Welcome to our programme brochure for Heritage Open Days 2023 for Chelmsford.
Chelmsford Civic Society have once again been tasked to co-ordinate Heritage Open Days and Chelmsford City Culture, Chelmsford For You, Grays Brewery and Essex Book Fest and Patch have kindly sponsored the event.
Also for the first time we have received a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to fund a live history day ‘Heritage through the Arts’ which will involve a day of performances in Tindal Square on Saturday 16th September and a Cultural heritage project - ‘Decades Apart’ which will involve interviews and a live session on the 9th September.
Thanks so much to National Lottery Heritage Fund for this funding to enable the projects to happen!
We have 35 events for your enjoyment, including 10 virtual video events on our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/c/chelmsfordcivicsociety
For the second year in a row Patch in Grays Yard have kindly offered their space free of charge for 7 talks! It is a great place for a talk as they have a built in screen so speakers can plug and play their device for their presentation.
Credit also goes to our events panel who came up with some great new ideas and helped organise the events, without them this programme would be almost impossible.
We hope you enjoy Heritage Open Days for 2023!
Heritage Open Days Chelmsford Team
Marconi Guided Walk
Date: Friday September 8th September
Time: 10am
Venue: Chelmsford Railway Station, Duke St, Chelmsford CM1 1HT
Booking: 25 places, www.chelmsfordhod. co.uk to book
This guided circular walk to and from the front of Chelmsford railway station will take us on a tour of the site that was once the world’s first purpose built wireless factory.
This was where the technical transition from Morse code to wireless telephony took place, but that was just the start. The site was then adapted to develop the technology that became radar and soon after came the leap into the electronic transmission of moving pictures, the innovation which we know now as television.
On our tour we will see evidence of the Marconi heydays, which include three historical structures; the power house, the water tower and the magnificent 1912 administration building.
This special walking tour is not only a celebration of Guglielmo Marconi and his great achievements but also a tribute to the thousands of local people, who over the years, worked for the global organisation that was the famous Marconi Company.
A Walk In JA Baker Country
Date: Friday 8th September
Time: 2pm
Little Baddow History Centre, Chapel Lane, Little Baddow, CM3 4BE JA
Baker’s book The Peregrine (1967) is widely regarded as one of the most outstanding books on nature in the twentieth century. It is set to the east of Chelmsford, with Little Baddow an important location. This walk will visit places associated with Baker, who lived in Chelmsford, in this most attractive part of the Chelmer Valley.
John Alec Baker (1926-1987) was an author who lived his life in Chelmsford, with a Heritage Blue Plaque placed outside his flat in Stansted Close in 2020. His book The Peregrine describes his observations of peregrines, especially in the Chelmer Valley and along the Essex coast. It is regarded as a masterpiece of English non-fiction by many and has been an important influence on many current nature writers. The walk will visit some of the sites identified in the book and those included in his diaries. It will be on minor roads and - possibly muddy - public footpaths.
The walk is run by Chelmer Valley Landscape Group who seek to develop enhanced understanding, conservation, and management of the Chelmer valley landscape.
The Sometimes Secret History of Chelmsford Prison Walk
Date: September 8th, 11th & 13th
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: Springfield Rd, Springfield, Chelmsford CM2 6JT
Booking: 25 places, www.chelmsfordhod. co.uk
A history walk around the perimeter of Chelmsford Prison, learning about its creation and past. The local prison in Chelmsford is 200 years old. We will guide you round its perimeter and tell you all about its secret history. Your guide will relate the story of a public double execution, as you stand at the very spot in front of the gallows. We will pause outside the house of a hero who courageously stopped the inmates from taking over when the place was engulfed by fire. There are many showbiz connections to the prison, we will tell you about some.
Voices at a Time of Crisis
Date: Friday September 8th
Time: 7pm
Venue: Patch, 5-6 Grays Yard, Chelmsford, CM2 6QR
Booking: 45 places, book at www.chelmsfordhod.co.uk
It is widely known that the First World War (19141918) led to an outpouring of literature. Professional and amateur writers and poets wielded their pens as they sought to make sense of a world that was irrevocably changing lives.
Just over a century later, the Covid-19 pandemic had a similar effect. ‘Lockdown’ may have restricted our movements, but it did not restrict people’s desire to capture and record heartfelt emotion in written words. Then, as Russian tanks rolled across the Ukrainian border, those caught up in Europe’s newest conflict, as well as those who watched from afar, found written words were a way of seeking to make sense of this latest calamity that was once again altering lives in unimaginable ways. This widley illustrated talk explores how words written in times of crisis can help both writer and reader to make sense of the inconceivable through warning, entertaining and explaining.
