Nice, but we was a few days ago. Generaly expensive (£38 for 2 adults and 6y girl) because small amount flowers. But tulips look great. Lovely playground.

Been to the RHS Hyde Hall 3-5 times. Always had a brilliant time going there and never gets old or boring. Went to a couple of special events, the flower show and Glow. We take our 2 year old and she loves running around the grounds. There is a garden centre, cafe and plenty of amenities for staying the day. The cafe does Vegan and Veggie food too, which is a plus for us and is very nice. Things for improving, but only because we have them would be Electric car charge points for visitors coming further afield. Lots of parking otherwise. The photos and videos posted are of our night at Glow.

I became a member a couple of years ago as it’s great value for money with just a couple of visits with free entry, discounted event tickets and more perks too. Hyde Hall is stunning, an ever changing landscape that means that every time you go there’s something different to see and experience. The big site with bordering woodlands and diverse plant life means you can easily spend a half day here, with good toilet facilities, a great cafe (if not a little slow sometimes - but it’s to be expected on busy days - but the service is friendly and the food is great!). Coffee here is good too. Most recent visit was for the Glow event, and lit up after dark it brings a whole new dimension - the trail was varied and winding with audio in some places too. A perfect winter event experience, with great mulled wine as well.

Lovely gardens to visit, no matter what time of year you go. If visiting more than once, you could consider an RHS membership as a guest goes in free of charge. Great place for kids to run around safely. Cafes quite pricey, but nothing to stop you taking a picnic.

Beautiful gardens, with lots to see. Very family friendly, with picnic areas and lots of benches everywhere. The cafe at the entrance is lovely for children's food, and basic cafe food (I had a cheese scone- delicious.) There is also a lovely restaurant in the centre of the gardens, where the food smelled great. The gardens themselves were very diverse, with great use of landscaping and sculpture. Depending on how long you want to be there, it takes about a couple of hours to walk around at a leisurely potter. There is a well stocked shop that sells lots of plants and pots as well as lovely gifts, cards and homewares. Staff were friendly and polite and the loos were clean. I went in half term and it didn't feel particularly crowded despite the car park being nearly full.

This is such a serene space, it's your choice of pace to explore the grounds. There's something for all taste and such an inspiration. Definitely one of my places to reconnect with nature. It's great to see families enjoying the outdoors with beautiful open spaces. Take a picnic or eat at any of the three places to choose from. Plenty of parking and facilities.

Took my kids here this Christmas to see the garden covered in beautiful lights it was a lovely experience. The kids enjoyed the views its peaceful even with all the other visitors. The garden was lit up beautifully. I plan to return in the summer during the day to see the gardens properly. Nice couple hours out.

Great winter garden, still a lot going on in all the plant areas, busy place for this time of the year, despite the bitter wind blowing right upumm! Lunch was good, mega jacket potatoes with generous fillings and a half decent cuppa. Going back in the spring to see the changes.

Beautiful grounds took advantage of their annual membership and visit regularly. Ice cream is very over priced the cakes on the other hand taste amazing and are well worth the price. Toilet are clean. Three eateries. Lovely picnic area. Ideal for people of all ages from little tots upwards. Kids play area is great for ages 2-10 then they out grow it a little. The sights are always changing due to the constant variations of planting. You could go once a week and see something new each visit.

A lovely place with amazing displays of plants. Great grounds with plenty of space to let the kids run around and play. Cafe serves lovely food and the staff there are happy and friendly. Thanks to Volunteer Cliff who explained a great route to see everything as it was our first time 😀. Garden centre staff were a bit distracted in their plexiglass till boxes though. Overall an excellent visit.

Beautiful gardens to visit with lots to see, a very nice tea room with lovely views across the gardens and Essex countryside. Not particularly cheap but definitely worth a visit. It is set in the heart of the beautiful Essex countryside so for the ladies and some men if it has rained it's best not to wear your white stilettos. 😁

A lovely visit to Hyde Hall in early August, after many years, with a friend who volunteers there. It was the annual show & excellent to see all the stalls. Had a walk around part of the gardens. Lovely cuppa & a chat at the hilltop restaurant. The gardens have changed beyond recognition since my last visit. The volunteers are so friendly & helpful. A huge area for car parking & an area for coaches.

We went to see the light show between Christmas and New Year every year. Excellent ! Great welcome walk around outside, easy accessible with all gravel paths. No muddy shoes/boots. The lights were great with shops for drinks and eats and the main shop open at the end.

The daffodils and other spring flowers are making a good show around the garden. The garden itself has been improved since my last visit and mor work is being undertaken. How nice to have a freshly made sandwich and soup (at a price!)

My wife and I took my Mum to see the 'GLOW' light experience at Hyde Hall. Absolutely amazing display. All staff encounters were friendly and cheerful, even with the cold weather on that night. Would highly recommend a visit as very good value for money.

This is a lovely place to visit for a walk, explore, and perhaps a bite to eat. We enjoyed the beautiful gardens and then had tea in the Hilltop cafe with wonderful views of the surrounding area. Admission is fairly expensive at £13 (without giftaid donation) per adult, but you can see the investment goes into maintaining this site and its facilities. Plenty of toilets, baby changing rooms, seating areas (indoor and out), and areas to find peace and tranquillity. The restaurant is pleasant, with lots of seating. The usual snacks, cakes, and beverages are on offer at the expected prices. A lovely few hours spent here, we look forward to another visit for one of the many events/exhibitions they have throughout the year.

