Covering some 89,000 acres, the District has over sixty miles of coastline which warrants outstanding cultural, environmental and historic importance, as well as today providing a wide range of water based recreation and events. Many opportunities exist for bird watchers, artists and walkers to explore the coast and countryside via an extensive network of footpaths.  The scenic environment provides a rich backcloth against which to enjoy a round of golf, horse riding or angling for example, all of which are well catered for in the District.  Much of the District’s coastline of tidal salt marshes and mudflats is recognised, and protected as such, as of international and national environmental significance.  In winter, the District supports over 1% of the world population of some bird species such as brent geese, little terns and hen harriers.  The surrounding farmland and rolling wooded ridges further add to the attractiveness of the District as a perfect wildlife habitat.  Twelve conservation areas, twenty Scheduled Ancient Monuments, over one thousand listed buildings, a registered historic park and the historic Battle of Maldon site, the earliest battlefield in England as recorded by English Heritage, further contribute to the high quality environment on offer.

Mentioned in the Doomsday Book and one of the oldest recorded towns in Essex, Maldon is the principal town in the District and home to about a quarter of the District’s 60,000 residents.  The town centre boasts a large range of individual and specialist shops, as well as a number of chain stores, an array of places to eat and drink, and a thriving, regular Farmers’ Market.  Last year Maldon received the accolade of being the third ‘Best Market Town in the Country’ according to a Halifax Bank Survey.  Maldons’ Hythe Quay, part of the Town’s old port, is renowned as the home of the Thames Sailing Barge, providing moorings for the largest fleet on the east coast.  Adjacent to the Hythe Quay is the Promenade Park, opened in 1895 to provide the people of the Town with a valuable amenity, and today enjoyed by residents, day visitors and tourists alike.  As The Guardian newspaper (8 September 2007) recently reported “Take Maldon. Perfect example of one of those sweet old towns.”

Burnham-on-Crouch, the second largest town in the District with a population of some 8000 (2001 Census), is, like Maldon, richly steeped in maritime heritage and history.  The fifteen mile stretch of fine sailing water between the Town and the open sea has led Burnham-on-Crouch to become known amongst sailing enthusiasts as the ‘Cowes of the East Coast’.  The Town has a rail link to London Liverpool Street. 

The District offers many opportunities and attractions for those living and working in the area, combining to provide a high quality of life. 

With one of the lowest population densities in Essex, the District offers a wide range of residential properties, from period country cottages to brand new executive homes. With a crime rate well below the national average the District is also a very safe place to live. The Maldon District is one of the safest places to live in Essex, and the County itself is also below the national average. 

The District is both home, and in close proximity, to a variety of fine educational facilities. A full range of educational establishments are available in the Maldon District including public and private schools as well as a good choice of highly performing primary schools.  The Plume Secondary School in Maldon is a designated Performing Arts College and has thriving and highly successful performing arts departments, whilst St Peters High School in Burnham-on-Crouch boasts outstanding sports facilities.  The nearby Chelmsford County High School for Girls (CCHSG) and Colchester Royal Grammer School are the two currently best performing schools in Essex and compare highly favourably against other schools nationally.  Both have excellent academic reputations.  Furthermore, also within a twenty mile radius of Maldon are Colchester County High Schools for Girls and King Edward VI Grammar School (KEGS) in Chelmsford, both of which consistently achieve outstanding public examination results  The Anglian Ruskin University (ARU) and University of Essex are also located in Chelmsford and Colchester respectively and Writtle College, near Chelmsford, offers a host of land based courses from agriculture to design, and equine and animal science to horticulture.  

In a recent survey carried out by the Readers Digest magazine (April 2007), the Maldon District was voted in the top 6% (24^th out of 408) of all local authority areas in which to bring up a family.  That’s top quality of life!

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