In his 1952 booklet Maldon A Thousand Years Ago, the late historian Fred Laws writes: “Maldon stands on one of the few steep hills in Essex and some community would have dwelt here in the days of the Ancient Britons.”
Since Fred’s time, archaeological discoveries have confirmed that the first of those Ancient Britons to occupy Maldon’s hilltop settled here in the Early Iron Age (c.700-400 BC).
They would have exploited the very highest part of the high ground - an area that centred on today’s London Road, bordered to the north by the River Chelmer, by the boggy hollow of Wintersleet to the west and protected by Beacon Hill to the south, with a palisaded entrance facing east, down the line of High Street to the Hythe, “safe landing place”.
This same elevated site, ‘Maeldune’, the “hill marked by a cross”, formed the town’s ‘Burh’ fortress, constructed in 916. It was re-fortified during the English Civil War (of 1642-51), as part of the so-called Napoleonic scare (1793-1815), featured in billeting arrangements during the Great War (1914-1918) and as home front defences during the Second World War (1939-1945).
Not only do hills like Maldon’s afford natural protection from enemies, they also act as good signalling points to warn of impending danger and to rally troops – hence the place-name origin ‘Beacon Hill’.
Stand on our Beacon Hill today and, despite the modern housing, the view over the surrounding countryside is still quite spectacular.
Those Iron Age dwellers lit their beacons here, as did their successors during the Viking raids. But it is an event in the 16th Century that always sparks my imagination when mention is made of Maldon’s Beacon Hill.
Having been under house arrest at Woodham Walter Hall in 1550, Mary Tudor became Queen of England in 1554. In the same year she married the Catholic Prince, Philip of Spain.
On the February 25, 1555, the couple granted a new charter to Maldon, complete with a large initial letter containing their portraits.
It was the latest in a long line of charters dating back to at least 1171 and confirmed the on-going responsibility for providing a ship at time of war.
The new charter also assisted in the working of the courts of quarter sessions. By that time the riverside town was also a centre of admiralty jurisdiction – where maritime disputes and offences were settled. The associated admiralty seal bears a royal ship of war.
Under Philip and Mary, Roman Catholic influence was re-asserted and more than 260 people were burned at the stake, including Stephen Knight, in Maldon, on March 28, 1555.
Mary’s death in 1558 led to her half-sister, Protestant Elizabeth, taking the throne.
Philip, no longer a co-monarch, deemed Elizabeth a “heretic” and plotted to have her overthrown, planning a sea-borne expedition to invade England.
That campaign, the ‘Enterprise of England’, is more familiarly known as the Spanish Armada.
The Spanish invasion fleet, of some 137 ships and 55,000 men, set sail in late May 1588.
In response, Maldon fulfilled its obligation and contributed a 'war craft' for Queen Elizabeth (who had visited Maldon nine years earlier).
As the 186-ton Edward of Maldon sailed to assist in repelling the attempted invasion, here at home, anti-invasion plans were put in place.
The town militia was also put on readiness and checked their weaponry (stored in the Moot Hall). Warning beacons were established at Danbury, Cold Norton, Great Totham, St Lawrence and here in Maldon - not as some have suggested on the tower of St Mary’s Church (which was more of a harbour beacon), but on the still-named Beacon Hill.
Similar to the 1988 (400th anniversary) beacon on Maldon’s Promenade, these were to be fired at the first sighting of enemy ships.
With the Armada off the Lizard on July 19, the beacons were lit.
We know from the history books that the English fleet engaged the enemy and successfully repelled it. As a result, the beacons were lit again, this time as a sort of celebratory “all clear” and the bells of All Saints' and St Mary’s were rung in thanksgiving.
The town’s alehouses, including the Saracen’s Head (at 22 High Street - now MPP Solicitors), the King’s Head, the Bell (now the White Horse) and the Blue Boar, must have been buzzing with the news and, as the joyful locals eventually made their way home, the light of the beacon shone down from its ancient hill.
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