Chelmsford History Walks

Text Box: CHELMSFORD historY walks & TALKS

Two Site Walk Overview

Virtual Two Site Walk

Last updated 28/10/24

Telephone: 07779 931401 Email: cityhistorywalks@gmail.com Follow us on Facebook

Customer Reviews

Discover more about the history of our city in an entertaining walk lead by our period dressed guide.

Choose from any of these walks.
Some are Free and others have a fee of £10 per person, with a donation included to a local charity.

As these are very popular events advance booking is really recommended.

FREE

CITY HERITAGE SCAVENGER HUNT
A FREE WALK - available at ANYTIME
A joint venture with Chelmsford City Council and a way to have fun with our local history.
Click on the link below for more details;

https://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/leisure-theatres-and-museums/blue-plaques-and-public-art/city-heritage-scavenger-hunt/

The

Chilling Tales of Chelmsford

THURSDAY EVENING 27^thmarch 2025

TUESDAY EVENING 28^th October 2025

THURSDAY EVENING 30^ThOctober 2025

Our local “Master of the Macabre” will lead you on a walking tour

of the city describing the more unpleasant side of its dark history.

Featuring murders, ghosts, hangings, witchcraft, strange happenings and more.

(Meet at the Stone Bridge)

Click here to listen to a Ghost Story

History of Moulsham Street
SUNDAY 17TH NOVEMBER

Moulsham Street, named by the Saxons, is perhaps the oldest street in Chelmsford and has a past which predates the city centre. This walk covers the history of the hamlet from before the Roman occupation, through Saxon and Medieval times up to the industrial revolution and the present day. Over that time the street has seen many dramatic changes, but hidden away are some fine examples of it’s evolution which you will discover during this tour.

Meet at the Stone Bridge Also available as a talk

THE HEART OF CHELMSFORD
HISTORY OF THE HIGH STREET 1860-1960
ENQUIRE FOR DETAILS

A walking tour featuring the recent history of the town centre before the calming of the ”great river Can”, the advent of the large shopping centres and pedestrianisation of the High Street. This will bring to life tales about the shops and buildings in the High Street, some of which are still there and some that are sadly no more.

Meet at the Stone Bridge Also available as a talk

MARCONI HERITAGE NEW STREET WALK

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A walking tour of the site of the world’s first purpose built wireless factory with the iconic 1912 building in New Street.
When the young Mr Marconi used radio waves for practical signalling without wires in 1896 he led us into the era of practical electronics, including not only wireless and radio but television, radar and space communication.

It may be claimed that Marconi's choice of a disused warehouse in Moulsham Street to be the birthplace of the world's wireless industry makes Chelmsford the starting point of the Electronic Age.
Why not come on this walk and hear more about this famous man and the way he and the people that worked for him changed our world.

Podcast about Winifred Sayer

BritAIN’s First Paid

Radio Artist

Click here to listen to the story

industrial HERitage Walk

ENQuire FOR Dates

Chelmsford has a rich and varied industrial heritage which has included many ground-breaking inventions.

During this walking tour we will cover a large number of these marvellous achievements. The variety is amazing and includes from the early years the location of a rope maker’s walk and one of the many local iron foundries.

From the Victorian era there is the first Marconi wireless factory, a generator house used for public street lighting and a steam omnibus factory. The commentary will also include the building of the railway through Chelmsford, the precise manufacture of ball bearings, the evolution of radio, radar and the early days of television.

Meet outside the Woolpack PH Also available as a talk

the Yellow Brick Road History Walk
Enquire for Dates

This is a circular historical tour from the Chelmsford Museum which covers the old manor of Moulsham. In 1839 under the control of the "Chelmsford Company", a large development started to take place in this area. A number of new buildings appeared; some were built with locally made yellow Mildmay brick, hence the title. There are many fascinating stories to be told about the history of people that then became local residents and these will be relayed as we progress on our walking tour.

Meet outside the Chelmsford Museum in Oaklands Park Also available as a talk

Women That ROCKed the Boat
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Walk in the footsteps of Essex Women who rocked the boat! Meet the women of Chelmsford who fought for equality and their rights! Discover the history of the local Essex Girls from the 15th century Witches to the publicans of the 1960's.

From the Anti Slavery Campaigners to the brave factory workers of WW2, we will take you on a journey back in time.

Meet opposite the railway station Also available as a talk

ThE WRITTLE WIRELESS WALK

ENQUIRE FOR Dates

A circular guided walk of the village highlighting its many connections to the early days of wireless broadcasting and the Marconi Company. The walk will feature the stories behind both the buildings and people that were involved in making this event happen. An event 100 years ago that would forever change our world and the way that we communicate forever and it all started in the village of Writtle.

Chelmsford Pioneers Walk

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Chelmsford has been the home of technical radical thinking since the days before the industrial revolution and can claim to be the home of many global firsts. The pioneers that made this happen included both remarkable men and ladies. They were all unique people that changed history and deserve to be honoured in this special guided walking tour.

The route takes us from the railway station to the grounds of the Anglia Ruskin University.

Meet at the Railway Station Also available as a talk

FORGOTTEN History OF Chelmsford
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During this walk our local historian, will give you an insight into some of the history of our city that may have been lost in the mists of time. He will explain the origin of the name of the town and how the Romans and then the Normans played their part in shaping the city centre. We will also learn about some of the famous people that were local residents and influenced both the health and the architecture of the old town. Over time there have been some dramatic changes to our city, one of the biggest was the effects of the industrial revolution and the coming of the railway. This transformed Chelmsford from an agricultural town, with a coaching stop on an old Roman road, into a hive of manufacturing and technology with a direct rail link to the capital and the rest of the world. Coming right up to date, the city continues to evolve in many different ways, but it is really good to refresh the memory and to remember our important local past.

Meet at the Stone Bridge Also available as a talk

150 years of Chelmsford Star co-op
Groups only
A celebration history tour of this great local organistaion visiting a number of the

city locations that the company over the years has been associated with.

Customer Reviews

· Thank you once more, another brilliant walk. We all loved it, your personality shines through!

· So many people have said how much they appreciated your talk---so full of information, yet you present it in an entertaining way. Not all speakers manage both. We had a great afternoon.

· Thank you very much for a highly interesting and informative walk along Moulsham Street today.

· Charlie and I took friends along to the Chilling Tales of Chelmsford Walk and we were all so impressed with the guide. He looked the part in tall hat and period dress and really tells a good story. We learnt so much and had a really good evening, bit grisly in parts but it was Halloween!