Colchester Vacations: What To Do When You Stay in Colchester

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Colchester Vacations: What To Do When You Stay in Colchester

Sunday, November 9th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

Colchester is the biggest town in Essex. The town actually claims to be the oldest one in Britain and is certainly the oldest recorded Roman town in England. Because of its history, there are lots of attractions in Colchester, which you can explore when you visit the town. In this article, we’ll take a look at some that should be on your shortlist when you visit Colchester.

1. Balkerne Gate – The most complete Roman gateway in the country and it is thought to have been built in 55 AD. Years ago, the gate was part of the main route into the town but it’s gradually been turned into a triumphal arch. Then, later, it became part of the town’s new walls then in 465 AD it got blocked up to help improve the town’s defence system. The actual gate itself was only uncovered some 100 years ago which is why it’s been so well preserved.

2. Charter Market – The oldest recorded market in the United Kingdom has been run here for more than 800 years now. The market was granted a Royal Charter in 1189 by King John and this is where its name originates from. You can still find a market at Charter Market twice a week, on Fridays and Saturdays and there is a wider than normal variety of goods as the charter prevents more than one stall selling the same item.

3. Colchester Castle – Altough “only” dating back to Norman times, this castle was built on the same ground as the Temple to Claudius in Roman times. But, the temple was destroyed in 60AD when Queen Boudica razed the town to the ground in order to get the Romans to leave. The Normans re-used the stone to build the castle is in fact much of the materials used to build the Roman temple.

The castle boasts one of the oldest and largest of all castle keeps to be built in Europe and inside the walls of the castle there is much to do and see. There are a number of exhibitions in the castle, tracing more than two thousand years of British history and there are displays that one can interact with as well. Whilst touring the castle you can learn more about Matthew Hopkins the Witch finder General who used the castle as a jail at the time of the main witch trials.

4. Colchester Zoo – This is one of the finest zoos to be found in Europe today and is only a short drive from the town itself. Set in some 60 acres of beautiful countryside the zoo is home to over two hundred different species for you to look at. Along with elephants in Elephant Kingdom, there are the chimpanzees in Chimp World to enjoy. Plus you will find other parts of the zoo just as enthralling. As with any zoo, you’ll almost certainly find yourself spending lots of time here.

Check out this list of Colchester accommodation for your next visit.

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