Chandlers in Silver Street dates back as far as the 15th Century, making it 500 to 600 years old and one of the oldest houses in Maldon.

However, changes over the centuries mean that it is hard to tell from the outside that the Grade II listed building has stood as long as it has.

The new owner kindly gave Maldon Nub News permission to see the renovation work, which at present is largely focused on stripping away layers of later additions and modifications which have hidden the treasures underneath.

Like most old buildings in the historic heart of Maldon it has had a significant commercial history: wine and spirits in the 18th/19th Centuries, possibly storage of corn and seed, and in the early 20th Century use as a garage.

Throughout this time families have come and gone, and made modifications according to the fashions and expectations of comfort of their time.

Now the new owner is supervising the peeling back of layers of history to reveal the treasures that lie beneath.

The building has a lopsided view when seen from the front: two gable ends are visible, then a lean-to structure to the left indicates the bay where vehicles were parked during the house's time as a garage. But it is believed there may have been a third wing to the house where the lean-to is positioned.

Inside is a labyrinth, with successive modifications creating twists and turns and dead ends. Exposed wooden boarding has graffiti scratched in dating from a change of ownership in 1919 (when it passed into the ownership of Joseph Chandler). Among the amazing survivals on the ground floor is an early painted harvest scene above a fireplace.

Later wall coverings have been removed to reveal the original timbers and wattle and daub infill. Floorboards lifted in a first-floor room reveal much older floorboards still in place underneath. Nearby, a stunning fireplace with carved Tudor roses in its stonework dates this part of the house to the 16th Century. It is believed that a similar fireplace was removed to Beeleigh Abbey.

A long corridor running much of the length of the back of the house also shows original timbers – but openings in the wall in the seventies were made to accommodate incongruous plastic picture windows.

The plan is to restore all this to its original layout and, once this pandemic is over, to maybe have this beautiful old house as a place where people visiting Maldon can stay.

The cellars running directly underneath the house date back at least to the nineteenth century and were originally used for the storage of wine and spirits. Fascinatingly, chalk scribblings on the walls indicate the years and type of some of the contents of the bottles one stored there.

It is planned to make these open to residents and it is easy to imagine how cosy and atmospheric the space could be with its red brick interior and lower ceilings.

Yet there are more cellars, too, which will need to be closed off when the refurbishment is finished. These are mysterious indeed as they are dark, damp and it is suspected, much older. The long passage to these smaller spaces runs under the neighbouring garden and it is difficult to know what the purpose of this excavation was.

These could have simply been for more storage of bottles, but the long underground corridor doesn't seem easily explained by that. Whatever their purpose, there can be no doubt that this fascinating old house has been home to many different people and families through the centuries, while standing steadfast in a the town that grew up around it.