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Visiting Colchester
Colchester is Britain's oldest recorded town and is a popular destination for tourists from all around the world. What is it then that draws them here? Well, one thing that draws them has to be the rich and varied history of the town. Colchester can trace its history back more than two thousand years and was an important place in early Roman times. It was once the capital of Roman Britain, showing its importance. There are also the remains of the Temple of Claudius in the town. Dating from 55-60AD this was the grandest of all Roman buildings built in Colonia Claudia (Colchester). The current Colchester Castle is built on top of the foundations of the Temple. The site has a bloody history, in that the Celtic Queen of the Iceni tribe, Boudica, burnt the Temple to the ground in 60AD. This was with the survivors of the town still inside, including women and children! In all, its estimated that 30,000 people were massacred in the sack of the town. Note: The spelling of Boudica is sometimes given as Boudicca or even Boadicea. I have adopted that used by the Colchester Museum. As mentioned, Colchester has a castle and quite impressive it is too, or at least its Keep is. That's because that is all that's left, but its the biggest Norman Keep still standing in Europe today. Today the castle is an excellent museum and its possible to go below the ground to view the foundations of the Temple of Claudius. Built under the orders of William I (The Conqueror), the castle saw action in the English Civil War (1642-1651). In 1648, a Royalist army entered the town. They were pursued by a Parliamentary army, who laid siege to the town for over 11 weeks. When the Royalists surrendered, their leaders Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle were executed. A small memorial is in the castle grounds on the spot where they were shot. The castle museum has an extensive exhibition on the Civil War. As well as the castle, Colchester has its Dutch Quarter. During the period 1550 - 1600, there was a large influx of Flemish weavers and cloth-workers into Colchester and the surrounding area. Many of the houses in the Dutch Quarter date from the Tudor period. The area is close to the Town Hall and is very popular with tourists. In the Victorian era, many fine buildings were erected in the town. These include the Garrison Church (1856), the Eaglegate Brewery (1886) and East Mill (1885 - 1893). A particularly striking building is actually a water tower, known locally as 'Jumbo' and built in 1882. It can be seen from the High Street and close to the local Mercury Theatre and one of the Roman gates to the town. Surrounding the town are many attractions, including Flatford Mill, made famous by John Constable (1776 - 1837). Born in East Bergholt, Suffolk, not far from the town, he was educated at nearby Dedham Grammar School. Today, visitors flock to the museum at Flatford Mill, just a few miles outside Colchester. In more recent times the town has seen extensive development as a result of its rail and road links with London, 60 miles away. This has brought its own problems though, mainly related to traffic issues. However, there has been a decline in local industry and this has meant many residents commute to London and elsewhere for work. However, the town is undergoing something of a renaissance, with the building of its new FirstSite visual arts gallery (currently under construction), the redevelopment of the docks in the town's Hythe area and its world-class university adding to its status. The town is also a garrison town and this is also undergoing redevelopment, with new housing and new facilities for the Army. This has led to the discovery of a Roman chariot racing track and there are proposals to build a state of the art visitors centre on the site. So, there is much to attract the visitor to Colchester and I have only given a taster of what is waiting for the would-be visitor. There is also the countryside with its nature reserves, wildlife, estuaries and wetlands. There are the many museums and stately houses to visit, historic steam train journeys to take and seafood to taste.There are annual festivals of music, oyster tasting and historic re-enactments of the Civil War and other famous battles. In fact, there is plenty for everyone, so pay us a visit soon!
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Contributor's Note
I have lived in Colchester since 1996 and work in the town as manager of one of its oldest charities.
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Colchester - Britains first Roman city.
| Colchester Borough Council
| Colchester Museums
| Wikipedia Colchester
   
Boudica in her chariot - festival parade
Colchester Castle
Heybridge Basin, near Colchester
Lightship, Woodrolfe Creek, Tollesbury, near Colchester
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