From the centre of Chelmsford, moving to the northeastern edge of the city, is the neighbourhood of Springfield in Essex. Once a village, now Springfield is an affluent suburb of Chelmsford itself, sporting grand manor houses and Grade II listed detached builds priced at well over £1 million! Chelmsford’s direct rail connection to London in just thirty minutes makes it ideal for frequent commuters to the capital. With a complex and global history, a variety of architectural styles, affluence and greenspace, Springfield has plenty of interest to offer.

Located on the River Chelmer and off the major Roman Road, Springfield has, for most of its history, occupied a semi-rural status. Although most of the history of Springfield is obscure; there is much evidence to suggest that it had been occupied at least since the Anglo-Saxon era, appearing in the 1086 Domesday Book Survey. The local church, Church of All Saints, also reflects this with the nave dating back to approximately 1100!

However, Springfield is more famous for life outside of its direct vicinity. The colonial fur trader known as William Pynchon, a long-time resident of Springfield, travelled to Massachusetts in 1630 and founded part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He then, in 1636, purchased new land then known as ‘Agawam’, renaming it Springfield in 1640 after his home town in Essex! Whilst an industrial man, William Pynchon was also a prolific author, authoring several books, including ‘The Meritorious Price of Our Redemption’ - a Puritanical Calvinist text that became one of the first books to be banned in the new colony, and was even burned on Boston Common! But, he has an even further strange connection, as William Pynchon is the ancestor of enigmatic and reclusive postmodern author Thomas Pynchon. In fact, the only time Pynchon has ever appeared on television is in an episode of ‘The Simpsons’, in which the fictional town of the characters is famously known as Springfield!

Springfield is an affluent suburb of Chelmsford, and therefore much of the developments in the local area have been reserved for luxury builds, rennovations and conversions. Nearby Springfield Green is also a protected conservation area, which limits the type of developments in the area. In the mid 1960s there was developments to the housing infrastructure on the greenfields of Springfield however this area has not been a key target focus. Although, in Chelmsford’s 2023 Local Plan the council plans to instate 90 new mixed-use dwellings in the Springfield locale across a range of affordabilities!