A good sized garden/grounds for walking about in, with a restaurant and couple of cafes (depending on the season). Staff here are super friendly and knowledgeable, with a great shop (the RHS plants tend to be a bit more expensive than other places, but the quality is normally always there too). Not as big as RHS Wisley, but this way you can cover the whole estate, and they have a great variety of gardens. Bird song wad in abundance in early Spring here! Have been several times.

Gardens looked lovely, even in winter, with only a few flowers blooming. Trees looked fabulous. Some parts of the garden were not accessible and roped off due to the amount of rain recently. We visited again in the evening and saw the glow. Spectacular.

Beautiful well maintained park with a wide range of trees, flowers and other plants, some from warmer climates. A beautiful pond with lily pads and archways made of trees. A place I wouldn’t mind getting lost in. Stables cafe serves a good range of food and coffee. There are a few small shops as well including a charity book shop which has a fairly remarkable collection. But the true gem of them all is the ice cream parlour near stables cafe, some of the best chocolate and salted ice cream I have had.

Very well thought out. Activities specifically created for children to interact with. Music themes, stepping stones, holograms, talking tree. The children found the fairies amazing. Really entertaining evening. Food and drink available. It can work out to be quite an expensive night. But really good.

This is a beautiful house nearby Chelmsford. Had a wedding there. The grounds are wonderful to wonder around in and plenty of parking available. Very nice spacious rooms upstairs for use by brides and grooms.

Lovely park. Ideal for walk with family and kids. Many places for relax, picnic. Beautiful flowers and trees in garden. Nice plece 💟

Went to visit the Enlightened display event, so much better than i imagined. Good amenities laid on and semi organised parking which made the whole event nice and easy. Lots of displays and items of interest to keep the little ones occupied .

Lovely and very well maintained park, the paths are excellent for both families and dog walkers alike. The only annoyance being they have recently introduced parking charges. As of December 2021 after dusk the park turns into festive light show extravaganza, however, the tickets are quite pricey so be aware.

This is just such vast park to walk round, great for couple walks, pic-nics with the kiddies, and dog walkers. The park does also have some historical value also with hylands Lodge being the centre piece. There are some lovely little cafes in the park also for a light lunch and refreshment. The grounds are very well kept and there are some absolutely stunning feature gardens, with topery for example or certain types of flowers etc. I feel its just wonderful to see the effort the grounds people go to make the park welcoming to its guests. Highly recommend.

Absolutely beautiful venue. Fit for the Kings and Queens we are. Was so lovely to witness a family member getting married there! Beautiful green scenery to take photos both inside and outside. It was idyllic! Highly recommended!

Great park for the kids. Loads of space. Bit steep on the car park prices. And toilets are bit "grubby" but kids love going here and was a great place to learn to ride their bikes

I recently visited a park that I found to be stunning. It's a perfect place for families with young children, as plenty of activities keep them engaged. They have a GoApe adventure park as well as a public play area with a variety of wooden play equipment. As you continue to explore, you'll come across many beautiful sights, such as a flower garden, a gorgeous arch, and spacious green fields. It's a quiet and peaceful place, and you can easily spend hours there exploring all that it has to offer. It's the perfect spot for a relaxing day out or a fun-filled picnic.

Nice grounds, footpaths lead to all the important areas (good in the winter!), cafe (plus an additional cafe for dog owners), artists' studios, toilets, well kept gardens, large field (Ideal for picnicking), outdoor wooden seating (although some are part their best), parking is available at a charge.

Very nice and good. Good rides for children. My son very likes this place.

Awesome light display around 1 and a half miles long with a coffee and food bar half way around. The light up toys for young children were £5 each which was expensive for what it was.

It's is a beautiful park/ woodland to visit. The people who walk their regularly are very friendly. It's very much worth a visit! There are well-kept paths (it gets muddy if it rains a lot - but that is only to be expected). They have Go Ape, children's playground, cafes, picnic area, toilets, dogs running around, horses to look at, a fountain, lots of wildlife, and a secret garden that was opened by Prince William. There is free parking for blue badges.

We got on the end of a guided tour which was well worth it although hard to hear as busy, there not many rooms but good for kids & wheelchairs, find the dog cafe food Garden at rear with tables chairs or mobile food sellers at front and some other retailers in the stable block. Parking is a little walk or more if you use the go ape parking for the kids which was where the sat nav took me first time. Enjoyable day all in all

Been a few times and there are alot of different options. For those big race days I recommend booking at the Club Restaurant, great food, service and views over the course.

Great venue. I enjoyed it without getting drunk and swearing, which on a family day is not necessary. However credit to the venue, they have appropriately friendly security and from their side it was very well run, although ques were long. Will go again, just not for younger kids perhaps.