The Mayor of Chelmsford will be opening the festival at this event.
Eco Podcast Workshop - under 18s only
Date: 9th and 10th September
Time: 10am-4pm
Venue: Chelmer Gate Youth Centre, 193 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford, CM2 0LG
Booking: 10 spaces, www.chelmsfordhod. co.uk to book
Join Chelmsford Community Radio broadcaster Michelle Durant for a two day workshop to develop the Eco-Casts.
Looking at the 70th Anniversary of the East Coast Floods and reflecting on the climate crisis we are in now you’ll learn how to research and write content, undertake interviews and join them all together to make a big impact.
Linked to the Hear My Voice project which is part of Essex Book Festival Manifesto for Essex programme – a creative platform for young people living in Essex and beyond to express their thoughts and ideas about tackling Climate Change. Follow @manifesto4essex on Instagram.
The two day workshop will give a taste on the planning and delivery of a podcast and will benefit any young person with an interest in media who wishes to give it a try or potentially build a career in this area. Look at show structure and content plus understand some of the rules linked to podcast production. The theme is very much tied in to the 70th Anniversary of the East Coast Floods but also deals with the present Climate Change Emergency. How rising sea levels contribute to increased danger of environmental disasters. The participants, using audio skills developed over the sessions will be working towards building a podcast sharing concerns but also explore solutions – using their voices and setting example to others. A workshop not to be missed!
The Hear My Voice project is kindly funded by Essex County Council’s Climate Action Challenge Fund.
Springfield Lyons Bronze Age Enclosure Tours (what3words thus.exact.blues)
Date: September 9th, 10th, 16th and 17th
Time: Tours at 11am, 12pm, 2pm & 3pm
Venue: North-east of Chelmer Village Way
North-east of Chelmer Village Way, Chelmsford, CM2 5AR
Booking: 15 per tour, www.chelmsfordhods. co.uk to book
This is a fantastic opportunity to explore one of the forgotten gems of Chelmsford’s history, a Bronze Age enclosure used as the home
of an important chief around 850 BC.
With the help of local historians, visitors will learn what life was like in this special corner of prehistoric Chelmsford, when swords were forged, strange rituals were carried out and the land was used as a cemetery. Visitors can look at the Bronze Age enclosure itself, which is very well preserved, while enjoying the peaceful oasis of green space sandwiched between commercial and residential areas. Organisers will describe how the site was the home of an important Chelmsford chief towards the end of the Bronze Age, while being part of a Stonehenge-like ritual landscape which included a mortuary enclosure, Neolithic enclosure and nationally-important cursus monument, all now lost.
Local historians will take small groups of visitors on a tour inside the Bronze Age enclosure, teaching them why it was built and what life was like for the inhabitants, before showing them the archaeological pits left from the excavation of the adjacent Anglo-Saxon cemetery. The tour will end with a viewing of a Second World War pillbox, located in peaceful woodland to the east of the enclosure.
Visitors are free to take photos, and while the site is great for picnics, there is a well-stocked café at a nearby Longacre garden centre. What3words location thus.exact. blues. As you leave the roundabout from Cuton Hall Lane to Chelmer Village Way and descend downhill, there is an information board and public footpath sign visible on the left-hand side, you can take this foot path or the next footpath where there will be a tempoary sign board.
Concrete Canvas Walking Tour
Date: September 9th
Time: 2pm
Venue: Bellmead, Chelmsford CM1 1LE
FULLY BOOKED
Booking: 15 places, www.chelmsfordhod.co.uk to book
Project Manager, Candy, will take you on a guided tour of the unique artwork of local and world-renowned artists throughout Chelmsford for Concrete Canvas.
Discover the story behind the concepts and creation of each artwork and some of the history behind graffiti and street art in Chelmsford! Find out about the chuckles, challenges and controversies involved in creating a city wide street art trail!
We will be looking at around 50 artworks from artists such as: The London Police, Shephard Fairey, DFace, My Dog Sighs, Philth Blake and Nomad Clan.
The meeting spot is on the corner of Victoria Road and Bellmead. Your guide Candy will be wearing a Concrete Canvas branded T shirt.
Decades Apart
Date: September 9th
Time: 5pm
Venue: Patch, 5-6 Grays Yard, Chelmsford, CM2 6QR
Booking: 45 places, www.chelmsfordhod. co.uk to book
A short production on how ancient culture heritage norms have modernised through generations in the UK amongst diverse races whilst identifying sacred traditions that remain current. A premiere viewing will be held at Patch Places with time for discussion.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to fund the research and production of ‘Decades Apart’.
