61-509: The Combined Military Services Museum in Maldon, Essex , was opened on 5 July 2004. It was set up by Richard Wooldridge to house a personal collection he had created over many years. A charity was established in 1996 to facilitate the funding of a museum building. A suitable property was found in 2001, a former bonded warehouse in Maldon. This underwent considerable modification to suit its new purpose. In
122-719: A Victoria Cross , in his army name of Frederick Corbett , in the Arabi Pasha Rebellion in Egypt on 5 August 1882. He was buried in an unmarked grave in London Road Cemetery, Maldon, but in 2004 the regimental association provided a memorial and in 2005 the Essex Society for Family History provided another. He served in the King's Royal Rifle Corps . Although awarded the VC for standing by
183-400: A Germanic society, still, nine hundred years after Tacitus , was an absolute and overriding loyalty to one's lord. The Anglo-Saxon scholar and writer J. R. R. Tolkien was inspired by the poem to write The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son , an alliterative dialogue between two characters at the end of the battle. In publishing the work, Tolkien included alongside it an essay on
244-602: A London cab driver visited the Elizabeth Fry Special School (formerly Grange Road Special School) in Plaistow . He wanted to do something special for the young patients he saw there. He wrote to every one of Essex's seaside towns to arrange an outing and the only town that was willing to help was Maldon; thus, Taxi Day has remained a tradition ever since. Maldon is twinned with the Dutch town of Cuijk . The charter between
305-754: A body of Vikings and being killed. The poem follows the rules of alliterative verse . However, it has been pointed out that the poem contains some end-rhymes , and that some departures from the rules of alliterative verse occur. Therefore, the poem can be seen as transitional between the era of alliterative verse and the era of end-rhymes. Mark Griffith argues that the words in the poem can be divided into 'poetic words', which alliterate often, and 'non-poetic words', which alliterate less frequently. 'Poetic words' can be found either uniquely, or significantly enriched in poetic texts. "The Battle of Maldon" mostly adheres to traditional rules observed in Beowulf , especially before
366-418: A certain point in the poem. There are only a few exceptions, representing less than 5% of relevant instances. Some of these exceptions had also been noted in previous analyses of Beowulf . In 1731, the only known manuscript of the poem (which, as with the modern version, was missing its beginning and ending ) was destroyed in the fire at Ashburnham House that also damaged and destroyed several other works in
427-676: A large collection of Special Operations Executive (SOE) equipment and the Donnington Historic Weapons Collection. The Donnington collection also holds a replica of the Victoria Cross metal, a piece of bronze from a captured cannon from which all Victoria Crosses have been made. The original metal is still closely guarded within MoD Donnington . Amongst the rarest items in the museum are the Riggal Papers . These are
488-717: A reference section for geologists. There are three landslips on the north-facing river cliff of the Blackwater at Maldon. The middle slip is called the West Maldon Landslip, which was caused by repeated rotational slips of the bedrock London Clay, which is trying to reach a stable angle. Hythe Quay at the confluence of the Chelmer and Blackwater, which flanks the northern edge of the town, was an important port and Cooks Yard remains significant for Thames barges. The River Blackwater , that
549-486: A rival tradition of inviting prominent clergy to visit the town also existed. In 1629 a series of grain riots took place, led by the wife of a local butcher. In the 17th century Thomas Plume started the Plume Library to house over 8,000 books and pamphlets printed between 1487 and his death in 1704; the collection has been added to at various times since 1704. The Plume Library is to be found at St Peter's Church. Only
610-447: A short-lived spur line at Wickford also gave direct access towards Southend. Edward Arthur Fitch, writing in about 1895, states that from London's Liverpool Street station to Maldon East via Witham there were eight trains on weekdays and three on Sundays and that, via Wickford, there were five trains on weekdays and none on Sundays. The fastest train took 85 minutes via Witham and 82 minutes via Wickford. Maldon West railway station
