163-555: Wivenhoe Park is a landscaped green space of more than 200 acres (81 ha) at the eastern edge of Colchester , England. It is the site of Wivenhoe House , a four-star hotel, based in an eighteenth-century Grade II listed house. Wivenhoe House is also home to the Edge Hotel School, the first school of its kind in the UK and since October 2018 a department of the University of Essex . Since
326-440: A Century , with a large room for a centurion at one end of each block. Larger buildings for military Tribunes have been excavated in the centre of the fort The walls of the military buildings were built on mortared plinths called opus caementicium , with wooden and daub walls faced with keyed plaster. Roman military equipment and weapons have been found from the fortress, including swords, armour and harness fittings. After
489-417: A Colonia rather than a Municipia , meaning that in legal terms it was an extension of the city of Rome , not a provincial town. Its inhabitants therefore had Roman citizenship . Of the two provincial administrators the senatorial military governor was always located in areas of conflict, whilst the civilian Procurator's office had moved from Camulodunum to the new port of Londinium sometime around
652-528: A Mithraeum but that has now been reinterpreted as a reservoir system. A large overflow drain ran from the structure down to a culvert near Duncan's Gate where the excess water exited the town into the River Colne. Timber framed wells have also been discovered, and there are at least nine springs located within the walls of Camulodunum. Private baths have been found at some sites, and public baths were discovered in summer 2019. Many houses have been found in
815-538: A brand new stadium at Cuckoo Farm in 2008. On 20 May 2022, it was announced that as part of the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours , what was then the Borough of Colchester would receive city status . It was slated to receive the status formally by letters patent on 12 September 2022, however following the death of Queen Elizabeth II , the ceremony was postponed. On 29 September 2022, the letters patent
978-526: A coracle was found preserved at the site. The fortress had two main metalled roads, a north–south via principalis and an east–west via praetoria , as well as a via sagularis around the inside of the defensive walls. Along the roads leading out of the fortress settlements known as vici developed, home to native Britons who served the Roman garrison. The interior of the fortress consisted of long barrack blocks able to hold groups of eighty soldiers, known as
1141-680: A Neolithic henge at Tendring , large Bronze Age barrow cemeteries at Dedham and Langham , and a larger example at Brightlingsea consisting of a cluster of 22 barrows. Colchester is said to be the oldest recorded town in Britain on the grounds that it was mentioned by Pliny the Elder , who died in AD 79, although the Celtic name of the town, Camulodunon appears on coins minted by tribal chieftain Tasciovanus in
1304-600: A Saxon army led by King Edward the Elder , who "restored" the borough to English rule. The walls of the colonia have been retained, and many of the Medieval and Saxon buildings in Colchester, including the Castle , St Botolph's Priory , St John's Abbey , Greyfriars, Holy Trinity church and many of the Norman "stone houses" were built from the vast amounts of Roman debris left over in
1467-535: A Welsh folk hero for his resistance to Rome. The Roman historian Suetonius and Claudius' triumphal arch state that after this battle the British kings who had been under Cunobelinus’ sons’ control surrendered without further bloodshed, Claudius accepting their submission in Camulodunon. As the stronghold of a major tribe in the south-east, Camulodunum held strategic importance. A Roman legionary fortress or castrum ,
1630-619: A bid to get the latter to lift his two-year siege of the town. Their son, Constantine the Great was then supposedly born in the town. St Helena is today the patron saint of Colchester, and the town's coat of arms depict the True Cross and crowns of the Three Kings that she is supposed to have found in Jerusalem . Other examples of Roman remains used in later buildings include several medieval cellars on
1793-762: A brief time in the First Century, as was Kentish Ragstone for building. The late 3rd century and 4th centuries saw a series of crises in the Empire, including breakaway of the Gallic Empire (of which Britain was a part), and raids by Saxon pirates. Such events led to creation of the Saxon Shore forts along the East coast of Britain. The fort at Othona overlooking the confluence of the Blackwater and Colne estuaries, and two more at
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#17328951811261956-476: A cavalry regiment) and the Cohors Primae Vangionum ("First Cohort of Vangiones ", a mixed cavalry-infantry unit from Gaul ). The legionary fortress was larger than a standard castrum , and included a large annex on its north-east side. It was protected by a large palisaded ditch and wall (Roman military Vallum and Fossa ), along with new earthwork ditch and rampart defences, built to supplement
2119-505: A centre of Protestant "heresy" and in consequence at least 19 local people were burned at the stake at the castle, at first in front, later within the walls. They are commemorated on a tablet near the altar of St Peter's Church. (Sources: John Foxe, Book of Martyrs; Mark Byford, The Process of Reformation in a Tudor Town) The town saw the start of the Stour Valley riots of 1642, when the town house of John Lucas, 1st Baron Lucas of Shenfield
2282-471: A coin mint operated in the colonia. Archaeological excavations suggest that the period between 150 and 250 saw the largest number of active workshops in the colonia. The town was at the centre of a largely rural economy, with archaeological evidence of agricultural buildings in the colonia including the large buttressed tower granary found in the Southern part of the town, in use for much of the 2nd century, with
2445-536: A deep, wide ditch. This has been interpreted as part of a possible religious site, as during the Roman period a large temple was built in the middle of this enclosure. The Sheepen site, located around what is now St Helena School on the banks of the River Colne, was a large industrial and port zone, where extensive iron and leather working activity was carried out, as well as an important coin mint. Two coins minted at Sheepen, one found in Colchester in 1980 and another found at Canterbury in 1978, depict boats, and are
2608-511: A definitive date, as well as to archaeologists as it provides a snapshot of artifacts from 60, allowing typologies of finds to be tied into a historical timeline, for example in Samian production. The rubble from the destruction was landscaped during the rebuilding of the town that took place in the years after the revolt. Following the destruction of the Colonia and Suetonius Paulinus ’ crushing of
