A survey of the north nave wall of St Mary’s church in the Hythe area of Maldon suggests that the lower part of the wall is not only of Anglo-Saxon date, but earlier within that period. The construction technique of the primary wall is somewhat comparable to nearby St Peter’s, Bradwell on Sea, while the implied dimensions of the primary church are very close to those of Reculver in Kent. The latter two churches are of late 7th century date. The early church at Maldon is associated with an adjacent 8th-9th century settlement site. The presence of loomweights at the settlement indicates a female component, and by extension, it is suggested that the site was that of an undocumented double minster of monks and nuns headed by an abbess. The church was first documented in 1068, when a large land endowment is evidence of its minster status. At about this time or shortly afterwards, the church was rebuilt as a substantial cruciform structure. The transepts and chancel of the latter have been lost, but their form could be retrieved by resistivity survey.
Daniel Secker (Tue,) studied this question.