Staff very welcoming, good information given as to where you need to go. We sat in the main restaurant, unless you are sat at the window you could not see the horses running you had to leave the restaurant area. Waiting staff at the tables was poor we waited 20 minutes before we were offered a drink and staff where walking around offering bread and butter we had to ask for some as it was not offered. They were young and in my opinion were inexperienced

Honestly terrible experience on Good Friday ‘family day’. 1 coffee cart for a sold out event, all food shoved in one corner, queues were genuinely hours long. Really poorly planned, advertised for families but only 1 tent of activities for children. As a venue that host plenty of events the planners should have known much better!

Attended the races for a belated Christmas Dinner. From the moment of arriving to being seated , service was excellent, complete with own waiter. The actual meet was well attended and thoroughly enjoyable to get get close to the horses in the paddock. All in all a very pleasant day out.

Great venue.. great parking, lovely staff.. looked after us really well

I feel as though whoever is running the place needs a few tips in hospitality, only one bar open (wont provide staff for the other bar) meant waiting 10-15 mins for a drink or going whilst the race was on. Pouring down with rain and none of the umbrellas open where the outside seating is. Well done for staff for getting on with it. Still enjoyed the racing.

First time visit. Sports Bar building excellent, tote ladies excellent customer service, BETFRED staff excellent communication, bar staff no communication at all, The Grill Kitchen very disappointing- long queues with 40 minute waiting then a further 40 minute for cooking and if you just want hot drinks it is the same queue and then the food is very poor - I saw 3 orders being returned and that included mine- best eat before you go. Highly recommended Racecourse. Highly recommended Sports Bar. Do not recommend The Grill Kitchen or Bar.

Food excellent. Service excellent. Good choice of beers wins spirits. Great day out

Can only comment on the Easter family fun day. Great atmosphere, staff all very helpful, unfortunately the children zones were ruined before we even had chance to explore them. Wouldn't go again on another family day but would go as adults only. (Just for a different experience) Could do with more drinks selection (better lagers, guiness, ales etc) Viewing the horses' racing can be challenging, as there are no high stands. Should be toliets on both sides of the horse walkway.

Essex Alpine show was a stunning show. Great venue but shame about the rain.

Booked an afternoon of racing and buffet. The cost £65pp for entrance, race card and food. Drinks extra. Food was excellent and plentiful. Helpful staff and tote runners. Would go again, good fun, just a shame I backed all the 3 legged ones!

Attending the family fun day on Good Friday. Arrived at midday and tried at 1pm to buy the family lunch. Thousands of people and only 5 food vans!!! Can’t wait in the 1hr+ queue, so have decided to leave. All I can say is I won’t be coming back to Chelmsford race course. Appalling lack of organisation!

Great day out once again. Second visit and my wife and I did ladies day. Lovely day, the staff were very pleasant and the post racing entertainment first rate once again. Looking forward to our next outing.

Excellent place to buy original artwork, hand made jewellery, stunning glassware, greetings cards, hand made scented candles, ceramics and lots lots all from the artists themselves. If you're looking for something different, then you must visit Hylands Artists Studios.

Visited on an open day when the artists studios were open. Such a lovely range of art and crafts on display. On non open days there us a selection of goods in the visitor centre. I particularly enjoyed smelling all the different candles and wax melts at L J Candles

A hidden gem! Fantastic bunch of makers, with everything for fans of individual designs in everything from glass, jewellery, knitwear and textiles, prints and one-off pieces. A magical place.

Well worth a visit to discover original paintings, jewellery, screen printing, illustration, warm glass, encaustic art along with a host of other fantastic art produced by the talented artists who are only to happy to chat about what the do. The artists studios are situated in the stables visitor centre at Hylands house and is the only artists open studios in Essex where you can meet the artists face to face on Sundays and Mondays. Also Inside the Bookshop is a small galley space that is open every day

Lovely place, brilliant people. There could be more stock in the shop and do bring the right money or be prepared to put more in the slot in the wall to cover your purchases. The grounds were peaceful and sunny and we sat and had a picnic outside. No problem with the toilets or any of the facilities.

It’s definitely one of the smallest Cathedral’s in the UK (or in the world) Still, a lovely building which you can enjoy with family or on your own. We visited during Christmas so Cathedral was illuminated with some festive colours. It has two sets of organs (3 and 4 manuals)

We attended a special jubilee service on a Sunday afternoon. The staff were amazing; welcoming, making sure my daughter, who was taking part, knew where she had to be. This was a big special event but the Cathedral staff worked like a well oiled machine, seating everyone with efficiency and dignity and then serving an amazing array of refreshments afterward. The cathedral has its own resident choir that takes part in services. Full coral evensong is a musical event in its own right, especially if you are treated to the full sound of the main nave organ which is in fact four different organs played from the same console. If you are into your organs, it is well worth reading up the detail in the cathedral website. Both the nave organ and the smaller chancel organ were commissioned and built in the 1990s. The cathedral plays a pivotal role in the local community and seeks to enrich the faith of city residents; it is certainly not just a historical building or place for ceremony although their is a place for both of these. It is also a place of peace and reflection for those seeking a space to pray. The building itself is magnificent, as you would expect of a 15th century cathedral. Clever use of lighting and interior decorating means the building is filled with light.

