Colchester: Britain's first capital, England in Roman times

 

Last updated: 01/10/2019

Most people have never heard of Colchester, England. Although small, the town is home to unique Roman ruins, an old Norman castle and plenty of history. Check out what to find in friendly Colchester.

THE CITY OF COLCHESTER

Colchester is a historic English city that is located about 80 km northeast of London and has just over 120,000 inhabitants. Colchester is the City, that there are records, oldest in England (called Britannia at the time). The first recorded existence of Colchester is a reference by the Roman writer, Pliny the Elder, in the year 77 AD In his account, he refers to the city through its pre-Roman name: Camulodunum. In the past, the place would have been inhabited by the Trinovantes, a tribe of Celtic origin. Its mighty ruler, Cunobelin, was known to the Romans as the King of the British. In AD 43, the Romans, led by Emperor Claudius, invaded the region and named Camulodunum the capital of Roman Britannia.

 

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After suffering an attack, led by the Celtic queen Boudicca in 61 AD, the city was destroyed. Sometime after this incident, already in the 2nd century AD, londinium (Latin name for London) became the capital of Britannia. Colchester's city walls of about 3000 meters in length were erected around AD 65-80 when the Roman city was rebuilt after the Boudicca Rebellion. There is 8 gates in the walls: Balkerne Gate, Headgate, Scheregate, St Botolph's Gate, East Gate, Duncan's Gate, Rye Gate and North Gate. In 2004, the Colchester Archaeological Trust found in the city Remains of a Roman Circus (chariot race track), a unique discovery in Great Britain. In 2011, although it submitted the necessary documentation to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the application was not approved.

Fun fact: A little history…

The Roman period of England (Roman Britannia) lasted from 43 AD until the beginning of the 5th century (around 410 AD), when the fall of the Western Roman Empire took place in 476. Britannia came to be dominated by Saxons for around the year 500 to 1066. According to historians, during much of the period of Anglo-Saxon England, there was no fixed capital. It was the Saxon king Alfred the Great who declared the city of Winchester, the first capital of the Kingdom of England in 871. In 1066, with the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror, the capital was transferred to London, as the city had become the largest and main commercial center in the country.

Although England is reputed to have a humid climate, Colchester is one of the driest regions in the UK. Its geographical position east of the island of Great Britain means that Colchester's climate is more influenced by continental weather patterns than those of the Atlantic. This leads to a dry climate compared to the rest of the UK year round, and occasional extreme temperatures.

WHAT TO DO IN COLCHESTER

We've put all of our suggestions for activities, restaurants and shopping in Colchester on the interactive map below. The city is relatively small and, therefore, it is possible to visit all the places on foot, making a pleasant walk. Next, we'll give you more information about each of our suggestions.

1. ST BOTOLPH'S PRIORY

Built between 1093 and 1100, the Priory of São Botolfo was one of the first Augustinian monasteries in England. In the past, it was an impressive example of early Norman architecture, built in flint and reused Roman bricks. The church was built with large circular pillars, round arches and an elaborate facade. In 1536 the priory was dissolved due to the creation of the Anglican Church by Henry VIII. Part of the building remained in use as a church. However, she was severely damaged by cannon fire during the English Civil War siege in 1648 and was never repaired. Currently, only the ruins of the old priory can be visited.

• Address: Priory Street, Colchester, Essex CO2 7EE, England
• Schedules: 24 hours a day
• Entrance: free

2. ART GALLERY FIRSTSITE

Firstsite is a contemporary art gallery which opened in 2011. Even before entering the gallery, I was impressed by the super modern architecture of the building, which seems to float! With several temporary exhibitions, Firstsite seeks to bring the transformative power of art to everyone. The gallery prides itself on being “a national leader in commissioning new works of art, providing innovative learning opportunities and supporting the professional development of local and regional artists”.

• Address: Lewis Gardens, High St, Colchester CO1 1JH, England
• Schedules: daily from 10 am to 5 pm
• Entrance: free

3. COLCHESTER CASTLE

Colchester Castle was one of the first castles built after the Norman invasion in 1066, at the request of William the Conqueror, being built over an ancient Roman temple from the 6th century. The construction is largest Norman keep in Europe. The castle has had many uses since it ceased to be a royal castle and, for a long time, was a prison. It was only in the 1920s that it was acquired by the city of Colchester and became a museum, with several exhibits with objects found by archaeologists on the site, as well as historical information from the city's medieval times.