2771-450: A dry climate compared to the rest of the UK all year round and occasional (relative) extremes of temperatures during the year (occasional high 20 °Cs/low 30 °Cs during the summer) and quite a few nights below freezing during the winter months (daytime high temperatures are seldom below freezing). Any rainfall that does come from Atlantic weather systems is usually light, but a few heavy showers and thunderstorms can take place during
2934-521: A feature that is rare in other Roman British towns. The rest of the colonia was gridded into around forty blocks known as insula , with paved streets and colonnaded paths between. As well as a system of local roads leading to settlements around the colony, Camulodunum was linked to the rest of the Province by several major roads, including Stane Street , Camlet Way , Pye Road and the Via Devana . Within
3097-408: A fifth-century wooden hut built on the ruins of a Roman house in present-day Lion Walk. Archaeological excavations have shown that public buildings were abandoned, and is very doubtful whether Colchester survived as a settlement with any urban characteristics after the sixth century. The chronology of its revival is obscure. But the ninth-century Historia Brittonum , attributed to Nennius , mentions
3260-605: A grey-brown colour). This allowed the population to recover exceptionally rapidly from the effects of the Black Death , particularly by immigration into the town. Rovers Tye Farm, now a pub on Ipswich Road , has been documented as being established by 1353. By the 'New Constitutions' of 1372, a borough council was instituted; the two bailiffs who represented the borough to the king were now expected to consult sixteen ordinary councillors and eight auditors (later called aldermen). Even though Colchester's fortunes were more mixed during
3423-461: A height of over 6m in the 21st century. Later, in around 175–200 a large earth bank was built up against the inner face of the walls. The walls had between 12 and 24 towers and six large gates. The Balkerne Gate , in the centre of the Western section of the walls, was the main gate out of the town. It has a large fortified barbican that still stands as Britain's largest Roman gateway, which incorporated
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#17328951811263586-421: A hoard minted in the reign of Constantine III (reigned 407–411) from Artillery Folly, that are heavily clipped; this clipping must have occurred in the years after they were minted and so would have happened in the 400s (decade). Scattered structures have also been excavated by archaeologists, such as a mid-5th century dwelling at Lion Walk, as well as 5th century loam weights and cruciform-brooches found across
3749-716: A king of the Catuvellauni already issuing coins from Verlamion , also issued coins from Camulodunon, suggesting that the Trinovantes' capital had been conquered by the Catuvellauni, but he was soon forced to withdraw, perhaps as a result of Roman pressure – his later coins are no longer marked with the Latin REX (for "king"), but with the Brythonic RICON – and Addedomarus was restored. His son Dubnovellaunus succeeded him, but
3912-512: A large area of southern and eastern Britain, and was called by the Roman historian Suetonius "King of the Britons". Under his rule Camulodunon had replaced Verlamion as the most important settlement in pre-Roman Britain. Around AD 40 he had fallen out with his son Adminius (acting as proxy ruler of the Cantiaci tribe in his father's name), who had fled to Rome for support. There he was received by
4075-540: A large group at Warren Fields and Oak Drive on the southern outskirts of the Sheepen site. Many of the kilns are of the oval "Colchester type", whilst tile kilns have larger rectangular chambers. Camulodunum produced many types of pottery, including decorated Samian pottery , mortaria , buff wares, single-handled ring-necked flagons, and, until c. 250, colour-coated wares. In the late 1st century amphorae , called "Camulodunum Carrots" for their shape and colour, were made in
4238-457: A large industrial centre, and was the largest, and for a short time the only, place in the province of Britannia where samian ware was produced, along with glasswork and metalwork, and a coin mint. Roman brick making and wine growing also took place in the area. Colonia Victricensis contained many large townhouses, with dozens of mosaics and tessellated pavements found, along with hypocausts and sophisticated waterpipes and drains. The colonia
4401-465: A large tile industry, oil lamps and figurines. The colonia was also a major centre of glass production, and glass moulds (including a complete example) have been discovered in the town. Glass was produced throughout the Roman period of Camulodunum, including in the late 4th century, and glass-making waste was discovered at Culver Street from the mid-1st century. Bone carving for ornamentation, metal working and jewellery making were also practiced, and
4564-515: A last stand at the Temple of Claudius: The rebels destroyed the city and slaughtered its population. Archaeologists have found layers of ash in the site of the city, suggesting that Boudica ordered her rebel army to burn the city to the ground. A relief army consisting of the Legio IX Hispana led by Quintus Petillius Cerialis attempted to rescue the besieged citizens, but was destroyed outside of
4727-474: A much reduced level, with evidence of at the Butt Road site showing it briefly carrying on into the early 5th century. Several burials within the towns walls have been dated to the late 5th century. These include two burials discovered at East Hill House in 1983, which have been surgically decapitated (in a fashion found in both Pre-Roman and some early pagan-Saxon burial practices), and other burials cut into
4890-532: A museum. The main campus of the University of Essex is located between Colchester and Wivenhoe . Local government is the responsibility of the City of Colchester and Essex County Council . There are several theories about the origin of the name Colchester . Some contend that is derived from the Latin words colonia (referring to a type of Roman settlement with rights equivalent to those of Roman citizens, one of which
5053-517: A myth that continued into the medieval period, and was recorded in the Colchester Chronicle (written in the 13th or early 14th century at St John's Abbey ), that the Roman town was founded by a warlord called Coel . According to the Medieval legend, which garbles folk-tales and pseudo-historical events together, he was supposedly the father of St Helena , who was married off to Constantius in