I've always been interested in churches and cathedrals. Tucked out the way in the middle of Chelmsford is this beautiful Cathedral. The grounds are pretty with plenty of seats to sit on and soak in the beautiful sunshine that we are having. Inside there is the organ and a amazing ceiling. Well worth a visit. There is also a donation box.

We were visiting the city and walked in to see the cathedral. The Dean (as we later surmised) welcomed us and got chatting. What a friendly and lovely man. He was funny and welcoming and it was such a pleasure to see this historic building and being made to feel so welcome. The Church of England at its finest.

A little medieval cathedral is unexpectedly light and bright.

Formerly the Parish Church, this is a bright, airy and very welcoming place of Christian Worship. The stained / etched glass windows make it colourful when the sun is shining. There are helpful labels to ensure that you can appreciate the many beautiful appointments. Well worth the time to see this bijou Cathedral.

Absolutely love this place. Beautiful Chelmsford Cathedral that has lunchtime concerts for public. Went with our school three years in a row and it's always beautiful 😍

Beautiful building and grounds - I would highly recommend visiting at night if you ever get the chance. We visited the Gaia project art installation and thought the it was absolutely stunning. I would highly recommend visiting - but take note that there will be many families with children running about playing etc. this added a certain playful innocence to the scene - which I feel may be an unintended consequence of the installation, detracting away from the magnitude and gravitas that the display could otherwise bring to such a gothic setting.

My wife and I were blown away by the Cathedrals beauty. It's such an impressive building with a fascinating history.

Attended a concert here. As an originall parish church it is a nice one; well looked after, nice roof, good floor etc. However as a cathedral ( only fur about the last 100 or so years), it's not at all in the same architectural league as the great, purpose built gothic cathedrals like Canterbury, Lichfield or even St David's. Sight lines for a concert are not good if you're in the side aisles. Sound is fine though.

A wonderful surprise to see a huge suspended representation of the earth spinning in the church sanctuary. Apparently it's best seen in the evening with the lights dimmed but still a sight to see in the daytime. The Luke Jerram installation is showing for a limited time at the Cathedral.

A fantastic local museum that puts many others to shame. It's a huge venue with a lot to see and take in - many displays for all periods of history. I especially liked the fact there's a honey bee hive and that you can sit and watch the bees come and go through channels in the building to the outside! The building is large and magnificent, and it's set in some lovely green grounds that are nice to walk around too. The K9 memorial statue is situated in the grounds if you want to pay your respects to fallen police dogs. It's well worth setting aside an hour or two to fully absorb what's on offer in this museum. It's clearly been well thought out and is well maintained. There's no need to book tickets, it's free to visit, simply turn up during opening hours. The gift shop at the end is brilliant too, stocking some local food and craft items alongside the usual memorabilia you find at museums, with friendly staff on hand to serve you. Fantastic place, highly recommended.

A really nice place to take the children. Parking adequate. Well presented and interesting exhibits. Clean and well lit. The bee hive is fascinating. The cafe is lovely. Jolly staff and good food. The outside areas are generally well maintained,. although the playground could do with a bit of attention to make it more attractive for Winter use, on account of the large amount of very muddy areas.

Great museum of local history. Children play area. Free entry and free parking on the weekend.

Entrance to the museum is for free. We was with our almost 6y daughter. Was fantastic. Lovely park for walk. Very clean and spotless place.

The museum is well worth a visit and has amazing facilities which will keep most kids entertained. It is free but there is a donation box on the way out which I willingly contributed to. On one side of the building is a good cafe with seating inside and an outside terrace. Outside in the park there are two playgrounds for differing age groups. Certainly looking to visit again with my daughter and grandson

Didn't expect much to be honest, was just killing time but this is a great little museum especially if you are interested in engineering and local history. The inside beehive was interesting too. It was nice that it was free entry and the staff seemed friendly. A nice little gift shop. I didn't try the cafe as I walked into Chelmsford and had coffee by the river but the cafe looked pleasant. There was enough stuff to keep kids interested. Well done guys.

The museum is generally a great place to take kids as they can explore, there is parking and the play parks on site are great. It was disappointing that the museum was encouraging our young children to celebrate Halloween through the activities available. It would have been much more inclusive and appropriate to promote autumn-themed activities rather than promoting the celebration of evil and attempting to scare others.

Good selection of interactive displays/activities for a wide range of ages. Parking is free and on site. We went at half term and they had a children’s art event on where they had a whole room set up for doing art. The woman at the door was lovely.

Must visit place.We were pleasantly impressed & well informed about the long history of Chelmsford.Definitely a fine display . The comparison of old & new pictures of the same buildings & how they have preserved those is amazing. It has a beautiful garden & a playground for children as well.

A beautifully appointed museum, with a variety of things/themes to explore! The various galleries are interesting enough to capture the interest of kids and adults alike, and when coupled with the friendly staff, interactive screens, dress-up opportunities (for the full immersive experience 😉), lovely grounds AND parking, it’s an absolutely fantastic family experience! Two thumbs waaaay up, and will be visiting again!

