In 1199 the Bishop of London was given a Royal Charter to hold a market every Friday in Chelmsford, a tradition that continues today. Whilst opening times may be slightly different nowadays and some of today’s produce may have looked strange to those early sellers, the area remains an important commercial centre.
Market Square, as it stands now, is situated between High Chelmer Shopping Centre and Chelmsford’s Indoor Retail Market. Over the years there have been several attempts to try and improve the feel of this well-used space, from adding new planting to the more recent addition of outdoor table tennis tables.
As part of the new look, our colleagues at Streetcare and Chelmsford Market provided 16 new benches featuring recycled materials for the seating slats. The tree pits have also undergone a makeover, being made larger and raising the finished level in order to protect the surface roots of the trees. The pits are protected using coloured bonded mulch made from recycled forklift and truck tyres. This mulch has the look of wood chip but is hard wearing and easy to repair. It is porous allowing rainwater to permeate through to the supporting roots below, ensuring the trees continue to thrive for many years to come.
The work has been carried out by our Countryways team, who for much of the year, maintain the Public Rights of Way around Chelmsford and neighbouring Parishes. The team consists of Luke, Chris, Steve and Andy.
