River Chelmer

The River Chelmer is a river that flows entirely through the county of Essex, England, running 65 kilometres (40 mi) from the north west of the county through Chelmsford to the River Blackwater near Maldon.

The source of the river is in the parish of Debden in north west Essex.[1] The two primary source streams run to the north and to the west of the hamlet of Debden Green. The longer of the sources rises in Rowney Wood, on the hill to the west of Debden Green, only a few hundred metres to the south east of the source of the River Cam that heads north through Cambridge eventually emptying into The Wash.[2]

The River Chelmer flows past Thaxted, south through the district of Uttlesford around the northeast of Great Dunmow. It continues flowing south-southeast into the borough of Chelmsford and on into the city of Chelmsford where the River Can flows into it. It then flows east through the borough and into the district of Maldon until it meets the River Blackwater east of Maldon. It discharges into the North Sea via the Blackwater Estuary.