Very long entrance but very nice green space to bring your dogs🏞️✨ The museum itself has many rooms to go into and lots of interesting facts and things to look at. A few interactive things like telephones that have pre recorded messages that explain things about the room you’re in. They also have a dress up room (great for kids to muck around in). There is also a warm café on the ground floor with kind smiling staff!!🤗. Nice day out💖✨

Really lovely. Nice and friendly staff

As always, we enjoy very much visiting our local museum, there's always something new to see. This time we actually had enough time to explore the grounds too. My daughter loved the playground, she didn't want to go anywhere else. 😊

Excellent indoor play area, best one I've been to. Spacious, reasonable prices for entry and food. Great security I felt very safe. Staff were really polite and helpful. Good variety of toys/structures. On top of that they had organised activities. My son loved the muppet show. (Photos of a small part of the toddler area)

If you are going to visit a soft play, this is a great one to go to. It has an over five and under five area, we have found both good as our kids grew up. The areas are all mostly visible from the tables, but it's not a small place and there is a lot going on. It does parties, which are good and serves food and drink of above average quality for a soft play. Definitely worth a visit if you have a few hours and a child that needs some exercise!!

It’s family run but they are all not very friendly or upbeat they seem to just be against you.. making sure you paid for your child’s sibling to come in at the party making sure you paid for the cake that’s on our table and the child hadn’t taken it off the side.. telling big kids off to get out the small area it could at least be in a nice tone they was just on the hunt the whole time it wasn’t fun at all.. I have heard it’s not very friendly and the staff are rude previously to my recent visit. The place is filthy the toilets are filthy menus are filthy. Sorry to say but it needs a good clean and every one needs to cheer up especially if it’s your business!

Great play area and the staff are lovely but I would say it’s not suitable for kids aged 2-4 because they can’t go in the under 2’s section and they can’t really go in the over 5’s section so they only have a small area which is 0-5 and my 3 year old gets quite bored in there after 5 minutes and the bigger area isn’t suitable as lots of older kids in there. We used to go here often when little one was under 2 but we had to stop as he wanted to go in the under 2 area and couldn’t.

Lovely facilities, always clean, a nice safe environment where you can feel relaxed whilst your kids go off and play. Staff are friendly and approachable, a real family run business who dedicate everything to it and come up with some really good special events. Cafe has a nice selection of drinks, foods and snacks. One of my favourite soft plays :)

One of the best soft play we have been too, although it's not the biggest centres, the staff are very good and so enthusiastic working with children which speaks volumes, parties are personal and its a real lovely place to.go with your children. Food is nice & reasonably priced. We have had many rainy days here and attended numerous parties, lovely place 🙂

It seems to be the place to go in Chelmsford if you have small children. It’s very clean and the staff are always cleaning and tiding which is great to see. Food is slightly disappointing as there is really any vegan choice which can make it hard when out and about with a child who has CMPA. Even though saying that their chocolate cake is amazing but if you aren’t in the mood for a sweet treat the only vegan option we have found was pitta and hummus. Staff are friendly and helpful and are the shining gems of this place. If you are worn out parent who needs to sit down and have a hot drink for a moments knowing that your child is in a safe environment to play this is where you need to be just be aware it gets very busy

My daughter had her 5th birthday party at Mace Playce in April 2023. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would! We all had the best time! All party guests had a great time and didn’t want to leave. Lots for the children to do, food was amazing and the party host Ryan was exceptional. His rapport with the children and adults was amazing, everything was taken into hand and the party ran so smoothly. We are so grateful to all the staff for giving my daughter in her words- ‘The best birthday ever’ thank you all, cannot recommend Mace Playce enough.

Lovely softplay. Lots of activities for babies & toddler groups and bigger kids Food Is so tasty. There is kids lunch which is good price but rest of the meals a bit overpriced

One of the best soft plays we have visited. Loads of stuff to do and easily kept our son entertained for a couple of hours. Really good value as they charge less if your child isn't walking and they also don't charge a rip off amount for an accompanying adult like some places. The areas are really well sectioned so the toddler and baby areas feel safe and you don't get older kids charging about knocking the younger ones over. To top it off the chocolate cake was very tasty as well! Well done!

My children love it here! My daughter had her 4th Birthday Party at Mace Playce- it’s the most relaxed birthday party we have ever hosted- I also have a 10 year old boy! Highly recommend!

Amazing place we bought an annual pass. The kids love it! Would highly recommend!

Good place to host a kids birthday. Attentive staff and kids are entertained throughout. A no nonsense venue to have your birthday where you can simply turn up, have the party, and go home. No mess to sort and no spills to clear up. It's a no brainer

Happy place for kids with soft play area, trampoline and slides. There is also a separate play area dedicated for toddlers. The grown ups can sit around and watch the kids having fun while enjoying hot/cold drinks with freshly made sandwiches. The staff members were really friendly and cheerful too. Free parking on-site. All in all good place for kids.

I took my son here today for there christmas event and it was amazing. It is one of the best soft plays I've visited. There is parking outside, staff were welcoming and friendly. The soft play was so clean, The food was lovely. The whole event was so well organised and was magical. My son loved it. We will definitely be going back.

We had our sons 4th birthday here and despite never having been to the venue before it did not disappoint! The staff were very friendly and attentive and couldn't wait to help! The area was laid out perfectly and directly outside the front of the softplay so everyone could see there children in the softplay! The party room was decorated lovely and the whole process ran so smoothly it was very organised! Thank you Mace Playce for making my sons birthday party one to remeber!

