City of Chelmsford

Chelmsford's first elected council was a local board of health established in 1850. This replaced a body of improvement commissioners which had previously administered the town under the (29 Geo. 3. c. 44). The local board in turn was replaced by the Chelmsford Corporation in 1888 when the town was incorporated to become a municipal borough. The current district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering two former districts which were abolished at the same time: The new district was named Chelmsford after its main town. The new council was initially called "Chelmsford District Council". Charter trustees were established for the area of the former municipal…

Henry VIII's former Palace of Beaulieu is situated in Boreham, now occupied by the New Hall School. Also located in the borough include the RHS Garden, Hyde Hall at Rettendon, and numerous open spaces in Chelmsford, including Admirals and Central Parks. Writtle, where Robert the Bruce is said to have married his second wife Elizabeth de Burgh in 1302, has English Royal connections, with King John building a hunting lodge there in 1211. Much of the site now lies within the grounds of Writtle College, the internationally famous centre for horticulture and agriculture. A few miles away is the village of Pleshey, where stand the ruins of a once important castle mentioned in William…