21st October 2025
Maldon District Heritage Winter Talks 2025/2026
Maldon District Council’s Place, Planning and Growth Directorate is hosting the ever-popular Heritage Winter Talks again this year.
Each of the five talks focuses on an aspect of local heritage or history. They are free to attend, and no booking is required. Councillor Richard Siddall, Leader of Maldon District Council said; “The free Heritage Winter Talks prove to be popular every year, so I’m delighted to see the programme for 2025/26.
“The talks will take the audience back in time to unravel the history and stories of our unique and beautiful district. The subjects reflect the diversity of the heritage within our area and offer something for everyone.
“It is also fantastic that there are three different venues for the talks this year, making them more accessible to residents across the District. I am sure that they will once again bring people together to explore our district’s history and culture.”
The 2025/2026 Programme. Free admission, no booking required.
4 November 2025: ‘Old St. Barnabas’ Church, Mayland – a four-year excavation by Burnham u3a Archaeological Group.
Venue: Friends Meeting House, Butt Lane, Maldon, CM9 5HD.
By Sue Spiers.
This talk will take the audience on a journey back in time, unravelling the history of a parish church demolished in 1878, recently revealed in brick and earlier stone walls, and a wealth of lovely finds including many beautiful medieval floor tiles.
2 December 2025: Historic houses in Bradwell-on-Sea.
Venue: Bradwell-on-Sea Village Hall, South Street, Bradwell on Sea CM0 7QJ.
By Tim Howson.
From medieval timber-framed farmhouses to picturesque Georgian cottages, the sleepy village of Bradwell-on-Sea boasts a rich heritage of domestic buildings. This talk will explore and celebrate some of the parish’s hidden architectural treasures, while highlighting the potential for future research.
13 January 2026: Bradwell and the Blackwater Estuary in the Early Middle Ages.
Venue: Bradwell-on-Sea Village Hall, South Street, Bradwell on Sea CM0 7QJ.
By Johanna Dale.
This talk will consider the remarkable early-medieval history of Bradwell with an emphasis on its coastal setting. Johanna is a medieval historian and local resident who edited the book St Peter-on-the-Wall: Landscape and heritage on the Essex coast, which was published in 2023.
6 February 2026: Dr Salter of Tolleshunt D’Arcy – A Larger-than-Life Character.
Venue: Tolleshunt D’Arcy Village Hall, Tollesbury Road, Tolleshunt D’Arcy, Essex CM9 8UB.
By Stephen Nunn.
Dr John Henry Salter was a truly remarkable man – one of England’s last eccentrics. He lived nearly all his life in the village of Tolleshunt D’Arcy and achieved so much. He left his mark in very many sectors and his successes can be measured by some quite staggering, almost unbelievable statistics. Listen to Stephen tell his story.
3 March 2026: Recent Archaeological Discoveries in Essex.
Venue: Friends Meeting House, Butt Lane, Maldon, CM9 5HD.
By Maria Medlycott.
Maria will present the results of the more interesting recent archaeological sites in Essex and will discuss how these fit into our wider understanding of the archaeological evidence for the county. The sites help answer the question of how to fit 197 dead Saxons into one small hut, and the surprise discovery of an Essex Roman villa by a man in Cheshire.