We happened to be going past on a Saturday and decided to go and have a look. (We had talked about it many times before!) There is a car park outside which is free and the museum itself is free to enter. The museum is small but they have crammed a fair amount in, and made it as friendly as possible for the small people visiting. Your not likely to be there hours, but its certainly worth a look if in the area. Kids particularly enjoyed doing their fingerprints and using a light and magnifying glass to look at the displays!

Very small museum, but there are lots of interesting artefacts. We made up our own activities and games while there.

This was an interesting place to visit, they have done their best with the small space they have. My niece and I enjoyed it also it was free. The lady who helped made us feel very welcome and nothing was to much trouble.

Went there 10 years ago all the way from South Australia as my great grandfather was a constable in Essex from 1989 - 1919! They printed out his service history for me and I got some very interesting booklets and pamphlets on Essex police history which I greatly appreciated.

A total waste of time! Have attempted a visit to the museum twice now, last Saturday the sign on the door said opening postponed until this week and surprise surprise this week the sign says opening postponed until next Saturday 27th January 2024! No update on the website and in fact the website clearly states that the museum has now re-opened. We will not be attempting this a third time and my 3 year old will definitely be telling all of his friends that the police museum was rubbish because it was closed every time!

Museum was closed when we turned up at 11am on a saturday when google says its the only that it is open so had some sad childeren with me

Fantastic free resource for anyone interested in the history of policing in Essex. Great volunteers keep things going, well done

We finally went to the police museum for the first time despite having lived here for 10 years. My daughter absolutely loved it and it was a really welcoming atmosphere for the children. The exhibits are really interactive and encourage the children to get hands on with things. They can try on uniforms, stand in a witness box, have their fingerprints taken. The museum also put on a lot of activities for children young and old.

Lovely venue with a wide variety of entertainment. I usually go for popular music events and always enjoy the atmosphere created in the venue. Queues for the bar are reasonable and service is usually quick.

A warm and inviting theatre. Seats are decently spaced though not well raked in the first few rows. View generally good from everywhere. Comfortable enough and seem recently refurbished. Small amount of snacks available, with a substantial bar. Toilets are located on the top floor. Not much to look at from the outside but comforting inside.

Just been to see Dreamcoat stars. Sat in the balcony A6. Brilliant show. Keith Jack and all the Joseph stars were brilliant. Well put together. Lee Mead was amazing. He is so talented xx

Great theatre but only 2 toilets on the ground floor. Also needs to be more staff at the bar as had to miss out on some drinks as the show was about to start. Pity there isn't an app where you can order half time drinks

Brilliant show, great seats. We were in row K and could see the show Brilliantly.

Lovely city centre theatre with good variety of acts. Reasonably priced tickets, good coffee always a bonus. No lift to balcony which could cause problems. Comfortable seats and enough leg room for those of average height.

Not for big people! It's not long been refurbished i believe. It looks really nice, but I'm quite a stocky guy and struggled to sit comfortably in the seats with people either side of me. It's all well and good getting people in and it's great if you're skinny but bigger people beware! Staff were friendly and the drinks selection and prices are about average.

Blood Brothers, Friday 18th August. The theatre staff were generally really friendly and helpful except one lady in the bar, who was very abrupt and borderline rude. We were unsure about what drinks and ice creams were available for an interval order, and she very obviously just wanted us to get our order done and go. It was a busy bar but not our fault that only two staff were trying to serve a full bar. Certainly no need to drop all pretence of courtesy. She was so busy trying to hurry us that she didn’t even get our order correct, and there were only two of us! Such a shame as the show was fantastic. We will go back but will probably give the bar a miss now.

Great performances & kind friendly staff but need someone who is first aid trained as well as a first aid kit (including ice pack) fell over at a performance last year & injured my knee (tripped on my daughters shoe 🤣) - they gave me a wet paper towel after hunting someone down for an ice pack 🤣 still causes me issues now (the knee not the towel 🤣, couldn't walk properly for over a month) hopefully don't fall this year as couldn't resist the panto again this year - can't wait 😊

First time at this theatre, and I was surprised how compact it is. We had a great view,and the seats are quite comfortable and pretty of leg room. The bar was quite reasonable price £7 for 2 coffees and a bottle of water

We went to see the Sooty show and it was amazing! We were laughing the whole way through. Our seats were good in the stalls, and the seats are staggered, so you're not directly behind someone. We had a great time and really recommend the theatre and the show!

Recently saw Johnny Hates Jazz here. Great venue and really nice facilities. Plenty of toilets and 2 bars. Very clean and great location. Friendly staff

I have been visiting the Civic Theatre for many years as a local resident, many tribute nights and comedy leaving a mark on my memory. This is my first visit after their refurbishment. A dramatic improvement of decor & exterior fittings make this feel a much classier venue. Contrasting colours and better fixtures bring this theatre into the 21st Century. Seating is standard folding theatre fare with armrests, no discomfort after leaving from a fun packed show. The toilets are the biggest improvement and they're to be commended on the finished product.