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5216-685: A nearby corn-drying oven. Many ovens have been located in excavations around the town. A system of watermills appears to have operated along Salary Brook near Ardleigh to the north of the settlement, and other watermills may have operated on the Colne at the modern site of Middle Mill in Castle Park. Oysters from the Colne Estuary and Mersea Island have been an important food source throughout much of Colchester's history, and large dumps (some 0.5m thick) of oyster shells have been found at Balkerne Hill from
5379-518: A population of 30,000 at its height. In the second century AD Ptolemy in his famous treatise Geographia named the base of the Sixth Legion (who governed the Brigantes ) a Northern Roman Britain tribe as being near Eboracum (which would eventually become York ). He called the Sixth Legion's base Camulodunum. Colchester is said to be the oldest recorded town in Britain on the grounds that it
5542-682: A selection of new feature and short films from around the world and centred at the VAF, was held from to 2012 to 2017 (excluding 2016). There are 12 cinema screens spread across the 8 screen Odeon, 3 screen Curzon and 1 screen in the firstsite gallery. Local links with football began with the amateur club Colchester Town , which was formed in 1867 and dissolved in 1937. They were succeeded by professional club Colchester United , who compete in Football League Two (as of season 2023–24) and play home games at Colchester Community Stadium . Founded in 1937,
5705-557: A social history museum with children's exhibits in the former home of Charles Gray , and the Natural History Museum, located in the former All Saints' Church. The Colchester Archaeological Trust have opened a visitor centre and museum at the former Cavalry Barracks to display finds from the Roman Circus, with replicas and models of the circus, as well as finds from the nearby Roman cemeteries. In 2014 brick and marble columns from
5868-456: A third from a place whose first word is Colonia but whose second word is too corrupted to make out with any certainty, but has been interpreted as something like Camulodensium (although Lincoln and Gloucester are other possible candidates). The formal collapse of Roman administration in the province occurred in the years 409–411. Activity in the 5th century continued in Camulodunum at
6031-425: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Colchester Colchester ( / ˈ k ɒ l tʃ ɛ s t ər , ˈ k oʊ l -, - tʃ ɪ s t -/ KO(H)L -chest-ər, -chist- ) is a city in northeastern Essex , England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 Census . The demonym is Colcestrian . Colchester occupies
6194-546: Is also located in Colchester. Firstsite is a contemporary art organisation, based in the Visual Arts Facility, which was designed by Rafael Viñoly , and opened in September 2011, at a total cost of approximately £25.5 million, £9 million more than the original estimate. The Minories houses The Minories Galleries, which is managed by Colchester Institute and presents contemporary exhibitions by artists from
6357-716: Is late Saxon work. Medieval Colchester's main landmark is Colchester Castle , which is an 11th-century Norman keep, and built on top of the vaults of the old Roman temple . There are notable medieval ruins in Colchester, including the surviving gateway of the Benedictine abbey of St John the Baptist (known locally as "St John's Abbey"), and the ruins of the Augustinian priory of St Botolph (known locally as " St Botolph's Priory "). Many of Colchester's parish churches date from this period. Colchester's medieval town seal incorporated
6520-560: Is mentioned by name several times by contemporaries, including in Pliny's Natural History , Ptolemy's Geography , Tacitus' Annales , The Antonine Itinerary and the Ravenna Cosmography . The 2nd century tomb inscription for Gn. Munatius Bassus in Rome, which describes the name of the town and its Roman citizenship, reads: The city was one of the few Roman settlements in Britain designated as
6683-457: Is most likely a corruption of Camlann , a now unknown location first mentioned in the 10th century Welsh annalistic text Annales Cambriae , identified as the place where Arthur was slain in battle. Soon after the Roman conquest of Britain in AD 43, a Roman legionary fortress was established, the first in Britain. Later, when the Roman frontier moved outwards and the twentieth legion had moved to
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6846-476: Is ruled out of court by the fact that Colne is the name of several old villages situated a good many miles from Colchester and on the Colne. The identification of Colonia with Colchester is doubtful." The popular association of the name with King Coel has no academic merit. The gravel hill upon which Colchester is built was formed in the Middle Pleistocene period, and was shaped into a terrace between
7009-511: Is the Lexden tumulus . The Lexden area around the mounds contains several Iron Age cremation burial groups, including one containing the "Mirror burial", with other burials located around the Camulodunon site. A large cluster of cremations from St. Clare road and Fitzwalter Road close to the Lexden Tumulus date to 50–10 BC. Aside from these main activity areas, the 1,000 ha area enclosed by
7172-404: Is then covered with a mound) have been found, which are rare outside of Italy. Elaborate grave goods accompanied some of the burials. Many fragments of carved tombstones have been found in the cemeteries outside of the town, with several being near complete such as the "Colchester Sphinx". Some of the inscriptions on the tombs are almost fully intact, including: Other funerary monuments include
7335-569: The 16th Air Assault Brigade . The Army's only military corrective training centre, known colloquially within the forces and locally as " The Glasshouse " after the original military prison in Aldershot , is in Berechurch Hall Road, on the outskirts of Colchester. The centre holds men and women from all three services who are sentenced to serve periods of detention . From 1998 to 2008, the garrison area underwent massive redevelopment. A lot of
7498-518: The A12 road and the Great Eastern Main Line railway. Colchester is less than 30 miles (50 km) from London Stansted Airport and 20 miles (30 km) from the port of Harwich . Attractions in and around the city include St Botolph's Priory , Colchester Zoo , and several art galleries. Colchester Castle was constructed in the eleventh century on earlier Roman foundations; it now contains
