Deputy Mayor, Councillor Smita Rajesh, having a game of chess in the newly opened Central Park chess garden.
A new community space has opened in Chelmsford’s Central Park with the installation of a chess garden, located beside the Central Park Café.
The inviting outdoor setting has been designed to make chess accessible to everyone. The garden contains three dedicated chess tables as well as a larger picnic bench. Chess pieces have been kindly donated by the Chelmsford Chess Club and will be available for anyone to borrow from the café, or people can bring their own chess sets along for an outdoor game.
There are three chess tables and a picnic bench in the new Central Park garden.
Making chess accessible for all
Chelmsford has a strong chess community, with two adult clubs, a junior club and many school-based groups. However, until now, the city has been lacking an outdoor social space where people can play chess face to face. The chess garden provides a relaxed environment where people can have fun, develop their skills and perhaps even spark a lifelong interest in the game.
Chelmsford Chess Club hopes to organise future events in the chess garden for all ages and abilities. Whether a beginner or a master, the space is open to everyone. The larger bench seating has also been designed to be accessible, allowing wheelchair users to slide across and sit comfortably.
Staff from the nearby Central Park Café (where chess pieces can be borrowed) with Cllr Rose Moore (left) and the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Rajesh (right).
Councillor Rose Moore, Cabinet Member for a Greener Chelmsford, officially unveiled the chess garden to the public on Monday 11 May. She gave thanks to the parks team, and everyone involved in bringing the chess garden to life:
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“It’s a real pleasure to celebrate this wonderful new chess garden in the heart of our city.
Chess is a game that spans generations, cultures and backgrounds, and this dedicated garden brings it all together. Chess is one of the oldest games in the world, yet it continues to inspire people today – building patience, creativity and problem-solving skills. Here, young people can learn from parents and grandparents, share ideas, and discover that time spent outdoors and offline can be just as engaging as time on a screen.
Spaces like this also embed a sense of community. They encourage young people to feel ownership of their local park, give families a reason to spend time together, and create simple opportunities for conversation and friendship.
I hope this beautiful space becomes a much-loved place for learning, laughter, and connection!”
Councillor Rose Moore, Cabinet Member for a Greener Chelmsford
Deputy Mayor, Cllr Rajesh, takes on a member of Chelmsford Chess Club for a game at the opening of the chess garden.
Upgrades and improvements to Central Park
The chess garden is one of many new additions to Central Park. Other recently completed, or soon-to-come, park upgrades include:
• Restoration and repair of the Grade II listed Seymour Street bridge is due to begin this month and continue for approximately three months. Dating back to 1895, the bridge is of architectural and historical interest in Chelmsford, and its long-term future is being ensured by making necessary repairs to its infrastructure.
• A series of community libraries in the form of attractive book boxes have been popping up in many council parks. They’re simple to use: take a book, and if you can, leave a book. It’s a great way for children, young people, and adults to pass on stories they’ve finished while discovering something new to read. There are boxes in Central Park, Oaklands Park and John Shennan Local Nature Reserve, with two more opening in Tower Gardens and Compass Gardens soon. To celebrate these little libraries, Chelmsford’s young people are invited to design the next official bookmark (which will be given away inside the book boxes) as part of 2026 Bookmark Design Competition.
• The student-designed social seating area, Our Place, opened in the space outside the café last May, providing a welcoming space for people to enjoy. Students from The Boswells School collaborated with the council’s award-winning ongoing project Make Space for Girls and Social Place to create more gender diverse provisions in the city’s green spaces.
• Parking for children’s scooters will be added to the space by the café in the next few weeks – super handy for when little legs get tired of scooting and grown-up arms grow tired of carrying said scooter!
A community book box library full of books to borrow.
Creating green spaces for everyone
The recent additions to Central Park are brilliant examples of Space to Thrive in action – creating parks and green spaces that are not just beautiful, but also welcoming, inclusive and designed for people of all ages to enjoy together, in harmony with nature.
The city council looks after around 1,700 acres of our grassland across the district, from the large well-known parks, through to communal green spaces and smaller neighbourhood verges. These areas are carefully managed with all Chelmsford’s residents and visitors in mind.
Spot the ladybird resting on a flower in the park.
Some areas are intentionally left with taller grasses, natural planting and wildflowers, helping to support pollinators, birds and other wildlife that are essential for a healthy environment. Biodiversity plays a vital role in protecting our ecosystems and even our food supply, as insects like bees pollinate the crops we rely on.
By balancing spaces for people to relax, play and connect in – like the new chess garden – with areas where nature can flourish, the council is creating green spaces that are inclusive, sustainable and rich in wildlife, ensuring they can be enjoyed now and for generations to come.
Don’t forget – you can also do your bit to help wildlife thrive in Chelmsford by taking on one or more of the ten Nature Pledges! Simple actions like planting for pollinators, building bug hotels or hedgehog highways can make a big impact. Head to the Love Your Chelmsford website to explore each pledge, find ideas, and register your choices.
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