A feast of free events celebrating Chelmsford’s rich heritage takes place September 11th - 20th.
Chelmsford Civic Society has worked with Essex 2020 and a range of partners to bring you a packed programme of free events and activities. Enjoy virtual visits to some of Chelmsford’s great buildings, online talks, outdoor events, hidden nature walks and self guided trails. Here is the full line-up.
September 11th - 20th
Manifesto For Essex Exhibition
Exhibition across multiple venues in the high street. Click the link to learn how you can contribute Earth Poems and Bunting on the theme of climate change.
City Centre Scavenger Hunt
A self-guided real history discovery trail for detectives of all ages.
Marconi Celebration - Walk n Talk Tour
Stream the audio of the tour on your device and walk the tour at your own pace at any time during the festival and beyond.
Friday 11th
11th Marconi Celebration - Virtual Walk
A unique video looking at the Marconi story from a Chelmsford perspective.
11th Enduring Legacies: Three Pioneering Women
Online talk. Dr Viv Newman, brings to life in a humorous and informative way the stories of three pioneering women.
Saturday 12th
Springfield Bronze Age Enclosure Tour
A fantastic opportunity to explore one of the forgotten gems of Chelmsford’s history.
Military Vehicles Guided Tour
A film tour of the Essex Historic Military Vehicle Association storage and restoration location.
Sunday 13th
Portraits of the Past - Judge Tindal
Chelmsford Creative Collective invites all artists to join in with an online collaborative portrait project.
Chelmsford War Memories
Chelmsford residents speak on film about their personal memories of World War Two.
Springfield Bronze Age Enclosure Tour
A fantastic opportunity to explore one of the forgotten gems of Chelmsford’s history.
Heritage Drawing Trail
Join Drink and Draw Chelmsford on a drawing crawl of some of the lovely landmarks of Chelmsford.
Monday 14th
Mayoral Parlour - Virtual Tour
Meet the mayor (virtually) and take a peek behind the scenes at the Civic Centre.
Tuesday 15th
On Air - Chelmsford’s Global Experiment
Find out about Chelmsford’s part in a global radio experiment 100 years ago and discover the stories of the brilliant people behind it.
Galleywood Heritage Centre Walk
A guided historical walk around Galleywood Common with stops at various points of interest.
Heritage Triangle Zoom Talk
A presentation on three local famous buildings with Malcolm Noble Chairman of Chelmsford Civic Society.
Wednesday 16th
Within These Walls: A Virtual Tour of the Non-Conformist Cemetery
A Virtual Tour of Chelmsford’s Non-Conformist Cemetery.
Thursday 17th
The ‘Hidden Nature’ in Danbury Churchyard
A virtual guided tour of Danbury Churchyard with two of our experts on local nature.
Friday 18th
Hidden Nature: Free Art Friday
Explore Central Park to find art, poetry, paintings and more that you can take home. You can also leave art for others!
Sandford Mill Nature Reserve Virtual Tour
A special guided tour of this reserve which is only open on very few occasions.
The Marconi Company and The Battle of Britain
An online talk hosted by a retired member of the Marconi Community who has extensive knowledge on the topic.
Saturday 19th
Springfield Bronze Age Enclosure Tour
A fantastic opportunity to explore one of the forgotten gems of Chelmsford’s history.
Chelmsford Cathedral Virtual Tour
A filmed tour of this most important local building, led by the Dean of Chelmsford Cathedral.
Hidden Writtle University College Walk and Draw
A walk through the grounds of Writtle University College, stopping to draw at various points.
Sunday 20th
Portraits of the Past - Anne Knight
Chelmsford Creative Collective invites all artists to join in with an online collaborative portrait project.
Springfield Bronze Age Enclosure Tour
A fantastic opportunity to explore one of the forgotten gems of Chelmsford’s history.
Hylands House Virtual Tour
Tour this special historical house online, as we reveal the secrets behind its history.
Virtual tours will be screened via Chelmsford Civic Society’s YouTube channel. Online talks via Zoom will need to be booked in advance.
The Chelmsford Heritage Open Days events are co-ordinated by the Chelmsford Civic Society, sponsored by Chelmsford City Council and the National Trust and supported by Essex 2020.