Moulsham

Soon after the rebellion of Boudica in AD 60, a small Roman military fort was built on the southern banks of the River Can near an important road bridge crossing midway between Colchester and London.

Following the collapse of the Roman wooden bridge across the River Can, the main route between Colchester and London was diverted to a crossing point at Widford several miles west of Moulsham.

In AD 1199 Chelmsford was formally founded by the Bishop of London, William of Sainte-Mère-Église when he was granted the right to hold a weekly market at ‘Chelmersford’ around which a new town was formed.

Rivalry between the Abbot of Westminster and the Bishop of London resulted in the growth of Chelmsford into a prosperous trading centre, while Moulsham became the poor relation, accommodating the destitute and socially unacceptable members of the community, at one time containing a leper colony, much later a gaol and workhouse.

The Walker map of Moulsham hamlet in 1591 shows a ribbon of timber-framed houses extending from the Can to a field entrance in the vicinity of what is now Anchor Street.

In 1839 the Mildmay estate and adjoining land to the south became available for purchase, which enabled the rapid and significant expansion of Chelmsford.

At this time a group of local enterprising (non-conformist) businessmen surreptitiously acquired land in several lots, and were thus able to form what is now New London Road, disposing of plots with strict covenants to realise a grand design: ‘a handsome road of highly ornamental mansions’ as an elegant approach to Chelmsford.

Whilst it followed a parallel alignment, New London Road was not a ‘by-pass’ of Moulsham Street in the modern sense of the word; rather it was constructed as an alternative route with its new residences enabling merchandisers to move ‘out of town’.

The vacant factory was occupied in 1902 by Clarkson's, who made steam omnibuses at the site until 1917 and branched out into bus operating as ‘National’ converting to petrol buses in 1920 – the name surviving in the town and beyond until the 1990s.

In 1898, Guglielmo Marconi set up the world's first radio factory in Hall Street in a furniture shop, itself a converted Silk Mill adjacent to water board premises.

Other industries operating in the late nineteenth century in and around Moulsham Street included rope and tent makers (Godfreys established 1828, wound up 1985), brickworks, ironworks, furniture manufacturing and builder's yard/offices.

Its relative narrowness, domestic scale and varied architecture gave the street an intimate ‘village’ feel.

[2] There are many offices along New London Road, often housing professionals, such as real estate agents, renewable energy companies, solicitors and accountants.

[21] Of note local historical interest is Grove Road Evangelical Church, which was a former Peculiar People's chapel.