• Address: Castle Park, Colchester CO1 1TJ, UK
• Schedules: Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm / Sunday 11am to 5pm
• Entrance: £7.75 / Tours: £3 + entry

4. HOLLYTREES MUSEUM

The Hollytrees Museum is housed in a large house built between 1718-19 at the request of Elizabeth Cornelisen as her private residence. However, Elizabeth passed away before the estate was completed and never came to live there. Who inherited the house was his niece, Sarah Creffeild, married to Charles Gray, a lawyer, deputy and administrator of the British Museum. The name Hollytrees is due to Charles Gray's effort to plant holly trees and landscape the surrounding land. The building was used as a family residence until 1920, when it was sold to the City of Colchester. In 1929, the site opened to the public as a museum of medieval antiquities.

• Address: Castle Rd, Colchester CO1 1UG, UK
• Schedules: Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm / Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm
• Entrance: free

5. CASTLE PARK

Castle Park is a massive 11-hectare public park that sits on the grounds of Colchester Castle. Right at the main entrance you will see a War Memorial and the gates to access the park.

It is divided into two parts (Upper Park and Lower Park) by a Roman wall that crosses it. In this wall, the Duncan's Gate, an ancient Roman gate built on the site to give access to the River Colne, which also cuts through the park. The gate was named after Dr. PM Duncan, who excavated the site in 1853. 

Inside the park are the Colchester Castle, O Hollytrees Museum, Besides lots of green areas, golf course, cricket, amusement park, a bandstand, a cafe, a lake which allows boat trips. On summer days, many families gather to make picnics in the grassy areas, sit on the benches to enjoy the scenery. A great place to relax and recover energy.

• Address: High St, Colchester CO1 1UG, England
• Schedules:
  • November to February: 7:30 am to 5:00 pm
  • second half of March & first half of October: from 7:30 am to 7 pm
  • first half of March & second half of October: from 7:30 am to 6 pm
  • April & first half of September: 7:30 am to 8:00 pm
  • from May to August: from 7:30 am to 9 pm
  • second half of September: from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm
• Entrance: free

 

6. ROMAN THEATER

In a semi-hidden house next to Castle Park is the site of an ancient Roman theater that was built in Colchester and was discovered during excavations carried out between 1981-82. The first time I passed by there, I hadn't found the place, but I looked more carefully, walking calmly down the street and, finally, I found it. Here, you can see the ruins of the old theater that had a capacity of 3 thousand seats. It was built in 49 AD in the shape of a “D” and was used for performances of plays, speeches and also a place to worship the gods. Today at the site there is also a model showing what the architecture of the building would look like.

• Address: Maidenburgh St, Colchester CO1 1TT, England
• Schedules: not informed
• Entrance: free

7. CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY

Holy Trinity Church is the Colchester's oldest surviving church building, before the year 1000. Parts of the church tower were made by the Anglo-Saxons around 1020. Around it is a small cemetery that includes the tombs of William Gilbert, discoverer of electromagnetism and physician to Elizabeth I, and the composer John Wilbye. The church was closed in 1953. Currently, the place houses a Café and youth space for arts and music.

• Address: 4-11 Trinity St, Colchester CO1 1JN, England
• Schedules: not informed
• Entrance: free

8. JUMBO TOWER 

The Jumbo Water Tower is a large water tower that was nicknamed “Jumbo” in honor of an elephant of the same name at the London Zoo. Construction was completed in 1883, using 1.2 million bricks and 819 tons of stone and cement. At the time of construction, it was considered the second tallest water tower in England.. In 2008, a local charity wanted to restore the tower to make it a tourist attraction with guided public access. However, the project did not succeed and the tower was sold to a poultry producer in 2014.

• Address: Balkerne Gardens, Colchester CO1 1PT, England

9. ROMAN WALLS AND GATE BALKERNE

The Balkerne Gate is a gate built by the Romans in the 1st century, between the year 70 and 96, and is considered the oldest and one of the largest surviving Roman gates in Britain. It was built at Colchester's main entrance at the time, where the Roman road from Londinium (London's original name) crossed the city wall.

Originally, the gate had two arched passages and 2 wide walkways 17 meters wide. What we see today is the passage on the south side. A structure like this with 4 entrances built by the Romans is rare in the world. It is also possible to see ruins of a guard tower next to this structure. The area around Balkerne Gate is one of the best preserved sections of the Roman wall and provides a detailed view of how the Romans incorporated bricks across the width of the wall to stabilize it.

