A new chapter for Essex’s regimental heritage

The Essex Regiment Museum Trust (ERM) has announced that it will dissolve and transfer its extensive collection of objects into the ownership of the Royal Anglian Regiment Museum Trust (RARM), to be cared for by specialist military curators.

The Essex Regiment Museum collection consists of more than 50,000 items which tell the story of the County Regiment from its formation in 1751 through to its amalgamation into the East Anglian Regiment in 1958. The collection is currently housed in and managed by the Museum of Chelmsford, and a selection of its artefacts has been on display in a dedicated gallery within the museum since 1973.

This gallery will close on Sunday 4 January 2026 and a small selection of Chelmsford-related artefacts will be displayed elsewhere in the Museum of Chelmsford to continue telling the story of the Essex Regiment in Chelmsford.

Specialist military museum to take on collection

The Royal Anglian Regiment is the successor regiment to the Essex Regiment. The Royal Anglian Regiment charity supports serving or former members of the Royal Anglian Regiment. The museum of the regiment is located at IWM Duxford and shares the history of the regiment through artefacts, photographs, documents and other archive materials.

The decision to transfer the Essex Regiment Museum’s collection into the ownership of the Royal Anglian Regiment Museum will help ensure the preservation of the collection for years to come. The move places the collection in the care of a dedicated military museum, with specialist curators to research and manage the artefacts.

Kate Reeder, Curatorial and Learning Manager at the Museum of Chelmsford, explains that this move for the Essex Regiment collection reflects the history of the regiment itself:

“This move for the Essex Regiment Museum is not unusual – we’re seeing smaller regimental collections across the country being subsumed into larger military museums that are better placed to care for them. The move is also quite fitting in a way as it reflects the evolving history of the Essex Regiment, which by 1964 had amalgamated with other county regiments across England – including Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire – to become the Royal Anglian Regiment.

“So, as the Essex Regiment Museum moves to the Royal Anglian Regiment Museum, I know that this nationally significant collection will really benefit from the outstanding military expertise within RARM’s team.”

Kate Reeder, Curatorial and Learning Manager, Museum of Chelmsford

Chair of the Royal Anglian Regiment Museum Trust, Stephen Card, says the Royal Anglian Regiment Museum is working with the Museum of Chelmsford to ensure the Essex Regiment story continues to be shared:

"The Royal Anglian Regiment Museum is proud to assume custodianship of the Essex Regiment Museum collection. As we begin this next chapter, we remain committed to ensuring that this important story continues to be told. We are exploring how it can be meaningfully represented within the Museum of Chelmsford's permanent galleries, as well as working in collaboration with our own Museum at IWM Duxford and a wider network of partnering organisations.

“We are looking forward to working with the trustees of the Essex Regiment Museum and the Museum of Chelmsford in the coming months to rationalise the collection and decide which items will remain in Chelmsford.”

Stephen Card, Chair, Royal Anglian Regiment Museum Trust

Chair of the Essex Regiment Museum Trust, Dennis Vincent, is pleased that the story of the Essex Regiment will continue to be celebrated:

“It is vital that the legacy of the Essex Regiment and the incredible stories of its soldiers are preserved and shared with future generations.

“That's why, as we start to wind down the Essex Regiment Museum Trust, I am proud to work with the Royal Anglian Regiment Museum who have committed to becoming the new custodian of the collection and ensuring the regiment's history will be maintained and celebrated for decades to come.”

Dennis Vincent, Chair, Essex Regiment Museum Trust

Museum of Chelmsford to display elements of Chelmsford’s military history within existing galleries

Following the transfer, a selection of Chelmsford-related Essex Regiment artefacts will remain at the Museum of Chelmsford and be absorbed into the museum’s existing collection.

The Essex Regiment galleries will be repurposed, and the history of the Essex Regiment will be incorporated into the museum’s galleries that tell the story of Chelmsford from the Ice Age to the present day.

Museum gallery to be repurposed

The dedicated Essex Regiment Museum gallery at the Museum of Chelmsford will permanently close on Sunday 4 January 2026. Following the closure, museum curators will decant the displays and help oversee the transfer of objects in the collection to the Royal Anglian Regiment Museum.

The decanted gallery will then be repurposed into a flexible, multipurpose space that continues to share Chelmsford’s story alongside the rest of the museum galleries. The space will provide increased opportunities to work with local community groups and schools and to expand the museum’s temporary exhibitions programme.