671-548: A wounded officer, he subsequently forfeited his VC after committing theft against another officer in 1884. Edward Bright (1721–1750) was the "fat man of Maldon", a grocer who, at 47.5 stone (665 lb; 302 kg) was reputed to be the fattest man in England. His coat could encompass seven men. After his death, etchings of a painting of him were much sought after. His chair resides in Maldon Moot Hall. John Cook (1918–1984)
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#1732852528117732-860: 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 in the area. In 2011 the parish had a population of 14,220 and the district had a population of 61,700. The place-name Maldon is first attested in 913 in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , where it appears as Maeldun . Maldon's name comes from mǣl meaning 'monument or cross' and dūn meaning 'hill', so translates as 'monument hill'. East Saxons settled
793-556: Is an English actor, born in Maldon. He is known for playing the roles of Joe Poulter in the BBC series Bad Education and James in the Netflix black comedy series After Life. Virginia Crosbie (born 8 December 1966), former Member of Parliament for Ynys Môn , was born in Maldon before attending school in Colchester . Maldon is twinned with: The Battle of Maldon " The Battle of Maldon "
854-432: Is in fact a fairly strong argument for an early composition date. The lack of legendary elements seems to indicate that this poem was written at a time when witnesses or close descendants of witnesses would have been able to attest to the validity and accuracy of the facts. John D. Niles , in his essay "Maldon and Mythopoesis", also argues for an early composition date. He states that the three direct references to Æthelred
915-525: Is the closest railway station to the north of the town, whilst North Fambridge is closest to southern parts of the town. Maldon's first railway link was a branch line to Witham opened in 1846. Later, a second line linked Maldon with Woodham Ferrers on the Crouch Valley line between Southminster and Wickford . Whilst Wickford is itself on the line between Shenfield and Southend (thus providing Maldon with another route into London Liverpool Street ),
976-532: Is the name given to an Old English poem of uncertain date celebrating the real Battle of Maldon of 991, at which an Anglo-Saxon army failed to repulse a Viking raid. Only 325 lines of the poem are extant; both the beginning and the ending are lost. The poem is told entirely from the perspective of the Anglo-Saxons, and names many individuals that scholars Bruce Mitchell and Fred C. Robinson believe were real Englishmen. Mitchell and Robinson conjecture that
1037-512: Is the town's main leisure destination, located in the town's leisure quarter, adjacent to Madison Heights, with a 4 lane 25m swimming pool, 100+ station gym, group cycling studio, group exercise studio and sports hall with indoor courts. Two short lived greyhound racing tracks existed at Sealey Farm on the Fambridge Road (opening on 3 September 1932 and closing the same year) and around the former Spital Road football ground in 1931. The racing
1098-777: The Mayflower , Saint George and Saint Joan of Arc in the centre. At the top are the arms of the Washington family , and the arms of the USA, England, Scotland and Wales. At the bottom are depictions of George Washington, the landing of the Mayflower , the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Statue of Liberty . Also in Maldon are Maldon Baptist Church in Butt Lane, Maldon Methodist Church in
1159-556: The Blackwater Estuary . It is on the A414 10 miles (16 km) east of Chelmsford and 49 miles (79 km) north-east of Charing Cross , London, via the A13 road. Essex is a county built on London Clay , overlain with pockets of gravel deposited by riparian action; the lowest land is made up of river alluvium and salt marsh. At Maldon, the railway cutting (now a road cutting) provided
1220-507: The Cotton library . The poem has come down to us thanks to the transcription of it made c. 1724 , which was published by Thomas Hearne in 1726. After being lost, the original transcription was found in the Bodleian Library in the 1930s. Who made this original transcription is still unclear; some favour John Elphinstone, and others David Casley. According to some scholars,
1281-474: The Sudbury TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Essex on 103.5 FM, Heart East on 102.6 FM, Radio Essex on 107.7 FM, Greatest Hits Radio East on 100.2 FM, and Caroline Community Radio, a community based radio station that broadcast on 94.7 FM. The town is served by the local newspaper, Maldon and Burnham Standard. Maldon has a non-League football club Maldon & Tiptree F.C. who play at
