It surrounded, but did not include, the town of Chelmsford;[3] which formed a municipal borough.
[3] The municipal borough of Chelmsford expanded and gained 1,659 acres (7 km2) from the rural district, including parts of the parishes of Broomfield, Springfield, Widford, and Writtle.
At the same time 1,282 acres (5 km2) were transferred from Buttsbury parish to form part of Billericay Urban District.
Later that year, an area of 6,128 acres (25 km2), made up of Mountnessing and parts of the parishes of Downham, Ramsden Bellhouse, Ramsden Crays and Shenfield, was gained from the abolished Billericay Rural District.
Also at this time 274 acres (1 km2) was gained from the parish of Hockley in Rochford Rural District.