Description

MALDON

TL8507SW MARKET HILL
574-1/7/185 (East side)
02/10/51 United Reformed Church
(Formerly Listed as:
MARKET HILL
Congregational Church)

GV II

Independent chapel, now United Reformed Church. 1801, enlarged
with galleries 1811 and 1835, refronted c1860; renewal of pews
and gallery and addition of vestry to east end c1876.
Timber-framed, pargeted, with stucco and stone facade and
concrete-tile roof.
STYLE: Classical.
EXTERIOR: galleried interior expressed as 2 storeys; 5 bays;
with 6-bay flanks. 3-bay pedimented centre with channelled
quoins. Ground floor has ashlar tetrastyle-in-antis Ionic
portico; triple entrances within have panelled doors under
rectangular fanlights in moulded architraves, double-leaf door
to centre. Wide floor band. First floor has 3 shallow
round-arched recesses with keyblocks linked by impost band and
containing round-arched windows with margin glazing. Modillion
cornice and circular ventilation grille to pediment. Steps to
side bays, containing stairs to gallery, each has a panelled
door with a rectangular fanlight in a moulded architrave with
cornice and shallow pediment in stucco above. Wide first-floor
band. Windows with margin glazing in architraves above. Angle
pilasters and modillion cornice. Single-bay returns of facade
pedimented, with similar detailing.
Range to rear: two tiers of windows with margin glazing, those
to upper tier round arched. Panels of pargeting enclosing
windows. North and south doors to vestry in east bay. East end
has two 3-light cross windows with glazing bars. Pair of
round-arched sashes above and circular ventilation grille to
pediment.
INTERIOR: gallery on all four sides with curved angles on
cast-iron Tuscan columns; patera to centre of each panel. Set
of numbered pews with semicircular bench ends. Raised platform
for table with side benches. Raised pulpit approached by steps
with iron balustrade. Pair of staircases flanking narrow
vestibule at west end has ramped handrail and pierced
quatrefoil motifs. Set of plain benches to gallery.
Ventilation grilles to coved plaster ceiling.
HISTORY: the founder of the Independent congregation in Maldon
was Joseph Billio who raised the first chapel on the same site

at his own expense in 1696. It was from his vigorous preaching
style that the expression 'like Billio' derived. The new
chapel was built under Revd Stephen Forster at a cost of over
»2,000.
(Earnsman MGL: The Church on Market Hill).

Listing NGR: TL8513507119

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26547918

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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