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#17328525281171342-607: The "ECB Chance to Shine " programme. Drapers Farm is also the home of Maldon Rugby Union Football Club which was founded in 1947 by Tommy Harries, who was the landlord of the King's Head public house in Maldon High Street. The inaugural meeting was on 28 August 1947 at the Blue Boar Hotel. Maldon RFC run several senior male sides and one female side as well as all youth age groups from under 7s to under 18s. Blackwater Leisure Centre
1403-454: The English are portrayed as heroic however: one, Godric the son of Odda (there are two Godrics in the poem), flees the battle with his brothers and, most improperly, does so on Byrhtnoth's horse. Several lines later, the English lord Offa claims that the sight of Byrhtnoth's horse (easily recognisable from its trappings) fleeing, and so Byrhtnoth, as it would appear from a distance, has bred panic in
1464-664: The High Street, and Maldon United Reformed Church on Market Hill. Maldon Mosque is in Church Street. During World War II , Maldon was featured in the German invasion plan for Britain, Operation Sea Lion . The plan called for the Germans to advance to a line between Maldon and the River Severn after they had landed in the southern coast of England. Maldon is on the tidal River Chelmer by
1525-519: The Unready necessitate an early composition date, before Æthelred had achieved his reputation for ineffectiveness. This argument hinges upon Byrhtnoth's, and the poet's, degree of knowledge of Æthelred's ill reputation. If Byrhtnoth had known of Æthelred's nature, would he have been willing to sacrifice himself for an undeserving king, effectively throwing away his own life and those of his men? Niles indicates that this does not appear to be supportable through
1586-563: The Wallace Binder Ground. There are many developed youth football teams in Maldon, among them being Maldon Saints. The town has a vibrant cricket club, with several adult and colts' sides, who play at two grounds: The Promenade Park , Maldon and the main ground at Drapers Farm, Heybridge. Recent improvements to the ground include a dual-lane enclosed all-weather net facility. Overseas players from Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka have coached cricket in local primary schools as part of
1647-504: The actions and statements of Byrhtnoth throughout the poem. Apparently Byrhtnoth did not know of the king's nature, and most likely the poet himself did not know of the king's nature either. If the poet had known, he would likely have mentioned it in an aside, similar to the way he treats the coward Godric when he is first introduced within the poem. Some of these arguments have been rebutted; George Clark, for instance, argues against an early composition date, rebutting Irving, and states that
1708-515: The area in the 5th century and the area to the south is still known as the Dengie Peninsula after the Dæningas. It became a significant Saxon port with a hythe or quayside and artisan quarters. Evidence of imported pottery from this period has been found in archaeological digs. From 958 there was a royal mint issuing coins for the late Anglo-Saxon and early Norman kings. It was one of
1769-472: The bank and back through the water. The race generated over £55,000 for charities in 2014. Maldon also hosts the international Maldon Festival, which takes place each year in late June and July. The town holds an annual "Taxi Day" which sees mentally and physically disabled children from London driven to Maldon in London Black Cabs for a fun day of activities and a meal. The event dates back to 1952 when
1830-694: The bottom of Market Hill and Steeple Marshes. An episode of the TV series Lovejoy featuring Ian McShane was also filmed there. In H. G. Wells ' The War of the Worlds (1898); Maldon is the town from which the narrator's brother and two female companions manage to escape across the Channel. Maldon is a location mentioned in the " Rose Garden ", a short ghost story by M. R. James , and published in More Ghost Stories (1911). Maldon and its clock tower are featured in
1891-466: The club, being an Honorary Life Member, while acting as a huge role model for the club's young players. Cook made his Essex debut in 2003, before making his international debut, aged 21, in 2006. Singer/songwriter and TikTok star Sam Ryder , born 1989, represented the UK in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest with his song " Space Man ", where he came 2nd with 466 points. Private David Embleton (1853–1912) won