7661-694: The Ancient Roman name for what is now Colchester in Essex , was an important castrum and city in Roman Britain , and the first capital of the province. A temporary "strapline" in the 1960s identifying it as the "oldest recorded town in Britain" has become popular with residents and is still used on heritage roadsigns on trunk road approaches. Originally the site of the Brythonic- Celtic oppidum of Camulodunon (meaning "stronghold of Camulos "), capital of
7824-732: The Anglian glaciation and the Ipswichian glaciation by an ancient precursor to the River Colne . From these deposits Palaeolithic flint tools , including at least six Acheulian handaxes , have been found. Further flint tools made by hunter gatherers living in the Colne Valley during the Mesolithic have been discovered, including a tranchet axe from Middlewick. In the 1980s an archaeological inventory showed that over 800 shards of pottery from
7987-528: The Imperial Cult in the province. The Roman philosopher Seneca mentioned the temple when he mocked the province for its piety towards the Deified Claudius . The colonia was also initially home to the provincial Procurator of Britain. Aside from the Roman population, the city and surrounding territorium was also home to a large native population. Examples of cooperation between the two groups include
8150-514: The Iron Age royal farmstead) is the largest in Britain , able to seat 5,000. Camulodunum served as a provincial Roman capital of Britain, but was attacked and destroyed during Boudica 's rebellion in AD 61. Sometime after the destruction, London became the capital of the province of Britannia . Colchester's city walls c. 3,000 yd. long were built c.65–80 A.D. when the Roman town was rebuilt after
8313-620: The Jumbo Water Tower and the Albert Hall . In 1884, the area was struck by the Colchester earthquake , estimated to have been 4.7 on the Richter Scale causing extensive regional damage. The Paxman diesels business has been associated with Colchester since 1865 when James Noah Paxman founded a partnership with the brothers Henry and Charles Davey ('Davey, Paxman, and Davey') and opened
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#17328951811268476-508: The Ministry of Defence land was sold for private housing development and parts of the garrison were moved. Many parts of the garrison now stand empty awaiting the second phase of the development. Since 2006, Colchester has been one of 12 places in the UK where Royal Salutes are fired to mark Royal anniversaries and visits by foreign heads of state. From 2009, these salutes have taken place in Castle Park. BFBS Radio broadcasts from studios on
8639-452: The Neolithic , Bronze Age and early Iron Age have been found within Colchester, along with many examples of worked flint . This included a pit found at Culver Street containing a ritually placed Neolithic grooved ware pot, as well as find spots containing later Deverel-Rimbury bucket urns . Colchester is surrounded by Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments that pre-date the town, including
8802-555: The River Colne bounding the site to the north and east, and the Roman River valley forming the southern boundary; the earthworks were mostly designed to close off the western gap between these two river valleys. Other earthworks close off eastern parts of the settlement. These earthworks gave the oppidum its Brythonic Celtic name – Camulodunon meant "the stronghold of Camulus ", the British god of war. Together they enclose an area of 1,000 ha (3.9 sq mi), much larger than
8965-548: The Tendring Peninsula. Two large groups existed at Peldon and Tolleshunt D'Arcy . Camulodunon may have been an at the centre of the local trade in this important preservative. Addedomarus , a king of the Trinovantes tribe (originally centred at Braughing ), is the first identifiable ruler of Camulodunon, known from his inscribed coins dating to around 25–10 BC. For a brief period around 10 BC Tasciovanus ,
9128-423: The Trinovantes and later the Catuvellauni tribes, it was first mentioned by name on coinage minted by the chieftain Tasciovanus some time between 20 and 10 BC. The Roman town began life as a Roman legionary base constructed in the AD 40s on the site of the Brythonic-Celtic fortress following its conquest by the Emperor Claudius . After the early town was destroyed during the Iceni rebellion in AD 60/61, it
9291-459: The 12th century French Arthurian storyteller Chrétien de Troyes ) is most likely a corruption of Camlann , a now unknown location first mentioned in the 10th century Welsh annalistic text Annales Cambriae , identified as the place where Arthur was slain in battle. The earliest Iron Age defensive site at Colchester is the Pitchbury Ramparts earthwork north of the town between West Bergholt and Great Horkesley . The main earthwork defences of
9454-420: The 15th century, it was still a more important place by the 16th century than it had been in the 13th. In 1334 it would not have ranked among England's wealthiest fifty towns, to judge from the taxation levied that year. By 1524, however, it ranked twelfth, as measured by its assessment to a lay subsidy. Between 1550 and 1600, a large number of weavers and clothmakers from Flanders emigrated to Colchester and
9617-414: The 1960s, Wivenhoe Park has also been home to the Colchester Campus of the University of Essex. John Constable painted the park in 1816. His painting, Wivenhoe Park , is now in the National Gallery of Art , Washington DC. Wivenhoe Park has received a Green Flag Award six times and has received a Gold Award as a Hedgehog Friendly Campus. The parkland has been voted one of the top ten green spaces in
9780-414: The 30s AD Camulodunon controlled a large swathe of Southern and Eastern Britain, with Cunobelin called " King of the Britons " by Roman writers. Camulodunon is sometimes popularly considered one of many possible sites around Britain for the legendary (perhaps mythical ) Camelot of King Arthur, though the name Camelot (first mentioned by the 12th century French Arthurian storyteller Chrétien de Troyes )
9943-405: The 4th century barn at Culver Street. A skeleton of a young woman found stretched out on a Roman mosaic floor at Beryfield, within the SE corner of the walled town, was initially interpreted as a victim of a Saxon attack on the Sub-Roman town; however, it is now believed that the burial is a post-Roman grave cut down to the hard floor surface (the name Beryfield means "burial field", a reference to
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#173289518112610106-447: The 4th century, may also have been repurposed as a Christian church, as a Chi Rho symbol carved on a piece of Roman pottery found in the vicinity of the temenos . Further Roman Christian objects found in the town include a candlestick from Balkerne Lane inscribed with an Iota Chi symbol and a bronze spoon with AETERNVS VITA written on it. Three British Bishops attended the Council of Arles (314) , one from London, one from York and
