Chelmsford is the county town of Essex and one of England's youngest cities: it was granted city status in 2012, for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. It has a special link with Italy: here Guglielmo Marconi opened the world's first radio factory in 1898, and from here, in 1920, came one of the first entertainment radio broadcasts in history. This is why Chelmsford calls itself "the birthplace of radio". The city has more than 110,000 inhabitants and the wider district about 180,000; it is a lively and prosperous place, with a cathedral, large parks, a university and the Essex countryside all around, just over half an hour by train from London.
Southend Airport and Stansted Airport are both about half an hour away by car.
From Caesaromagus to market town
The Romans built a small town here on the road between London and Colchester, called Caesaromagus, "Caesar's market". In the Middle Ages the Bishop of London founded the market town around a bridge over the River Chelmer, and Chelmsford became the administrative centre of the county, home to the courts and the agricultural market. In the 19th century the railway brought industry: factories making farm machinery, electric lamps, ball bearings and above all radio equipment.
- 1st centuryThe Romans found Caesaromagus
- 1199The Bishop of London obtains the market licence
- 1791The Shire Hall is completed
- 1797The Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation opens
- 1898Marconi opens the world's first radio factory
- 1914St Mary's church becomes a cathedral
- 1920Nellie Melba sings in a historic radio broadcast from the Marconi works
- 1922The first regular entertainment broadcasts begin at Writtle
- 2012Chelmsford is granted city status
Marconi and the birth of radio
In 1898 Guglielmo Marconi, who had moved his research into wireless telegraphy to England, opened the world's first radio factory in Chelmsford, in a former silk works in Hall Street. In 1912 production moved to the new New Street works, which for decades were the heart of the British electronics industry. On 15 June 1920 the Australian soprano Nellie Melba sang into a microphone at the Marconi works, in a broadcast heard in several European countries. Two years later, at nearby Writtle, an experimental Marconi station began the first regular entertainment broadcasts in the United Kingdom, shortly before the BBC was born. Plaques and monuments around the city recall this history, and the city museum has a section devoted to radio.
What to see in Chelmsford
The cathedral
Chelmsford Cathedral, dedicated to St Mary, St Peter and St Cedd, is a late Gothic parish church of the 15th century that became a cathedral in 1914. In 1800 the nave collapsed and was rebuilt; the bright interior combines medieval features with contemporary works of art. The tower and spire are one of the symbols of the centre.
The Shire Hall and the centre
The Shire Hall, an elegant neoclassical building of 1791 at the end of the High Street, was for two centuries the home of the county courts and council, and today houses bars and event spaces. The High Street and the nearby streets are the shopping area, with the covered market and shopping centres, while Moulsham Street, across the river, is known for its independent shops, pubs and restaurants.
The museum and the parks
Chelmsford Museum, in a Victorian house in Oaklands Park, tells the story of the city from the Romans to industry, with a section on Marconi and radio and the Essex Regiment Museum. The centre is surrounded by parks: Central Park with its lake, Admirals Park along the river and above all Hylands Park, a large landscaped park with Hylands House at its centre, a restored neoclassical villa open to visitors, which for years hosted one of the country's biggest music festivals.
The rivers and the navigation
Chelmsford stands where the rivers Chelmer and Can meet. Since 1797 the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation, a river canal about twenty kilometres long, has linked the city with the sea at Heybridge, near Maldon. The towpath is now a beautiful walking and cycling route among locks, mills and meadows, and in summer you can hire boats and canoes.
Around Chelmsford
- Writtle, a village with a large green and pond, where British entertainment radio was born.
- RHS Garden Hyde Hall, one of the Royal Horticultural Society's gardens, with borders, rose gardens and a dry garden.
- Danbury, with its wooded hills and commons, and Maldon, a small port town famous for its sea salt and old Thames sailing barges.
- Colchester, by tradition England's oldest town, and Southend-on-Sea, with the longest pleasure pier in the world, about half an hour away.
Eating and drinking
Chelmsford has a wide choice of restaurants, from modern British to Italian, Indian and Asian cuisine, concentrated mainly in Moulsham Street and around the river. In the surrounding countryside there are village pubs with exposed beams and gardens, perfect for Sunday lunch. Essex is also wine country: in recent years the vineyards of the Crouch valley have been producing excellent sparkling wines.
Famous people and sport
Chelmsford is the birthplace of the artist Grayson Perry, potter and Turner Prize winner. The city is home to the County Ground, the home of Essex County Cricket Club, one of the historic teams of English cricket, and to Chelmsford City Racecourse, where racing takes place all year round.
Living in Chelmsford
Chelmsford is one of the most popular cities with London commuters: trains reach Liverpool Street in about 35 minutes, and the city offers more spacious homes, good schools, parks and the countryside a few minutes away. It has a campus of Anglia Ruskin University and an economy based on services, technology and county administration. House prices are above the national average, but below those of London.
Getting there
- By train: from London Liverpool Street in about 35 minutes; direct services also to Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich.
- By air: Southend Airport and Stansted Airport are about half an hour away; for long-haul flights see London's airports.
- By car: the city is on the A12, which links it with London and the Suffolk coast.
For travel around the rest of the country see trains and transport, and for other cities British cities.
Tips for your visit
- How long: one day for the centre, the cathedral and Hylands Park; Chelmsford is also a convenient base for exploring Essex.
- When to go: May to September for the parks and the river.
- A tip: a walk or a canoe trip along the navigation to Paper Mill Lock, with its tea room on the water, is the best way to see the Essex countryside.