Maldon MP John Whittingdale toured historic sites in the district today (Friday, 1 October), to see how they have been restored by funding from Historic England.

Mr Whittingdale was joined by Councillor Jane Fleming, Duncan Wilson, Historic England's chief executive, and Trudi Hughes, a surveyor for the organisation's Heritage at Risk programme, on his tour of Creeksea Place and Thomas Plume's Library.

Mr Whittingdale said: "I was delighted to visit both Creeksea Place and Thomas Plume's Library in Maldon to see the result of the restoration work in each that has been funded by Historic England.

"We are incredibly fortunate to have magnificent historic buildings like these in the Maldon district and it is vital that they are properly preserved.

"This work funded by the government has helped to keep specialist local businesses going through the pandemic, while saving these heritage assets for the future enjoyment of both our local community and visitors to the district."

Councillor Jane Fleming said she "loved meeting the people who are passionate about these remarkable places and hearing their stories".

She added: "It's been inspiring to see the restoration work that has saved Creeksea Place and Thomas Plume's Library for future generations to experience and enjoy."

At Creeksea Place, on Ferry Road in Burnham-on-Crouch, Mr Whittingdale met owners Jon-Paul Bertorelli Lindsey and Gerald Lindsey and heard how funding from Historic England had helped to save the impressive Grade II* listed Elizabethan manor house.

The impact of Covid-19 on the events industry, together with Creeksea's ongoing building restoration project, had significantly affected revenue for the repair and upkeep of the historic house.

But Historic England granted a lifeline to the venue's commercial and community events programme by awarding it a culture recovery fund grant.

Jon-Paul said: "We were sincerely delighted to host Mr Whittingdale, and remain extremely grateful to all parties involved with helping us to maintain Creeksea Place.

"It's with the support of these individuals and organisations that we're growing exponentially, as we see even more of the house and accompanying estate being made available to the public."

Later in the day, Mr Whittingdale heard how the Thomas Plume Library Trust and Maldon Town Council had raised £102,000 towards the library's restoration.

Historic England donated almost £70,000 for repairs to the 17th-century building, which can be found at 2 Market Hill, and gave technical advice and support throughout the project.

The library, which is one of the oldest public libraries in England, recently reopened following urgent repair work.

Sarah Dignasse, a trustee of the library, said: "The trustees are delighted with the improvements to the building which will keep Thomas Plume's Library safe for the future."

Duncan Wilson, the chief executive of Historic England, added: "The past year has shown more than ever the value of heritage.

"These wonderful properties here in Maldon contribute hugely to local economic and community life and I'm pleased we've been able to help secure their future."

You can visit Creeksea Place's website using the link here, and Thomas Plume's Library website via the link here.