Museum War History Day
Date: September 10th
Time: 10am-4pm
Venue: Chelmsford Museum, Oaklands Park, Moulsham Street, CM2 9AQ
Booking: No booking required
Join us at the museum for a special day. The Essex HMVA are back for 2023 to bring you a glimpse at our military history. This year’s event is based around the history of army radios.
Chelmsford is known as the birthplace of wireless, so what better way to link that to our event than put on a display of some of the military radios from the 1930s to the 2000s. Get to see how advances in technology evolved, alongside a background of military vehicles and other display items from that era too.
The Essex HMVA is a charity who preserves and displays military historical items via its 300 members, who do displays and events throughout the year, but such a historical display is rarely done and this is a chance to get close up to equipment. Learn more about how your mobile phone you use started as a US Handy Talkie Radio.
Members are on hand to answer questions and demonstrate some of the items shown. In the Wells Suite, there will be displays and exhibits of communication equipment and various military items from the Essex Yeomanry, the Essex Yeomanry are a regiment founded in the late 1700s as a volunteer cavalry formed by prominent landowners and experts will be on hand to chat about the history.
Why not combine your day with a visit to Chelmsford Museum and find out more about local history?
My Blue Plaque Challenge Talk
Date: September 11th
Time: 7pm
Venue: Patch, 5-6 Grays Yard, Chelmsford, CM2 6QR
Booking: 45 places, book at www.chelmsfordhod.co.uk
This is a personal quest I have taken on following an invitation from Chelmsford City Council to increase the number of people in Chelmsford recognised by a Blue Plaque. As I have now been involved with this process, on a voluntary basis for the past eight years I feel I have almost perfected it, but not quite.
Behind each plaque are some wonderful stories about local individuals each of whom I thought more than deserved this special accolade. So far my involvement has been in the installation of eight blue plaques six of these honour men including a doctor, two architects, two business champions, and a shared plaque for two photographers. Two further plaques honour women and include Britain’s first paid female broadcaster and a lady who was awarded for her secret wartime work.
As for the future, I currently have in progress four blue plaque applications and these are for three men and one woman all of whom played a significant part in the history of Chelmsford. The names of these citizens are not public knowledge at the moment
If you would like to know more about all these special local people and their stories then come along to this talk when all will be revealed.
The Witch Trials Talk
Date: September 12th
FULLY BOOKED
Time: 7pm & 8.30pm
Venue: Patch, 5-6 Grays Yard, Chelmsford, CM2 6QR
Booking: 45 places, book at www.chelmsfordhod.co.uk
In 1566, the first witch trial was held in a secular court in Chelmsford…
Join Storyteller Mike Dodsworth on an investigation into the prominence of Witch Trials and the ruthless execution of women found guilty for the crime of witchcraft in Chelmsford during the 16th and 17th centuries. In order to broaden the historical context of these events, Mike will be delving into the world of literature and folklore to assist in our understanding of these trials that took place, so expect to find a balance of contemporary historical accounts with readings, tellings and excerpts from authors and traditional folktales.
The Show Must Go On Guided Walk
Date: September 12th
Time: 10am
Venue: Meet outside the Civic Centre
Booking: 25 places, www.chelmsfordhod. co.uk
Explore the fascinating history of live and screened entertainment in Chelmsford in this guided tour of some existing - but mostly not sites associated with Chelmsford entertainment.
Galleywood Heritage Centre guided walk
Date: September 13th
Time: 10.30am
Venue: Galleywood Heritage Centre
Booking: www.chelmsfordhod.co.uk
Located on Galleywood Common, the Heritage Centre’s main building is a conversion of the 1920s grandstand from the heydays of horse racing. A listening bench in the ground has stories from yesteryear from the Galleywood residents past & present. Just outside the grounds on Galleywood Common, the track of the old racecourse can be seen. A short walk across the free public car park close by brings visitors to the remains of the Napoleonic era Star Fort earthworks which has an interpretation board. In the Heritage room there will be various displays, photographs and information about the racecourse and much more.