10269-448: The Boudican Revolt. However the Colonia did retain the Imperial cult centre and priesthood at the Temple of Claudius. The colonia was at the centre of a large territorium containing many villa sites , including an important cluster around the Colne estuary . Following the rebuilding of the town after 60/1, new walls and a large defensive ditch were built around the colonia (the first town walls in Britain, predating other such walls in
10432-401: The Boudicca rebellion. In 2004, Colchester Archaeological Trust discovered the remains of a Roman Circus (chariot race track) underneath the Garrison in Colchester, a unique find in Britain. The city reached its peak in the second and third centuries AD. It may have reached a population of 30,000 in that period. In 2014 a hoard of jewellery, known as The Fenwick Hoard, named for the shop it
10595-429: The Brythonic Celtic oppidum of Camulodunon were built later, beginning in the 1st century BC but most date from the 1st century AD. They are considered the most extensive of their kind in Britain. The defences consist of lines of ditches and ramparts, possibly palisaded with gateways, that mostly run parallel to each other in a north–south direction. The Iron Age settlement was protected by rivers on three sides, with
10758-400: The Emperor Gaius , who may have attempted an invasion of Britain to put Adminius on his father's throne. After Cunobelinus’ death (c. AD 40) his sons took power with the eldest, Togodumnus , ruling the Catuvellauni homeland around Verlamion, and Caratacus ruling from Camulodunon. Together these brothers began expanding their influence over other British tribes, including the Atrebates of
10921-408: The Gosbecks Theatre had been demolished by the 3rd century, the theatre at Maidenburgh Street may still have been in use throughout the 4th century. The sunken chambers of the water reservoir system found in Castle Park appear to have become blocked with debris and dumped rubbish in the 4th century and was disused. The Roman chariot circus was also demolished during the late 4th century. Increases in
11084-404: The High Street a collection of gold and silver jewellery was discovered buried in the floor of a Roman building destroyed during the revolt. Known as the " Fenwick Treasure", it appears to have been buried just prior to the building's destruction by a victim of the Boudican attack. The layer is important to historians as it is one of the first archaeological contexts in Britain that can be given
11247-419: The High Street, St Nicholas's Church (demolished in the 1950s), which was built on a Roman building and originally incorporated the remains of standing Roman walls, and St Helen's Chapel, which was built into the corner of the Roman theatre in the town. A study in the late 1970s by Colchester Archaeological Trust discovered that many of the Medieval property boundaries within Colchester's town centre followed
11410-399: The Late Roman and Pre-Saxon early-Fifth Century town has been interpreted by archaeologist Philip Crummy as either the result of Saxon foederati and their families living within Camulodunum, and/or cultural influences from the continent on the local population. Later dwellings at Culver Street and artifacts from the 7th and 8th centuries are seen as evidence that the shell of the Roman town
11573-411: The Lionheart ), although the wording suggests that it was based on an earlier one. It granted Colchester's burgesses the right to elect bailiffs and a justice . The borough celebrated the 800th anniversary of its charter in 1989. Colchester developed rapidly during the later 14th century as a centre of the woollen cloth industry, and became famous in many parts of Europe for its russets (fabrics of
11736-674: The Luftwaffe. None of these attacks hit their targets, but a raid on 11 August bombed Severalls Hospital , and killed 38 elderly patients. In February 1944 a single raider caused a huge fire in the St Botolph's area which gutted warehouses, shops and part of Paxman's Britannia Works. The total wartime bombing death toll in the borough was 55. The University of Essex was established at Wivenhoe Park in 1961. The £22.7M 8-mile (13-kilometre) A120 Colchester Eastern Bypass opened in June 1982. Colchester and
11899-468: The Medieval graveyards in the area). Burials of men armed with Germanic weaponry have also been found outside of the town walls, and might be the graves of Saxon foederati or Saxon settlers. Post-Roman/early Saxon burials from the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries, some buried with weapons, have been found outside of the walls in the areas of former Roman cemeteries, suggesting a continuity of practice. A study by archaeologist Henry Laver concluded that all of
12062-450: The NW corner of the town. The destruction layer , also found at Verulamium ( St Albans ) and Londinium ( London ), is famous for the charred preservation of artefacts and furniture, including a samian store, a glass store, beds and mattresses, wall plaster, tessellated floors , a few human bones with wounds and even dates and plums . During excavations in 2014 at Williams and Griffin on
12225-655: The Rhine Valley and East Gaul, including the Samian potter Minuso from Trier who also operated in other British towns, Miccio , the mortaria potter G. Attius Marinus and several men called Sextus Valerius . Pottery made in Camulodunum can be found across the East of England , and as far away as Eboracum . One of the most famous examples of locally made pottery is the " Colchester Vase " (c. 200), which depicts combat between gladiators called Memnon and Valentinus. As well as pottery, ceramics produced in Camulodunum also include
12388-433: The Roman cemeteries around Colchester contain later burials dating to the early Saxon period. Excavations of the former Goojerat and Hyderabad Barracks in 2004 and 2010 saw the discovery of other pagan 5th century burials with Germanic weapons, nine of which were located in burial mounds surrounded by circular ditches. As well as burials, coin hoards from the late Fourth and early Fifth centuries have been found, including
12551-635: The Roman period until at least the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. Iron Age salt works (known as red hills ) have been found in large numbers around the Essex coast, including several large concentrations located in the salt marshes close to Camulodunon in the Colne Estuary, on the Roman River near Fingringhoe , in Alresford Creek , on Mersea Island , the Pyefleet Channel, the Blackwater River and around
12714-550: The Roman period, along with mussels , whelks , cockles , carpet shells, winkle and scallop ; fish imported from the River Colne and coast are represented by herring , plaice , flounder , eel , smelt , cod , haddock , gurnard , mullet , dragonet , dab, and sole . As well as the Sheepen river port, Roman roads lead to Mistley on the Essex bank of the River Stour and to a cluster of Roman-era buildings at West Mersea , both of which may also have possessed ports for
