Maldon

Maldon
	Maldon seen from the north-east
Coordinates	51 ° 44 ′ N , 0 ° 40 ′ E Coordinates: 51 ° 44 ′ N , 0 ° 40 ′ E
	Maldon
	Maldon
Residents	20,731 (as of April 29, 2001)
administration
Post town	MALDON
ZIP code section	CM9
prefix	01621
Part of the country	England
region	East of England
Shire county	Essex
District	Maldon
British Parliament	Maldon and East Chelmsford
Website: maldon.gov.uk

Maldon (/ mɔːldən /, regionally also / mɒldən /) is a town on the banks of the River Blackwater in Essex , England . It is the seat of the district government of the District of Maldon . In 2001 it had a population of 20,731 and Maldon (District) 59,418.

history

Maldon High Street

The name of the city comes from the Old English words mael (meeting place) and dun (hill), which originally meant "meeting place on the hill". Saxons settled in this area in the fifth century; the peninsula Dengie south of the city, according to Scandinavian named settlers.

In the early Middle Ages , Maldon became a major Anglo-Saxon port with moorings and artisan quarters . The import of ceramics during this period can be documented with archaeological finds . From 958 there was a mint in Maldon , which served the Anglo-Saxon and early Norman kings.

With Colchester , Maldon was one of only two towns in Essex , and King Edward the Elder lived there while fighting the Scandinavian settlers who overran north Essex and parts of East Anglia . A Viking raid was repulsed in 924 , but another raid in 991 defeated the defenders at the Battle of Maldon ; then the Vikings received a tribute, but there is no evidence that they attempted to take the city. The battle was processed in the epic poem The Battle of Maldon .

In the Domesday Book a population of 180 townspeople is recorded for the year 1086. At that time, the city still had its mint and received the right of self-government from the king in exchange for a war horse and a warship . The city's three guilds performed elaborate religious plays until the Puritans banned it in 1576. The tradition continued with professional actors until 1630 , but the Puritans also forbade this in the end.

In the seventeenth century Thomas Plume founded the Plume Library named after him , which housed over 7000 books printed between 1470 and Plume's death in 1704. Plume had St. Peter's Church rebuilt to accommodate the library and Maldon Grammar School ; only the church tower is still in its original condition.

With the connection to the railway network in 1846, Maldon was connected to the London - Ipswich line via Witham . A second line was later built connecting Maldon to South Woodham Ferrers , which was on the Southminster - Shenfield line. Both railway lines were closed in the 20th century. The nearest train stations are in Hatfield Peverel and Witham , about eight kilometers from Maldon.

Since 1882 the Maldon Crystal Salt Company Ltd. in the bay of Maldon, the Maldon sea salt, which is particularly valued for its taste and flake shape.