Simply put Colchester is bursting at the seams with historical significance from across Britain’s past. Whether you are looking to learn about Iron Age, Roman or Georgian times this town has it covered. Here are my top recommendations for historical attractions in Colchester.
Gosbecks Archaeological Park
Situated southwest of Colchester on the site of a late Iron Age farmstead the Gosbecks Archaeological Park boasts some amazing ruins for a taste of the town from the Roman era. Colchester was the location of the first Roman legionary fortress as well as being home to two of the five Roman Theatres found in Britain, one seating 5,000 people – the biggest in Britain.
In Roman times the site was home to a large Romano-British temple and is close to the post-conquest Stanway burials (home to the grave of the ‘Druid of Colchester’), a Roman fort and the extensive defensive earthworks of the Iron Age fortress which are open to the public as wooded parkland.
Colchester Castle
At 1.5 times the size of the Tower of London, the keep of Colchester Castle is the largest ever built in Britain and the largest surviving example in Europe. Built on the foundations of the Roman temple of Claudius the Castle was originally constructed under the direction of William the Conqueror and was designed by Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester, and built between 1069 and 1076.
Since its construction, the Castle has seen many owners and uses from Royal Castle and prison to grain stores and private homes. The castle museum underwent extensive refurbishment costing £4.2 million between January 2013 and May 2014 making the experience bigger, brighter and better than ever before, with brand new interactive displays. Don’t miss out on seeing some of the new finds and star exhibits I recommend the Colchester Vase and the Colchester Mercury statuette.
Hollytrees Museum
Hollytrees is a free-to-enter museum dedicated to toys, costumes and decorative arts. All of this is homed in a beautiful grade I listed Georgian townhouse from 1718 close to Colchester Castle. The Hollytrees museum also has a lovely parkland play area for children, a shop and a sensory garden. Visit the miniature world of the Hollytrees dolls house and discover the origin of the famous nursery rhyme ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ – which was written in Colchester!
The latest addition to the museum is the Clock Gallery showcasing a collection of clocks and watches which had previously been on display at Tymperleys museum. The museum hosts a number of temporary exhibitions, I recommend checking out the website for more information.