12877-530: The Roman population of the town. These included the seizure of land for the colonia's veteran population , the use of labour to build the Temple of Claudius, and the sudden recall of loans given to the local elites by leading Romans (including Seneca and the Emperor), which had been needed to allow the locals to qualify for a position on the city council. The Procurator Catus Decianus was especially despised. Tacitus recorded that certain ominous portents occurred in
13040-584: The Romano-British Stanway Burials mounds and the warrior graves of native elites from the 50s. These graves represent members of the native aristocracy who have been Romanised. However tensions arose in 60/61 when the Roman authorities used the death of Prasutagus as a pretext for seizing the Iceni client state from his widow Boudica . The Iceni rebels were joined by the Trinovantes around Colonia Victricensis, who held several grudges against
13203-407: The Sheepen site. As a colonia (the only one in Britain at the time) its citizens held equal rights to Romans, and it was the principal city of Roman Britain. Tacitus wrote that the town was "a strong colonia of ex-soldiers established on conquered territory, to provide a protection against rebels and a centre for instructing the provincials in the procedures of the law". The Temple of Claudius ,
13366-603: The Stable Block, and the boundary wall and ha-ha which provide the domestic curtilage to the house. Each of these structures is Grade II listed. Wivenhoe Park is included on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest . Another notable building within the grounds is the Sports Pavilion designed by influential architects John Meunier and Barry Gasson and now used by student sports teams. The design reflects some of
13529-660: The Standard Ironworks. In 1925, Paxman produced its first spring injection oil engine and joined the English Electric Diesel Group in 1966 – later becoming part of the GEC Group. Since the 1930s the Paxman company's main business has been the production of diesel engines . In the early 20th century Colchester lobbied to be the seat for a new Church of England diocese for Essex , to be split off from
13692-581: The UK, in the People's Choice Award on four consecutive occasions and is the only university campus to have achieved this award. The park is host to a very large colony of rabbits . Habitat surveys have identified many other species at Wivenhoe Park. In 1845, Wivenhoe Park was inherited by John Gurdon Rebow, the widow of Mary Rebow, the daughter of Lt General Francis Slater Rebow depicted in Constable's painting. John Gurdon Rebow rebuilt Wivenhoe House and remodelled
13855-535: The area enclosed by the Iron Age defences at Wheathampstead (35 ha, 0.14 sq mi). The main sites within the bounds of these defences are the Gosbecks farmstead, the Sheepen industrial area and the Lexden burials. The Gosbecks site consists of a large, high-status farmstead, believed to be the home of the tribal chieftains of Camulodunon. Part of the Gosbecks complex is a large, square enclosure surrounded by
14018-520: The area takes its name from Colonia as well. Cologne (German Köln ) also gained its name from a similar etymology (from its Roman name Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium ). Other etymologists are confident that the Colne's name is pre-Roman, sharing its origin with several other rivers Colne or Clun around Britain, and that Colchester is derived from Colne and Castra . Ekwall went as far as to say "it has often been held that Colchester contains as first element [Latin] colonia ... this derivation
14181-594: The base on 107.0FM as part of its UK Bases network. Colchester City Council is the local authority. The Member of Parliament for Colchester is Pam Cox of the Labour Party . The former MP, Liberal Democrat Sir Bob Russell , has held the ceremonial role of High Steward of Colchester since 2015. Colchester houses several museums. The Castle Museum, found within Colchester Castle , features an extensive exhibit on Roman Colchester. Nearby are Hollytrees Museum ,
14344-401: The biblical text Intravit ihc: in quoddam castellum et mulier quedam excepit illum 'Jesus entered a certain castle and a woman there welcomed him' (Luke 10.38). This is a commonplace allegory in which a castle is likened to Mary's womb, and explains the name of Maidenburgh St, neighbouring the castle. In 1189, Colchester was granted its first known royal charter by King Richard I ( Richard
14507-608: The club entered the Football League in 1950, originally playing home games at their former Layer Road stadium until 2008. The club reached its highest league finish of 10th place in the Championship in 2006-07 , and were one of the few teams to win the Watney Cup , in 1971. Camulodunum Camulodunum ( / ˌ k æ m ( j ) ʊ l oʊ ˈ dj uː n ə m / KAM -(y)uu-loh- DEW -nəm ; Latin : CAMVLODVNVM ),
14670-429: The coins of Cunobelinus, means 'the fortress of [the war god] Camulos '. During the 30s AD Camulodunon controlled a large swathe of Southern and Eastern Britain, with Cunobelin called " King of the Britons " by Roman writers. Camulodunon is sometimes popularly considered one of many possible sites around Britain for the legendary (perhaps mythical ) Camelot of King Arthur, though the name Camelot (first mentioned by
14833-512: The colonia also possessed pipes for bringing pressurised water into the settlement. At the excavations at Balkerne Lane four lines of hollow wooden pipes, joined with iron collars were found bringing water from nearby springs, as well as evidence of a possible raised wooden aqueduct which may have been briefly in existence next to Balkerne Gate. Further pipes have been discovered across the town. The water would have been pressurised in reservoirs; it has been argued by archaeologist Philip Crummy that
14996-442: The colonia during archaeological excavations. Stone-founded buildings largely replaced timber ones in the course of the 2nd century, while average house size tended to increase in size up to a peak at around 250. They have painted plaster walls and tiled roofs, many with tessellated mosaic floors, hypocaust systems , private baths and courtyards. Latrine pits, with examples well over a metre deep, have been discovered next to some of
15159-482: The colonia in the First, Second and Third centuries are all located outside of the walls along the main roads out of the town, with infants buried within the walls. The cemeteries, some of which are walled, initially contained cremation burials , with ashes placed within jars and urns depicting human faces or glass vessels; these jars were sometimes buried in "boxes" made from ceramic tiles and hypocaust flue blocks to protect
