English county of Essex. The distance of the Navigation between Holliwell Point which is north of Foulness Island and Battlesbridge is 17.5 Miles, i.e. 15.21 Nautical Miles. Ro ...
are of international importance for nature conservation particularly for their extensive population of wildfowl and waders.


Settlements in Maldon


Arms


References


External links


Maldon District Council

Burnham-on-Crouch Lifeboat

Burnham-on-Crouch Weather Station



Christian Outreach Centre Heybridge and Maldon
- a church meeting in Maldon
Maldon Town Council
ref> * {{authority control Non-metropolitan districts of Essex