10. RUINS OF THE ROMAN CHURCH

Dating back to the 4th century, it is possible to observe the foundations of this primitive Roman church, which is probably the oldest christian church in britain. The area was discovered in the 1980s, when excavations for the construction of a new police station near the Mallon Road roundabout turned up 371 Roman tombs and a narrow building. The building is believed to have been constructed between 320 and 340 AD.

• Address: 3BU, Southway, Colchester CO3, England
• Schedules: 24 hours a day
• Entrance: free

11. ROMAN CIRCUS

this place needs to be in your script around town! In 2005, excavations identified the Britain's only Roman circus! The Colchester Roman Circus was built in the 2nd century, with a length of 450 meters and a capacity for up to 16 thousand spectators. It was used both for sports event how much for chariot races. Currently, it is possible to see up close parts of the ruins of the Roman circus and the exact location where it once stood. Furthermore, there is a Visitor Center that houses exhibitions, videos with reconstructions of the circus, an immense model of the Colchester Roman Circus and also a Coffee with very delicious homemade cakes.

• Address: Roman Circus Walk, Colchester CO2 7GZ, England
• Schedules: open only in the summer months from late March to late September from Tuesday to Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm
• Entrance: free
• Tours: Saturdays at 12pm and 1pm at a cost of £3 per person

12. GATE OF SÃO JOÃO ABBEY

This decorated gate is the only survivor of the former Benedictine Abbey of São João, which was located outside the walled city of Colchester. The abbey was founded in 1095 and made a major contribution to the development of medieval Colchester. The gate was built around the year 1400 to strengthen the abbey's defenses after the Peasants' Revolt (1381). The abbot was eventually executed for treason after failing to surrender to Henry VIII's commissioners, with the creation of the Anglican Church in the 16th century and the consequent dissolution of Catholic places of prayer.

Subsequently, the Lucas family acquired the property and converted some of the abbey buildings into a residence. However, the site was bombed by Parliamentarian soldiers during the siege of the English Civil War (1648). The place was used to house Dutch prisoners in the 1660s, and later the other abbey buildings were demolished.

• Address: St John's Green, Colchester CO1 1RQ, England
• Schedules: 24 hours a day
• Entrance: free

WHERE TO EAT IN COLCHESTER

Colchester has a number of delicious places to eat, from local restaurants to large chain restaurants found across the UK. Check out some options:

• Zizzi's (Italian culinary)
• bill's (British cuisine)
• Pizza Express (Pizza)
• Nando's (British restaurant specializing in chicken dishes)
• Mamma Mia Restaurant (Italian culinary)

• ASK Italian (Italian culinary)
• Bella Pais (Greek cuisine)
• Love Thy Burger (burger)
• Jacqueline's Tea Room (tea house)
• price (Italian culinary)
• The Hole In The Wall (pub)

WHERE TO BUY IN COLCHESTER

If you want to take advantage of your visit to Colchester to do some shopping, you can stop by:

• Lion Walk Shopping Center (12 Lion Walk, Colchester CO1 1LF, England)
• Culver Square (7A Culver St E, Colchester CO1 1JQ, England)
• St Johns Walk Shopping Center (42 St John's St, Colchester CO2 7AL, England)

WHERE TO STAY IN COLCHESTER

We have separated some options of hotels well located in the center of Colchester for those who want to stay in the city:

• The George Hotel (3 stars)
• Best Western The Rose & Crown Hotel (3 stars)
• Brook Red Lion Hotel (3 stars)

BOOK NOW your hotel and save up to 50%. Travelers readers are with a SUPER DISCOUNT! And the best, with FREE CANCELLATION*!

Booking.com

*check the hotels with free cancellation on the website

• The North Hill Hotel (3 stars)
• Star Anglia Hotel (3 stars)
• Hotel GreyFriars (4 stars)

HOW TO REACH COLCHESTER

For those traveling from London, getting to Colchester by train is quite easy. Just catch a train at the station London Liverpool Street. The trip usually takes from 1 hour to 1h15, depending on the route. It is worth remembering that the city has 2 train stations: Colchester and Colchester Town. The closest to the city center is the Colchester Town, from which it is possible to explore the entire city on foot. I started exploring Colchester at St Botolph's Priory and ended up at St Johns'Gate, closing a “circle” in the city. To buy train tickets, we recommend the website TrainLine. See everything you need to know to use trains in England in the post: “Tips for traveling by train in England“.

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