Chelmsford has been the county town of Essex since the 13th century, and can now add city status to its long and incident packed history.
With a cathedral, the former Shire Hall courthouse and the Britvic factory still standing, its unappreciated past still stares people in the face.
And now its history has been chronicled in a book. Jim Reeve's Chelmsford Through Time charts the development of the city through a series of snapshots.
See below for 20 of the pictures and press the slider to compare and contrast with how it looks now:
Chelmsford High Street