Chelmsford has a long history of enjoying theatre productions and watching films at the cinema. This walking tour with Yvonne Lawrence explores the locations of some of the past - and present - sites of theatres and cinemas around the city centre, with stories of past people and productions that have delighted and entertained audiences. From a starting point at Chelmsford Civic Centre, we’ll take a leisurely walk along Duke Street, the High Street and Moulsham Street to New Writtle Road before finishing at the Meadows Car Park. The heyday of the ‘electric picture palaces’ was between 1910 and 1925, and Chelmsford had its fair share of places to see the new moving films, adding to the vibrant live entertainment available in the various theatres around town. Which cinema was known for having rats scurrying across patrons’ feet? And where was Chelmsford’s first purpose-built theatre - and what happened to it? Visit
Galleywood Heritage Centre Archives Talk
Date: September 13th
Time: 2pm
Venue: Galleywood Heritage Centre
Booking: www.chelmsfordhod.co.uk
Located on Galleywood Common, the Centre’s main building is a conversion of the 1920s grandstand from the heydays of horse racing. Archives held in the Heritage room include information on the history of the racecourse (1759 to 1935) the Napoleonic defences, St Michael’s Church, golf course and much more. There is an extensive collection of photographs of people and places. A “listening bench” in the grounds has stories from yesteryear from Galleywood residents past & present.
Graffiti and Street Art, Where Did It Begin?
Date: September 13th
Time: 7pm
Venue: Patch, 5-6 Grays Yard, Chelmsford, CM2 6QR
Booking: 45 places, book at www.chelmsfordhod.co.uk
Where did graffiti and street art originate? This illustrated talk considers the history of street art and graffiti and some of the many sub-genres and artists that reside. Hear about some of the presenters own experiences as a street artist and how now galleries are in on the game!
Anglo Saxon Walk in Broomfield
Date: September 14th
Time: 6.30pm
FULLY BOOKED
Venue: Meet at St Mary’s Church, Broomfield, CM1 7BD
Booking: 30 places www.chelmsfordhod.co.uk
Set against the backdrop of an Anglo-Saxon Lord’s settlement, join Storyteller Mike Dodsworth as he brings to life the landscape of the past with a walk of discovery that includes storytelling performances and active discussion. Walk in the footsteps of the Iron Age people who came to this place from far across the North Sea, bringing their beliefs, customs, traditions and most significantly…their language! Could the epic narrative poem Beowulf have been performed in the Hall of these local kings who ruled over more than 800 acres for some 500 years leading up to the Domesday Book being compiled? Here is a chance to dissolve what we now see with our modern eyes and let ourselves imagine a time when pioneering settlers built their cluster of homes around the hall of a chief, a stone’s throw from the old Roman Road heading North from Caesaromagus (Chelmsford), under whose protection they strove to forge a new life of farming and peace.
Hylands House - An Illustrated History
Date: September 14th
Time: 7pm
Venue: Patch, 5-6 Grays Yard, Chelmsford, CM2 6QR
Booking: 45 places, book at www.chelmsfordhod.co.uk
Hylands House has a fascinating history - it has been owned by many private families, enhanced and changed over the years, and is currently at the centre of a large public park.
From owners such as John Comyns (1760-1797) through Cornelius Kortright (17971815) when it was a red brick Queen Anne house, Daniel Gooch (1905-1920), whose wife Lady Gooch was a celebrated local actor to the final private owner Christine Hanbury (1923-1966), this house has seen some action.
Acting as a hospital in World War I & II, with gardens designed by Humphrey Repton, and falling into disrepair then renovated by Chelmsford City Council for public use and weddings (it was the site of a famous ‘aero wedding’ in 1912) - if only walls could speak!. Join Nick Wickenden to find out more about this beautiful mansion house.
St John’s Church Open Day
St John’s Church, Moulsham Street, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 0JD
Date: Saturday September 16th
Self-guided tour of the church with guide sheets to highlight key features of the building (Victorian, constructed and enlarged over the period 1837 to 1884) and details of our stained glass windows. Church members will be on hand to answer questions and give more information. Displays of old church documents and photographs. A children’s quiz of things to search for in the church A display of the history of the Mildmay Almshouses which are nearby in Moulsham St. Live ‘Walk and Talk’ starting 2pm at the church.
Displays about the creation of the pipe organ and the church organ which is Grade 1 listed on the national pipe organ register. The organ has recently been partially refurbished which required that much of the organ was dismantled giving the opportunity to take photographs of the internals that are not normally visible. We will include demonstrations of the organ working.
Table Top sale including fresh produce from the Princes Road Allotment Association and cooked breakfast courtesy of the Scouts
Tea/coffee/cold drinks and biscuits/cakes will be available in the church cafe area.
Heritage Through the Arts
Date: September 16th
Time: 10am-4pm
Venue: Tindal Sqaure
Join us in Tindal Square for a day of entertainment, of historical dance, poetry and fun! Let’s celebrate the history of all things entertainment!
The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to fund a live history day ‘Heritage through the Arts’ which will involve a day of performances.
Thanks so much to National Lottery Heritage Fund for this funding to enable the project to happen!
