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

• Wikidata Q26547918

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Recommended Books

• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)