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1952-461: The contrasting acts of the two Godrics the heart of the Anglo-Saxon heroic ethos. Mitchell and Robinson are more succinct: "The poem is about how men bear up when things go wrong." Several critics have commented on the poem's preservation of a centuries-old Germanic ideal of heroism: Maldon is remarkable (apart from the fact that it is a masterpiece) in that it shows that the strongest motive in
2013-422: The detail and specificity found in the poem do not necessarily necessitate an early composition date. Clark argues that if one accepts the detail and specificity as indicators that the events were related to the poet by a witness or close descendant, then the presenter or narrator must have either been "one of the cowards or a retainer who missed the battle by legitimate accident and later chatted with one or more of
2074-518: The lost opening of the poem must have related how Byrhtnoth , an Anglo-Saxon ealdorman , hearing of the Viking raid, raised his troops and led them to the shore. The part of the poem that survives today begins with the Anglo-Saxon warriors dismounting to prepare for battle. A Viking force is encamped on an island that can be reached by a causeway. A Viking messenger offers Byrhtnoth peace if he will consent to pay tribute . Byrhtnoth angrily refuses, telling
2135-400: The men who abandoned his lord". Other arguments against an early date focus on vocabulary and spelling, which, it is argued, suggest that the poem had its origins in the 11th century in western England, rather than from the 10th century in eastern England (where Maldon is located). These arguments are not based upon one or two spellings which may have been transcribed poorly, but rather upon
2196-562: The messenger that he will fight the heathen Vikings in defence of his land, and the land of his king, Æthelred . In his "ofermōde", Byrhtnoth allows the Vikings to cross to the mainland, giving them room in which to do battle, rather than keeping them penned in on the island. Individual episodes from the ensuing carnage are described, and the fates of several Anglo-Saxon warriors depicted—notably that of Byrhtnoth himself, who dies urging his soldiers forward and commending his soul to God . Not all
2257-426: The mint and supplied a warhorse and warship for the king's service in return for its privileges of self-government. The town was awarded a charter by Henry II in 1171, stating the rights of the town as well as defining its borders and detailing its duty to provide a ship for the monarch "when necessary". The town's All Saints' Church, unique in England in having a triangular tower, dates from around this period. While
2318-550: The only two towns in Essex ( Colchester was the other), and King Edward the Elder is thought to have lived here while combating the Danish settlers who had overrun North Essex and parts of East Anglia . A Viking raid was beaten off in 924, but in another raid in 991 the defenders were defeated in the Battle of Maldon and the Vikings received tribute but apparently did not attempt to sack
2379-536: The original poem and another on the word "ofermōde". In 1959, author Pauline Clarke wrote Torolv the Fatherless , a children's novel set in the Anglo-Saxon era. The novel focuses on a lost Viking child, Torolv, who is adopted by the Anglo-Saxon court, and eventually witnesses the Battle of Maldon, in which the child's father may be one of the attacking Vikings. Clarke ends the novel with her own Modern English translation of
2440-423: The original tower survives, the rest of the building having been rebuilt by Thomas Plume to house his library (on the first floor) and what was Maldon Grammar School (on the ground floor). In the church of All Saints is a memorial window to George Washington , whose great-great grandfather, Lawrence Washington , is buried here. Unveiled by an American diplomat on 5 July 1928, the window displays Saint Nicholas with
2501-532: The period of setting up the museum, the initial collection was expanded by donations and acquisitions. In 2007, a National Lottery grant was given to extend the museum to house the Donnington Historic Weapons Collection . These works were completed in November 2008. Amongst the items in the museum is a Cockle Mark II canoe from the "cockleshell heroes" raid, Operation Frankton , as well as
