The Friary (West)

The Friary (West) is an early 19th-century house, now divided into two houses, located in Maldon. It is constructed of yellow Gault brick with Flemish-bond jointing on the south elevation and red brick with Flemish-bond jointing on the other sides. The building has two parallel hipped roofs set behind parapets with lead ridges and hips, with slate covering the south, east and west faces and plain tiles on the remaining elevations.

The building rises to three storeys with a cellar beneath. The south garden front displays three windows on the second floor and two blind recesses, all set within recessed panels beneath segmented arches. Two of these windows contain 12 panes and one contains 9 panes, with projecting brick apron panels beneath two of them. The first floor features a central tripartite small-paned sash window with a semicircular rubbed brick arch over the central section, flanked by two blind window recesses and three 16-pane sashes set in recessed segmental-headed panels. The ground floor is dominated by a central Greek Doric portico with cornice, triglyph frieze and fluted columns, finished with margin glazing and a segmental fanlight above displaying Gothick glazing bars. On either side are wide French windows with brick flat arches and sidelights separated by thin reeded pilasters and decorated with a frieze.

The east elevation displays three small 9-pane sashes with rubbed brick flat arches on the second floor. The first floor contains one 12-pane sash, one 16-pane sash and a blind window recess. The ground floor features a central doorcase with thin reeded attached columns, a moulded hood and a rectangular fanlight with Gothick glazing bars, with panelled reveals and a hardwood door comprising two glazed lights over two raised-and-fielded panels and two flush panels, approached by two stone steps. Two blind window recesses flank the door, one containing a tiny square leaded window.

The north elevation, constructed of red brick, displays on the second floor three 12-pane sash windows beneath segmental arches in recessed panels, one blind recess and one small 9-pane sash. The first floor contains three large 16-pane sashes in similar recesses, one 12-pane sash and a blind recess. The ground floor has two segmental small-paned bow windows with architrave and cornices, linked by similar mouldings and separated by fluted pilaster strips. A 12-pane sash now serves as a door opening connecting to a single-storey outbuilding with slate roof, constructed of brick and painted weatherboarding. A tripartite window on this elevation features 19th-century glazing.

The west elevation of red brick contains on the second floor one 12-pane sash, one 9-pane sash and one 16-pane sash, all of square proportions. The first floor has one 12-pane sash and another sash to a staircase landing. The ground floor features one 12-pane sash, one blind window recess and a recessed door. Three large stacks rise from the roof.

Internally, the building is contemporary with and similar to the Friary East. A central hallway contains a blind arcaded vestibule opening through an elliptical arch on reeded pilasters. All ground-floor doors to major rooms are panelled with moulded architraves and floriated square panels at the corners. Behind the south-front entrance is a dogleg staircase with wreathed handrail, stick balusters and elegantly shaped tread ends. Some windows retain folding internal shutters. The lounge in the south-east corner contains a reeded marble fireplace with a reeded framed mirror above and an elaborate plaster cornice. The room above at first-floor level has a purple marble fireplace and reeded cornice, with a further grey marble fireplace and a painted timber fireplace in other first-floor rooms.