Chelmsford now has 19 Green Flag parks, the most in the East of England. John Shennan Field and Marconi Ponds won for the first time. The full list is here.
Two Chelmsford nature reserves raised their first Green Flags on Friday. John Shennan Field and Marconi Ponds have joined the national list of well-run parks for the first time. That takes the district’s total to 19 sites.
Chelmsford City Council says 19 is the highest number of any area in the East of England. Councillors, parks staff and volunteers marked it with a ceremony at John Shennan Field on 25 September (Chelmsford City Council, 28 September 2026).
What a Green Flag means
The Green Flag Award is the national standard for parks and green spaces. Keep Britain Tidy runs it in the UK under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Sites are judged in spring and summer, and winners are announced from July (Love Your Chelmsford).
This year’s results came out in July, in the scheme’s 30th year. A record 2,391 parks and green spaces across the UK hold a flag (Chelmsford City Council, 15 July 2026). Friday’s event was the local celebration of that result.
All 19 Chelmsford Green Flag sites
Some awards cover two or three neighbouring spaces judged together, which is why the list below names more than 19 places. The council’s list for 2026 is:
| Site | Note |
|---|---|
| Admirals Park Local Nature Reserve and Tower Gardens | Also Green Heritage Site |
| Andrews Park | |
| Boleyn Gardens, Beaulieu Recreation Ground and Grand Vista | Judged together |
| Central Park | |
| Chancellor Park and Brook End Gardens | |
| Chelmer Park and Jubilee Park | |
| Chelmer Valley Local Nature Reserve | |
| Chelmsford Cemetery and Crematorium | |
| Compass Gardens and Saltcoats Park | |
| Coronation Park | |
| Frankland Fields Local Nature Reserve | |
| Galleywood Common Local Nature Reserve | |
| Hylands Estate | Also Green Heritage Site |
| John Shennan Field Local Nature Reserve | New in 2026 |
| Lionmede Park Recreation Ground | |
| Marconi Ponds Local Nature Reserve | New in 2026 |
| Melbourne Park | |
| Oaklands Park | Also Green Heritage Site |
| Springfield Hall Park |
Source: Love Your Chelmsford, the council’s green spaces site.
The three Green Heritage Sites are recognised separately for how they look after and promote their historic features.
The two new winners
John Shennan Field is off the CM2 9DP postcode, about 0.4 miles from Oaklands Park. It is open at all times. Its council page lists:
- open grassland managed for wildlife, and some woodland
- a neighbourhood play area, a kickabout area and a basketball court
- a community book box
- a car park with 20 spaces, open 8am to 8pm, behind a 2m height barrier
(Love Your Chelmsford: John Shennan Field)
The Mayor, Councillor Lynne Foster, told Friday’s ceremony about the site’s past. It was once farmland, then a quarry and a landfill site, then an area of closely mown grass. Volunteers working with the council’s parks team have turned it into a young nature reserve. “Slow-worm habitat is being protected,” she said. “Even birds of prey, like the red kite, have been spotted here.”
Marconi Ponds is off the CM2 0NN postcode, just under a mile from John Shennan Field. It has grassland, woodland and two ponds, with an activity trail for all ages. The ponds are fenced off for safety. You can only get to them during a volunteer work session, but the rest of the reserve is always open (Love Your Chelmsford: Marconi Ponds).
Councillor Rose Moore, the cabinet member for a greener Chelmsford, thanked the reserve’s volunteers, the park rangers and the founding Friends of Marconi Ponds group. “Their hard work has manifested a true sanctuary in the heart of our city,” she said.
What it means for you
- Every part of the district has a Green Flag space nearby. That is the council’s own claim for the 19 sites, and the list above lets you check your nearest one.
- The two new reserves are free and open now. The Marconi Ponds water is the exception: join a volunteer session to see it. Session details are on the reserve’s council page.
- Both reserves rely on volunteers. The council credits them with much of the work that won the flags. Its Love Your Chelmsford site lists the conservation volunteer schemes.
- Parks are among the best free days out in the city. For more ideas, see our guide to things to do in Chelmsford.
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