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2562-411: The poem Byrhtnoth is disarmed easily by a Viking. Clark argues that these two events are conflicting and therefore demonstrate the lack of historical accuracy within the poem. Clark also argues that the poet never mentions the great height of Byrhtnoth, nor does he mention Byrhtnoth "enfeebled by age", which indicates that the poet was removed from the event, for the historical records show that Byrhtnoth
2623-437: The poem must have been written close to the events that it depicts, given the historical concreteness and specificity of the events depicted in the poem. According to Irving, the specific events told with such clarity could only have been composed shortly after the events had taken place, and before legend had been introduced into the poem. While this may seem strange to a modern audience, who are used to "realistic fiction", this
2684-576: The poet may even have fought at Maldon. S. A. J. Bradley reads the poem as a celebration of pure heroism —nothing was gained by the battle, rather the reverse: not only did Byrhtnoth, "so distinguished a servant of the Crown and protector and benefactor of the Church ", die alongside many of his men in the defeat, but the Danegeld was paid shortly after—and sees in it an assertion of national spirit and unity, and in
2745-532: The precise building date is unknown, the church existed by 1180, the date of the foundation of nearby Beeleigh Abbey . A Charter of Richard I of December 1189 confirms "certain grants to Beeleigh Abbey, including the Church of Blessed Peter in Maldon and the Church of All Saints' in the same town". St Mary's Church, on the Hythe Quay has a grade I listed Norman nave from 1130, though evidence exists of an earlier church on
2806-410: The ranks and left the English army in danger of defeat. There follow several passages in which English warriors voice their defiance and their determination to die with their lord, and descriptions of how they are then killed by the un-personified "sea-wanderers". The poem as it has come down to us ends with another Godric disappearing from view. This time, it is Godric, the son of Æthelgar, advancing into
2867-465: The site from at least a hundred years before. Meanwhile, Maldon Moot Hall dates back to around 1420. There were strong urban traditions, with two members elected to the Commons and three guilds which hosted lavish religious plays until they were suppressed by Puritans in 1576. Then, until 1630, professional actors were invited to perform plays, which were also stopped by Puritans. From 1570 to about 1800
2928-408: The surviving fleet count Maldon as their home port, and many others are regular visitors alongside at the Quay. An annual sailing barge race ends with a parade of sail and prize-giving at the quay. Cooks Yard , where barges were once built, is still working at the end of Maldon Quay. The town holds the charitable Maldon mud race where competitors race across the Blackwater estuary at low tide, along
2989-475: The town since 1882 by the Maldon Crystal Salt Company; it is also the location of the first Tesco store to be designated as a "supermarket" in the country, established in 1958. Maldon's Hythe Quay is the residence of a number of Thames sailing barges , these are among the last cargo vessels in the world still operating under sail, albeit now used for education and leisure. Some ten to fifteen of
3050-705: The town. It became the subject of the celebrated Old English poem " The Battle of Maldon ". The battle is commemorated by a window in St Mary's Church and by a statue at the end of the Maldon Promenade Walk (facing the battle site of Northey Island and the Causeway) of the slain Saxon warrior Byrhtnoth . According to the Domesday Book of 1086, there were 54 households and an estimated 180 townsmen in 1086. The town still had
3111-784: The training records of Captain P M Riggal, an instructor in the SOE, found 50 years after the end of the Second World War . On 7 September 2016, nearly 100 artefacts from the museum's SOE and Mason collections were shipped to the Musée de l'Armée in Paris for an exhibition called " Guerres Secretes " ("Secret Wars"), to run from 12 October 2016 and to 29 January 2017. 51°44′06″N 0°41′00″E / 51.7349°N 0.6832°E / 51.7349; 0.6832 Maldon, Essex Maldon ( / ˈ m ɔː l d ən / , locally / ˈ m ɒ l d ən / )
