Chelmsford High Street ★★★★★ 4.7 Tue & Sat 8am–4pm (Thursday antiques) Free parking in city centre after 1pm weekends

Chelmsford Market has been going since 1199 and is still one of the best in Essex for clothes. Tuesday and Saturday are general market days with 20+ clothing stalls – vintage rails, kids’ bundles, workwear, plus-size, and a few proper designer resale guys (occasional Mulberry bags for £100). Quality is higher than Romford, prices a bit steeper but still cheap.

Thursday is antiques and vintage clothes day – think 70s maxi dresses, Victorian lace, and old-school Adidas tracksuits. The market is right in the pedestrianised High Street with Costa and Greggs for coffee stops.

Pros

High-quality vintage on Thursdays
Cleaner and less hectic than Romford
Loads of cafés and shops around
Free parking nearby after 1pm

Cons

Fewer stalls than Romford
Some traders pack up early on quiet days