Chelmsford (population 100,000) is a town and an administrative district in the county of Essex, in the United Kingdom. It lies 30 miles northeast of London, approximately halfway between there and Colchester. It is almost exactly in the centre of the county and it is the county town of Essex, although it is neither the largest nor the oldest town in the county.
Chelmsford is home to the Diocese of Chelmsford, and has the smallest cathedral in England. John Dee, responsible for the English translation of Euclid, was educated at the Cathedral school in the sixteenth century. Chelmsford is also home to part of the Anglia Polytechnic University and King Edward VI Grammar School.
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2 Transport 3 Industry 4 Places of Interest 5 History 6 Twin towns 7 People from Chelmsford 8 Nearby places 9 External links |
The A12 road from London, originally built by the Romans, used to pass through the town, but is now diverted around the east.
In 1898, Guglielmo Marconi, the "father of radio" opened the World's first "wireless" factory in Hall Street, employing around 50 people. In 1920 the factory was also the location of the first officially publicised sound broadcasts in the UK, one of them featuring Dame Nellie Melba. In 1922 the World's first regular wireless broadcasts for entertainment commenced from the Marconi Research Centre at Writtle near Chelmsford.
Hylands House and Park just to the west of the town is a former country house saved from dereliction and now owned by the local council. It is open to the public and has in recent years been the site of popular annual music festivals. It has been chosen as the site for the 21st International Scout Jamboree in 2007. Hylands House also doubled as the US White House in the 2004 film Chasing Liberty.
The former Palace of Beaulieu is also nearby.