EAW043709 ENGLAND (1952). Duke Street, Chelmsford Railway Station and environs, Chelmsford, 1952

Maltings

MARCONI'S FACTORY- In 1899, Guglielmo Marconi opened the world's first "wireless" factory under the name 'The Marconi Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company' in Hall Street, employing around 50 people. The company was later called the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company Ltd. For this reason Chelmsford is credited as the "birthplace of radio", and this phrase can be seen on administrative signs on major roads entering the city although this statement is disputed. Marconi soon outgrew its Hall Street premises, and in June 1912 the company moved to the brand new purpose-built 70,000-square-foot (6,500 m2) New Street Works, that still stands today. On 15 June 1920 the factory was the location of the first official publicised sound broadcast in the United Kingdom, featuring Dame Nellie Melba using two 450 feet (140 m) radio broadcasting masts. In 1922, the world's first regular wireless broadcasts for entertainment began from the Marconi laboratories at Writtle near Chelmsford – Call sign '2MT' in what was little more than a wooden hut. In 1999, Marconi's defence division, including the Chelmsford facilities, was purchased by British Aerospace to form BAE Systems. Two sites remain under BAE control; the Great Baddow site which is now BAE's Advanced Technology Centre and its Integrated Systems Technologies business at Glebe Road. The military and secure communications division of Marconi was merged into Selex Communications was based at the New Street factory however they vacated the site in April 2008 with the remaining operations moved to nearby Basildon. This brought to an end of more than 100 years of the Marconi name in Chelmsford. The New Street factory was scheduled to be redeveloped with work planned to start during 2010,[28] however this fell through after the new site owners Ashwell Property Group entered administration in December 2009. The New Street factory remained empty, derelict and vandalised for several years much to the dismay of Marconi Veterans and Chelmsfordians. The site was finally sold for redevelopment to Bellway Homes in the summer of 2012 with demolition of the majority of the site including the iconic Marconi House and Building 720 in April/May 2013. Only the Grade II listed water tower, The 1912 front building façade, the New Street cottages and the power house will remain.

MILL

HOFFMANS BALL BEARING FACTORY- THIS IS THE UK'S FIRST BALL BEARING FACTORY. ESTABLISHED HERE IN 1898 BY COUSINS GEOFFREY AND CHARLES BARRETT AND BANK ROLLED BY AN AMERICAN BALL BEARING MACHINE MANUFACTURER 'ERNST GUSTAV HOFFMAN'. THE FIRM LATER BECAME 'RANSOME, HOFFMAN AND POLLARD' IN 1969 (RHP). THE FACTORY ONCE EMPLOYED 7,500 WORKERS AND WAS WOUND DOWN DURING THE 1980'S AND FINALLY CLOSED FOR GOOD ON THE 23RD DECEMBER 1989. THE RHP BRAND AND ASSETS WERE ABSORBED INTO THE JAPANESE 'NSK LTD BEARING COMPANY' IN 1990, AND THE 'RHP' NAME FINALLY DISAPPEARED IN 2001. MOST OF IT WAS DEMOLISHED AND SOME OF IT WAS KEPT TO TURN INTO FLATS AND A GYM ETC.

CHELMSFORD PRISON- BUILT FROM 1830

SPRINGFIELD MILL- A MILL HAS BEEN RECORDED ON THIS SITE IN THE DOMESDAY BOOK SINCE 1086, SPRINGFIELD MILL (NOW RIVERSIDE INN) ONCE OVERLOOKED A PICTURESQUE RIVER VALLEY SCENE. FOR 90 YEARS, ENDING IN 1780, THE STRUTTS WORKED SPRINGFIELD MILL, THE ONLY MILL IN THE TOWN CENTRE NOT RUN BY THE MARRIAGE FAMILY. AROUND THE 1900'S MILLER ALFRED BRADRIDGE INSTALLED A 40 INCH TURBINE TO POWER 4 PAIRS OF STONES. LIKE SO MANY MILLERS, IN ADDITION TO FLOUR GRINDING, BRADRIDGE ALSO UNDERTOOK CHEMICAL PROCESSING FOR ARTIFICIAL FERTILIZERS AND ANIMAL FEEDS. BY 1929 THE MILL WAS LEASED AS A STORE AND IN 1939 THE STONES WERE SCRAPPED. GRADE 2 LISTED ON THE 20TH MAY 1949.

NORWICH TO LONDON LINE- BUILT IN 1842

CHELMSFORD RAILWAY STATION- BUILT AROUND 1885

THE FOOTPATH FROM ARBOUR LANE BRIDGE ALONG THE BUNNY WALKS, SPRINGFIELD

REGINA RD, CHELMSFORD

THE RAILWAY TAVERN PUB

ANNE KNIGHT BUILDING

ARBOUR LANE, SPRINGFIELD

LIONMEDE PARK

VIADUCT AT THE BUNNY WALKS, SPRINGFIELD

GLEBE RD, CHELMSFORD

BISHOPS RD, CHELMSFORD

RECTORY LANE, CHELMSFORD

CHELMSFORD BUS STATION

THE CATHEDRAL SCHOOL

THE OLD EGG FACTORY ETC ETC

BISHOP ROAD

MARCONI ROAD

MILL ROAD

EAST ROAD

WEST ROAD

TOWNFIELD STREET

NEW STREET

COVAL LANE

WELLS STREET

VIADUCT ROAD

RAINSFORD ROAD

BROOMFIELD ROAD

FAIRFIELD ROAD

VICTORIA ROAD

RAILWAY STREET

DUKE STREET