Chelmsford Theatres Back Stage Tours
Date: September 16th
Time: 10am & 11.30am
FULLY BOOKED
Venue: Civic Theatre, Fairfield Rd, Chelmsford, CM1 1JG
Tread the boards, glimpse into our dressing rooms, and walk centre stage with a backstage tour at Chelmsford Theatre.
Experience the magic of going behind the scenes at our theatre. You’ll learn about our theatre’s history and how various departments from our box office to theatre technicians come together to make each production a success. Our backstage tours are suitable for all ages to enjoy.
Hylands Estate - Events Throughout the Years
Date: September 17th
Time: 10am - 4pm
Venue: Hylands House, Writtle, CM2 8WQ
Booking: No booking required
This year’s Heritage Day exhibition is Events
Through the Years at Hylands - events from military reviews in the 1860s, fetes in the Pryor years, more reviews in WW1 - by the King and Lord Kitchener, the Essex Yeomanry Ball in 1954, to the V-Festivals and events that happen now, plus many more. Come along - it might bring back memories!
Scavenger Hunt
Date: All Days
Visit Chelmsfordhod.co.uk for the guide
Created by the Chelmsford Guides and Brownies, walk the scavenger hunt and photograph the locations from the clues.
If you get stuck do not worry, there is a What3words location!
Portraits from the Past
Date: All Days
Venue: The Art Place in the Meadow Shopping Centre
Join our event painting portraits from the past, all you need to do is paint one or both of our notable Chelmsfordians and drop it in to the Art Place before 8th September, we will be dispaying the best pictures for the 10 day festival.
Grace Chappelow 1884-1971: Residing in Islington till at least 1910, it wasn’t till Chappelow and her mother moved to the hamlet of Nounsley near Hatfield Peverel, Essex, that Chappelow visibly got involved with the suffrage movement.
Thomas Cramphorn 1845-1912 Cramphorn was well known for his concern for the welfare of Chelmsford’s residents, taking particular interest in the improvement of housing for the working classes and in the provision of sports activities for local children.
Heritage Memory Board
Date: All Days
Venue: The Meadows Shopping Centre
Share your memories of Chelmsford heritage on our memory board. Fill in a post-it note and post on the board; this will help us with ideas for future Heritage Open Days festivals!
Virtual Events
Widford Lodge - A Virtual Tour
Widford Lodge was orignally a big farmhouse in Widford, find out about its history up to the time it became Widford Lodge School
Staplegrove - The Chelmsford Club Virtual Tour
Staplegrove is a mansion in the city, find out about the history of this impressive building with virtual tour.
Radio Caroline History Podcast with Ray Clarke
DJ Ray Clarke tells the story of Radio Caroline.
The Mildmays of Chelmsford
Most people will have heard the name Mildmay, but who were they and how much influence did they have shaping Chelmsford?
Tindal Square Virtual History Tour
At the heart of Tindal Square is the Shire Hall, but what is the history of some of the other historic buildings?
Visit www.youtube.com/c/chelmsfordcivicsociety and remember to hit that subscribe button!
Virtual Events
Chelmsford County Girls School Virtual Tour
Located in Broomfield Road, Chelmsford County
High School was built in 1906, how has it altered in the last 100+ years? This film includes old photographs and current film footage.
Chelmer VIllage Before Chelmer Village
Before Asda and the 1000s of house, what was Chelmer VIllage like, find out as two local brothers who grew up and worked in the area tell us.
Did You Know?
Chelmsford historical facts, Did You Know?
Great Baddow Virtual Tour
Join us on this virtual tour of Great Baddow, penned by local historian Allen Buckroyd we find out more about some of the village’s notable buildings
Virtual Tour of 26 High Street
Take a vertual tour of this unique mansion in the High Street, many original features remain in the upstairs of this building. Visit www.youtube.com/c/chelmsfordcivicsociety and remember to hit that subscribe button!
The aims of Chelmsford Civic Society are to stimulate public interest in, and appreciation and care of, the history, appearance and character of Chelmsford.
• The preservation of buildings
• History and architecture
• River banks, parks and trees
• Future planning and land use
• Transport, road and car parking
• Recycling and litter disposal
We hold a members’ meeting monthly during the year, up and coming events include:
25th October 7pm - ‘Three men without a boat’ a talk by Tony Tuckwell
24th November 7pm - Brunel’s Great Ships by Richard Pussey
12th December 7pm - Christmas Tales - Story Telling and Mince Pies
If you wish to become a member of Chelmsford Civic Society and join us on our programme of outings to interesting places then please visit our web site.
www.chelmsfordcivicsociety.co.uk