15322-506: The colonia through the gate. A small portal in the gateway may have been opened up later. The town ditch began to silt up from c. 400 onwards. The troubles of the late 3rd century saw the burial of several coin hoards around the town, including a hoard of 1,247 coins found in a grey-ware pot at Hyderabad Barracks. As with many towns in the Empire, the colonia shrunk in size in the 4th century but continued to function as an important town. Although houses tended to shrink in size, with 75% of
15485-490: The colonia, and are found in thin numbers across Britain. The Samian industry, copying the East Gaullish style, was active for a time in Camulodunum from 160 to about 200, with the names of several individual Samian potters identified as working in the colonia. Over 400 fragments of Samian moulds for producing the decorated pottery have been uncovered in the town, including 37 complete examples. A well-preserved Samian kiln
15648-793: The colonia. Imports of dates, wine (including Falernian wine ), olive oil, jet , marble and other goods from across the Roman Empire have been found in Colchester, including a locally made amphora with an inscription suggesting that it held North African palm-tree fruit products. The trade in salt from local Red Hills also appears to have continued on from the Iron Age in the Roman period, but with more sophisticated evaporation kilns. Small numbers of tiles were imported from Eccles in Kent by Roman settlements in South-East Britain, including Camulodunum, for
15811-524: The cork oaks planted by John Constable. A tree walk detailing close to 40 trees in the parkland was created by Christopher Howard in 2013. Wivenhoe House is included on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest as a Grade II* listed building. Other listed structures in Wivenhoe Park include two Gatehouses (one to the east of the house, and the other to the north-west),
15974-546: The corner of it, currently open to public viewing. Opposite the Temple, on the south side of the Decumanus Maximus, the remains of a possible Basilica have been identified. At least seven Romano-Celtic temples have been identified at Camulodunum, with the largest located at the Gosbecks area to the south of the town, built within the site of a former Iron-Age enclosure. A large portico with an eastern entrance ran all
16137-514: The defensive earthworks and rivers mainly consisted of a network of droveways, hollow ways , pastures and fields associated with cattle herding. Scattered roundhouses and burials have been discovered amongst these droveways. The defences were designed to protect the high status and industrial areas as well as prevent cattle rustling of valuable herds. Camulodunon was surrounded by farmsteads like those at Abbotstone near Colchester Zoo and at Birch Quarry , many of which continued to exist on into
16300-521: The earlier monumental arch built before the Iceni rebellion and was flanked by two possible temples, one of which may have contained the Venus statuette found during the 1973–76 excavations. Skulls showing signs of decapitation were found in the town ditch in front of the gate, interpreted as executions on public display. The North wall contained two gates, the modern North Gate and Duncan's Gate. The East wall had
16463-488: The early-4th century, along with the possible forum-basilica building to the south of it. The Temple appears to have had a large apsidal hall built across the front of the podium steps, with numismatic dating evidence taking the date of the building up to at least 395. A large hall at the Culver Street site, dated 275–325 to c. 400, may have been a large centralised storage barn for taxes paid in kind with grain. Although
16626-454: The entranceway to the temple precinct, which took the form of a tufa-faced monumental arch that at 8 m wide was about 2 m wider than the one at the Eastern entrance to the town, which had been incorporated into Balkerne Gate. To the west of the temple on the modern Maidenburgh Street was a 3,000 seat capacity Roman theatre , which now has the Norman chapel of St Helena built into
16789-495: The existing Diocese of Rochester . The bid was unsuccessful, with county town Chelmsford forming the seat of the new diocese . In the 2nd World War Colchester's main significance lay in its infantry and light-anti-aircraft training units, and in the Paxman factory, which supplied a large proportion of the engines for British submarines and landing craft. Occasionally hit by stray single German aircraft in 1940 and 1941, in 1942 more serious attempts to bomb its industries were made by
16952-506: The existing native defences. One of these was around the Sheepen site, which became the main Roman port for the fortress and later for the town, with another military river port at Fingringhoe . Archaeological excavations in 2008–2009 revealed that the Roman Sheepen site was more extensive than previously thought, and had a network of gravelled roads and timber-buildings, some of which contained timber-lined basements. A wooden paddle for
17115-531: The first permanent legionary fortress to be built in Britain, was established within the confines of Camulodunon (which was Latinised as Camulodunum ) following the successful invasion in AD 43, and was home to the Twentieth Legion . A smaller fort was built against the Iron Age earthworks close to the Gosbecks high-status farmstead, and was home to the Ala Primae Thracum ("First Wing of Thracians ",
17278-534: The houses. Large houses were also found in the extramural suburbs outside of the town walls, with the Middleborough House beneath the old Cattle Market being the largest, containing many rooms, mosaics and basements. The Beryfield mosaic (of 180/200) from the SE corner of the colonia is the best preserved of the more than 50 mosaics found in the town. In keeping with Roman burial customs the cemeteries for adults of
17441-607: The ideas later used in their designs for The Burrell Collection in Glasgow. Constable was invited to stay at Wivenhoe House in August 1816. The painting depicts the parkland surrounding Wivenhoe House including cows grazing, swans on the lake and fishermen bringing in their nets. Major Rebow's daughter, Mary Rebow, is depicted riding her donkey cart. 51°52′42″N 0°57′06″E / 51.87824°N 0.95173°E / 51.87824; 0.95173 This Essex location article
17604-436: The large tower-like ossuary containing the remains of cremated individuals and birds of prey , which was found at the junction between the road to London and the road to Gosbecks beneath the modern Colchester Royal Grammar School. Camulodunum was a centre for pottery production, peaking at around 200, and over 40 kilns have been in the town, including those found in the northern suburbs of the colonia around Middleborough and