A lovely place for people to get together and see some good shows. The negative is the lack of leg room in the balcony seats. I saw numerous men struggling to get comfortable on the 'end of row' and middle seats. As a short person I couldn't even slouch in my seat, as my knees were touching the back of the seat!

Had a great night out watching the illegal Eagles. The theatre is in great shape.

Amazing place, highly recommend. Everyone is super friendly, trails section is amazing and is always changing. Jumps and foam pit are fun to.

My Grandchildren love riding at Radical.

Great venue, a must visit to anyone in the area wjshing to improve their skill set......

Wish I had DJ skills to fully appreciate. Had a good play on the foam pit and some trials lines a hardtail can manage. Awesome people running it, other riders friendly.

I went to radical bikes with my 3 children ages 3, 8 and 13, the guys are so friendly and approachable helped all the children in different ways, their knowledge is admirable! The work that's has gone Into the jumps is unreal!! Highly recommend

Fantastic site run by really cool couple. Family friendly, pro level .....everything you need in 1 spot!

Very welcoming for new riders with stuff to ride for all ability levels. Just VERY good fun!!

Fantastic day and brilliant people. It's so refreshing to find people who are so friendly and happy to help. If you're interested in bikes in any way, pay them a visit. You won't be disappointed

All the shops I need, plenty of events take place. The doctor who and the Darleks was excellent. Many other characters walking around too

Another nice shopping centre in Chelmsford! Again, bright and airy, with a good selection of shops; Next, River Island, Superdry, Boots, Starbucks, Office, JD Sports, Sports Direct and many more. Nice new toilets, everything all at ground level. I visit here often 😊

Small centre but good to keep you out the rain, has a next, primary Starbucks and a boots so keeps the wife happy

This seems a 🚶‍♀️-to place for 🛍🏬 with many out-there brands I recommend. There is even space for big promotions & they could even fit a brand without a unit like Starbucks or Sky. Not lacking stores like Meadows.

I usually walk through High Chelmer Shopping Centre most day's. There is a fantastic wide range of shops and a good number of independent trader's pop-up retailers in the main concourse thoroughfare. Overall, whether you are shopping or just want a coffee and a snack, High Chelmar has it all.

Love this pub. It is situated near Meadows Car Park and ideally situated for several eateries.

Plenty of usual shops like W.H Smiths New Look. Boots. Eating places. We walked through the centre rather than went for any shop in particular

Great range of shops from Food to clothes to beauty to even grocery stores. Shame the gaming stores closed down but that's fine. High Chelmer also has a Starbucks in the middle. High Chelmer itself is situated in the middle of town with Car parking there, but mostly car parking used for the market.

Good shops (nice assorted shops meaning no vape, nail or tan bars which will always be a bonus) good access (3 different entrances...4 if you include primark), good toilets (always a priority especially for us of the older persuasion with micro bladders...)

Good place for shopping def a place to go for a great selection of shops and food. Prop the best round this area. Definitely go again

Usual British town centre with big chain shops, cafés, quite busy. Went to the Range café 89 and was impressed with the very reasonable prices there and decent hot chocolate.

Please note this review focuses on the centre of Chelmsford - not the mall exactly… As first impressions go, I liked the vibe and feel that Chelmsford have to offer. I’m giving 3 stars now but fully intend to revisit and experience the city in its fullest - where upon I’ll likely up my score to 4 or 5. I liked the sporadic displays of street art about the place and the contemporary feel that the town planners have clearly considered in the construction of the place. What’s more - I noticed that the town have clearly put up Halloween decorations for the complete Autumn feel - nice touch I say.

It's a traditional Mall and has some nice shops.Also there is a very good camera shop there.

An active high street. Live weekend market. Almost all shop spaces are acquired. Street market. There is enough outdoor seating. Calm & peace environment. Must visit places.

Nice local shopping centre surrounded by a market place and all sorts of businesses and restaurants.

Nice little mixture of shops and places to eat, always clean inside worth checking out 👍🏻

Decent but not as good as market which is right next door. Very much big stores rather than independents which I prefer.

Great place within the city centre if you want to shop. You have Next, Primark, Clarks, etc all in one place and you can as well connect the market in 1 minute from High Chelmer.

Easy access though small car park, I attended chelmsford model railways lay outs and sales day. I believe that this was a one off event at this location. It's usually a larger event at a near by school.

very bad stadium worst stadium I've been to. stewards being power hungry offering out a young fan to fight him out in the car park after the game because he was chanting apparently away fans can't sing but the home fans and they took another young fans drum without an explanation appalling stadium but the chelmsford fans were great 👍

Went today on a school trip for Chelmsford Superstars for year 4 kids. Extremely well organised. The only complaint was the toilets on the far side of the stadium were dirty and disgusting. But I hasten to add this was the children's comments and I did not use them myself.

Food vans were nice but the pitch was far too far away to really enjoy a live football match. The atmosphere suffered tremendously.

Great track (recently replaced) we went for a school event and the only downside was the lack of parking due in the main to inconsiderate parking by the school minibus’s mostly taking 2 (and sometimes 3) spaces!

