Chelmsford factfile

How to get to Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, just 38 km (30 mi) north-east of central London. The town is easily reached by overland rail and road, and from London's Stansted and City airports.

Chelmsford through the ages
Archaeological excavations show that Chelmsford and the surrounding area have been settled since the Neolithic Age, and remains of a Bronze Age settlement have also been found.

The Romans built a fort here in 60 AD around which a small town grew, although there is little visible evidence of it today. Much of the Roman history of Chelmsford now lies hidden under modern developments—ruins of an octagonal temple lie beneath the Odeon roundabout.

An important Anglo-Saxon burial ground was found at nearby Broomfield, finds from which can be seen at London's British Museum.

Shopping in Chelmsford
The high street of Chelmsford is a pedestrianised shopping paradise, with The Meadows and High Chelmer shopping centres serving up all the high-street names you'd hope for. From Tuesday to Saturday there is an undercover market in the town centre—a tradition dating back 800 years.

The boutiques and specialist stores of Moulsham Street and Baddow Road offer shopping with a more individual feel. Outside the town there are several retail parks, such as Chelmer Village Retail Park and Riverside Retail Park.

Things to see and do around Chelmsford
Just a couple of miles from Chelmsford is Hylands House, a beautifully restored Georgian mansion designed by Humphrey Repton. The house is set in 574 acres of landscaped parkland, including ancient woodland, grassland, lakes, ponds and gardens.

Also worth a visit are the 18-arch Victorian railway viaduct spanning the River Can in Central Park, which was built in 1842, and the tranquil Oaklands Park, where you'll find the Chelmsford and Essex Regiment Museums.