Homes for sale in Chelmsford

Local information for Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 4BY

Located 31 miles northeast of London, the borough of Chelmsford is lively and thriving. It has an area of 130 square miles and includes the large town centre of Chelmsford - the county town of Essex - plus open countryside, attractive villages, and the flourishing town of South Woodham Ferrers.

Chelmsford has a rich heritage, beautiful green spaces, first-class sporting, leisure and arts facilities, shopping, dining and vibrant nightlife, there is definitely something for all.

Withsome 1,507 acres (610 hectares) of parks, eight of which have been awarded Green Flag status, there are plenty of places to relax and unwind. Venture further into the countryside and explore beautiful villages such as Pleshey with its castle mound, Stock with its windmill or the quiet appeal of Great Waltham and Writtle.

If nature is your thing, Hanningfield Reservoir Visitor Centre is well worth a visit,as is Lingwood Common, Blake's Wood and Galleywood Common. Situated on the River Can and the River Chelmer, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the beautiful countryside from the water. There is also an abundance of angling locations, including fishing lakes and Hanningfield Reservoir. If you prefer to explore the area on two feet or two wheels, there is an abundance of cycleways and footpaths, including parts of the Essex Way, to discover.

Whether you like watching or playing, Chelmsford and South Woodham Ferrers have a huge variety of first-class sport and leisure facilities to choose from. Enjoy a traditional game of cricket at the Ford County Cricket Ground, home of Essex County Cricket Club, or shout from the stands at a Chelmsford City football match.

Riverside Ice and Leisure Centre offers the only ice skating rink in Essex, home to the Chelmsford Chieftains, while South Woodham Ferrers Leisure Centre offers an award-winning swimming pool and a climbing wall.

Chelmsford also has a huge variety of sports clubs, including angling, athletics, boxing, canoeing, martial arts, roller-skating and sailing.In the surrounding countryside and villages, there are plenty of other activities to keep you on the go, including kayaking at Paper Mill Lock, horse-riding, hiking, clay-pigeon shooting and cycling or you could even relax with a round or two at one of Chelmsford's golf courses.

Whilst there are plenty of things to keep the adults busy, Chelmsford also offers a wide variety of activities to appeal to Little People too, great places to visit with children include Marsh Farm Country Park, Tropical Wings Butterfly and Bird Gardens, Riverside Ice and Leisure Centre and Ten-pin bowling alley.

To keep children active and healthy, Chelmsford Borough Council's four sports centres run a wide range of fun and energetic term-time and holiday courses. These include dance, trampolining, ice-skating, swimming, climbing, go-karts, football, gymnastics and athletics. If that is not enough then there is also a regular programme of workshops and activity days for children held at Hylands House and Chelmsford Museum covering everything from art and crafts to becoming a magician.