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#17328525281173172-612: The two towns was signed in 1970 to cement the relationship. Maldon and the surrounding area are the setting for a series of books by the prolific author S. L. Bensusan . Bensusan's stories recall a lost way of life among the towns and villages in the area, and along the local coastline and marshland. In Bensusan's books, Maldon is called Market Waldron. Maldon has been the setting for numerous television productions, including Lawless Heart (2001) starring Bill Nighy , and BBC1 's The Murder Game (2003) where numerous Blackwater Estuary locations were used including Green's Flour Mill at
3233-491: The uniform spelling of specific indicative words in Old English which are often associated with dialectical writing, such as "sunu" and "swurd". Clark further argues against an early composition date by exposing the contradictory descriptions of Byrhtnoth, both within the poem and against historical record. According to Clark, the poet of Maldon describes Byrhtnoth as an old warrior, but able-bodied (paraphrased); however, later in
3294-899: The young adult novel Timekeeper by Tara Sim (2016). Maldon is the hometown of two Marvel Comics superheroes: Brian Braddock , the original Captain Britain , and his twin sister Betsy Braddock , longtime member of the X-Men as "Psylocke" and Brian's eventual successor as Captain Britain. It is also the home of their older brother, the X-Men villain Jaime Braddock . Many early Captain Britain stories took place within their fictional childhood manor in Maldon, first seen in Captain Britain #8 (1976). Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC East and ITV Anglia . Television signals are received from
3355-531: Was a prolific 20th century Anglo-American composer, organist and church musician. John Kemp (1926–1987): John Kemp's work on the preservation of Thames sailing barges in the 1960s was critical to re-establishing Maldon as the foremost sailing barge port in the country. John Kemp was responsible for the creation of the East Coast Sail Trust, a schoolship scheme for young people using the sailing barges Thalatta and Sir Alan Herbert, operated from Maldon. He
3416-449: Was author of three books and chronicler of the Maldon and Essex coastal scenes and the unique character of the marshland folk, especially in the Maldon and Burnham Standard, Essex Chronicle and Essex County Standard newspapers. Myra Sadd Brown (1872–1938), Suffragette , women's rights activist and internationalist was born in the town. John Strutt (1842–1919) was a British mathematician who made extensive contributions to science. He
3477-654: Was born in Langford Grove, Maldon, inherited the title Baron Rayleigh in 1873 and won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1904, in part for discovering the inert gas argon . Horatio Gates (1727–1806), the English general who fought for Britain in the French and Indian War and the rebel side in the War of American Independence , was born in Maldon. Ethan Lawrence (born 28 September 1992)
3538-439: Was diverted into the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation , re-emerges into the Blackwater Estuary , through locks at the Heybridge Basin , the stream bed passes down Heybridge Creek. Here it delineates the border between Maldon Town and Heybridge Parish Council . Maldon was previously served by two railway lines. Today, the nearest railway stations to Maldon are Hatfield Peverel , Witham and North Fambridge . Hatfield Peverel
3599-431: Was independent (not affiliated to the sports governing body the National Greyhound Racing Club ) and they were known as flapping tracks, which was the nickname given to independent tracks. Essex and England cricketer Sir Alastair Cook (born 1984) played for Maldon Cricket Club throughout his early years. Brought up in nearby Wickham Bishops , his brothers played for the club as well. Cook remains closely associated with
3660-408: Was opened in 1889 by the Great Eastern Railway . The line between Maldon and South Woodham Ferrers closed to passengers in 1939, the Maldon and Witham line closed in 1966. Regular bus services in and around the town are operated primarily by First Essex and Hedingham ; key routes include the 31 from Chelmsford, the 75 from Colchester and the 90 from Witham. Maldon Sea Salt has been produced in
3721-404: Was tall, which the poet would not have left out due to its indicative nature. George K. Anderson dated "The Battle of Maldon" to the 10th century and felt that it was unlikely that much was missing. R. K. Gordon is not so specific, writing that this "last great poem before the Norman Conquest ... was apparently written very soon after the battle", while Michael J. Alexander speculates that
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