In this review I'm going to focus on the atmosphere at the recent Chelmsford games I've gone to see. As someone who isn't the definition of a "football fan" I'm always quite worried about going to these game, however I found that the Chelmsford fans couldn't have been more supportive of the game, although there was the odd aggressive fan. All in all the players, the security and the fans where all delightful

Great little stadium to take kids who are getting into football. Plenty of seating, toilets clean, good selection of food amd drink too :)

Need to have more people on turnstiles for busy games (took us 20+ mins queuing to get in on new year's day), and as it incorporates an athletics track, you're quite far from the action. Depsite these issues, it's a good modern stadium with decent facilities and I would return.

We hired a meeting room with catering. Facilities in the room were good, plenty of seating/tables for 20+ people. The room we used was the smaller one, with open doors on to a patio overlooking the pitch. Catering was great, keeping tea and coffee in good supply. The buffet was varied enough, but simple enough to be fully consumed. A good facility.

Lovely stadium to watch the mighty clarets play football

Fantastic time. Thanks to the Director Steve and his wonderful wife. Brilliant game of football too..

Needs a facelift and a new cleaning company. The whole place smells like a urinal.

I made a day of going to Chelmsford by visiting a new ground. Whilst I didn't get the Tonbridge programme I am missing I had a lovely evening in the company of two Chelmsford fans. The coffee van with bread pudding was a revelation and apart from a dreadful performance from the referee it was a really good game. I would go again, which I wouldn't say for all of the football grounds I have ever been to.

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending CTW’s mesmerizing production of 'Things I Know To Be True.' With little prior knowledge of the play, I found myself swept away by its poignant exploration of family, love, relationships, dynamics, and loss. The cast delivered exceptional performances, each character portrayed with depth and authenticity that resonated deeply with the audience. Throughout the performance, there was a visible sense of connection as the audience were drawn into the raw emotion and compelling story unfolding on stage. Don't miss the opportunity to experience this unforgettable production before it ends tomorrow!

been to this lovely little theatre a couple of times and thoroughly enjoyed it. tickets are reasonably priced and plays are brilliant. only downside is the seating is a little uncomfortable so make sure you have a walk round in the interval. looking forward to my next visit.

First time here, to see Arcadia by Tom Stoppard - thoroughly enjoyed the show. Bum a little numb after 3 hours, but chairs comfortable enough. Toilets and foyer area all clean. Very good venue. Appreciated the air conditioning as it was a very warm summer's evening outside. Staff and volunteers should be very proud of what they achieve here.

Saw Yes Prime minister, which was excellent. Lovely theatre, easy to get to, friendly staff and excellent value.

What a great little venue. Watched an excellent short play which was well presented and very well acted by a young cast.

The CTW is a great company that puts together AmDram and gives amazing opportunities to those seeking a kick start in acting. Lovely staff, exciting plays and just generally a well-run organisation.

Just been to see Consent and, like my two companions, was blown away by the quality of the acting – the humour, the suspense, the emotion – amazing for a local theatre.

Great venue to see shows from CTW. Been there several times now to see various performances. Intimate setting and good views of the stage

Went to see ‘Goodnight Mister Tom’ this evening. Wow it was absolutely BRILLIANT 🤩 All actors were very good. But Mister Tom and William’s performances were outstanding 👌🏼A really believable relationship between them. A lovely little theatre with very welcoming helpful staff. A great night out, thanks to you all 😊

Fantastic performance of the vicar of dibley. Body language, accents, comic timing, it was all on point

Just home from seeing the last shpw of Arcadia. Absolutely bloody genius. The script was fast paced, technical in places and complicated but oh, what a show and VERY, VERY well acted. I don't know how you all did it, but did it you did!! Well done from the bottom of my heart. 👏👏❤👍

Blown away by Goodnight Mister Tom. The acting was raw, emotional, beautiful - to say the least! The cast & creatives involved are all fantastic. I have read the book front to back and back to front more times that I can recall but tonight all of that came alive infront of me. Have an amazing rest of your run. A must watch if you haven’t booked your ticket yet 🙌🏼🎟

It's a decent size car park and, having arrived at 9am on a weekday there was still plenty of parking available. Not only that but planning permission signs around the site suggest it's going to get bigger. The bus runs at regular intervals and you'll soon find yourself in the centre of Chelmsford. There are multiple stops which make things easier and the bus I took was clean and well maintained. The driver was also friendly and for £3 return including parking I don't think you can complain.

A well signed park and ride with plenty of parking available and live update boards both at the parking site and at the bus stops. The buses show the stops coming up and the drivers are very helpful and informative.

Polite staff, clean and frequent busses. Good value when you factor in the cost of parking all day and the fuel.

Difficult to rate as we used it for a driving experience for our 15 year old grandson on Sunday. However, someone there with their child said it was great for the park and ride during their working week and said it was very good.

Always lots of parking but buses aren't always reliable to be on time!

Awsome parking for Anglia Ruskin University!! 7 mins from one to the other and stops outside uni entrance. Bus lane for those busy mornings and if there is two adults who are returning at the same time it's only £5 for parking the whole day and riding on the bus. So easy and handy

Checked on line about Park and Ride to Broomfield Hospital and website shows times of buses. On arrival told that bus service to Broomfield Hospital no longer operates and hasn't for some time. Why hasn't the website been updated?