17767-488: The large townhouses being replaced by smaller buildings by c. 350, in the period 275 to 325 a weak "building boom" (the " Constantinian renaissance") occurred in the town, with new houses being built and old ones reshaped. Many of the town's mosaics date from this period, including the famous Lion Walk mosaic. Late Roman robber trenches have been found at some sites, used for removing and salvaging tessellated floors and tiles for reuse in later houses. The pottery industry in
17930-451: The largest classical style temple in Britain, was built there in the 50s and was dedicated to Emperor Claudius on his death in 54. The podium, or foundation of the temple, was incorporated into the Norman castle , and represents "the earliest substantial stone building of Roman date visible in the country". A monumental arch was built from tufa and Purbeck Marble at the western gate out of
18093-432: The late 4th century. Several other possible churches or Christian buildings have been postulated, such as Building 127 at Culver Street and possible Roman remains beneath St Helena's Chapel, St Nicholas Church and Roman "vaults" beneath St Botolph's Priory which might be a late-Roman Martyrium , although over interpretations include a bath-house. The Temple of Claudius, which underwent large-scale structural additions in
18256-454: The legion was withdrawn in c. AD 49, the legionary defences were dismantled and the fortress converted into a town, with many of the barrack blocks converted into housing. Its official name became Colonia Victricensis , with discharged Roman soldiers making up the population; a bronze military diplomata (document formalising a soldier's retirement, citizen rights and land rights) for a legionary soldier called Saturninus has been found at
18419-466: The lines of Roman street frontages and the walls of Roman buildings. This was especially prominent along the High Street, where the medieval street "frontage of the High Street between St Runwald's Church and Maidenburgh Street has fossilized the imprint of the Roman town underneath...". St Runwald's Church (demolished in the 19th century) formerly stood in the centre of the High Street market just east of
18582-400: The middle of the site. This central space contained a large Romano-Celtic temple, which stood off-centre, leading to suggestions that something else stood at the heart of the religious complex. Next to the Gosbecks temple stood a second 5,000 seat theatre, Britain's largest at 82 m in diameter. A group of four Romano-Celtic temples stood at the Sheepen industrial site, one of which
18745-646: The modern East Gate, and the Southern wall had the modern South Gate and Head Gate. Drains were constructed in the wall to allow sewerage out of the colonia. The Cardo maximus , the main north–south street, ran between North Gate and Head Gate, whilst the Decumanus Maximus , the main east–west street, ran between Balkerne Gate and East Gate, and have their origins in the Legionary fortresses two main axial streets. They were well paved, had drainage channels and were fronted with houses and shops. Many included footways,
18908-576: The monumental façade of the precinct of the Temple of Claudius were discovered behind the High Street, with plans to make them visible to the public. Opened in 1972, the Mercury Theatre is a repertory theatre. Located nearby is Colchester Arts Centre , a multi-function arts venue located in the former St Mary-at-the-Walls church, and home of the Colchester Beer Festival. The Headgate Theatre
19071-406: The mouth of the River Colne were built to protect the town. Balkerne Gate and Duncan's Gate were blocked up in this period, with the latter showing signs of attack. The extramural suburbs outside Balkerne Gate had gone by 300 and were replaced by cultivation beds. Re-cutting of the town ditch in front of the newly blocked Balkerne Gate in 275–300 involved destroying the water pipes which entered
19234-531: The name Camelot of Arthurian legend was probably a reference to Camulodunum , the capital of Britannia in Roman times. The archaeologist Sir Mortimer Wheeler was the first to propose that the lack of early Anglo-Saxon finds in a triangle between London, Colchester and St Albans could indicate a 'sub-Roman triangle' where British rule continued after the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons. Since then excavations have revealed some early Saxon occupation, including
19397-407: The number of clipped coins from the 4th century have been interpreted as a breakdown in the Roman monetary economy, with most new Bronze coins ceasing to be introduced in the town c. 395 and silver coins in 402 (though these coins may have remained in circulation long after being minted). For example, the coin sequence at the Butt Road church goes up to around 425, 14 years after Roman rule ended in
19560-419: The only known depictions of sailing vessels from Iron Age Britain . Amphorae containing imported goods from the continent have been found at Sheepen, as have pieces of imported Samian pottery. Just inside the earthworks, at Lexden, are located the burial mounds of the rulers of Camulodunon, which contain large amounts of grave goods including imported Roman material from Europe; the largest of these mounds
19723-493: The over 500 coins found at the site, and puts its date from 320 to c.425. Five of the extramural pagan Romano-British Temples were abandoned in c.300, whilst Temple II at Sheepen was rebuilt in 350 and continued in existence until c. 375. Temple X outside of the Balkerne Gate had its ambulatory demolished in 325-50 leaving just its Cella , perhaps repurposed as a Christian temple. A nearby shrine may also have survived into
19886-576: The park. In April 1856, Prince Albert visited Colchester to inspect the new barracks and travelled out to see some of the troops on exercise in Wivenhoe Park, presumably at the invitation of John Gurdon Rebow. A report of the royal visit to Wivenhoe Park, including an engraving, was published by the London Illustrated News. Wivenhoe Park was sold to the Gooch family in 1908. Outstanding trees still remain at Wivenhoe Park including ancient oaks and
20049-655: The perfect pretext. Aulus Plautius led the four Roman legions across to Britain with Camulodunon being their main target, defeating and killing Togodumnus near the Thames and then waiting for Claudius to cross the Channel. Claudius arrived with reinforcements, including artillery and elephants, leading the attack on Camulodunon. Caratacus fled the storming of the town, taking refuge with the Ordovices and Silures tribes in Wales and becoming
20212-444: The period 20–10 BC. Before the Roman conquest of Britain it was already a centre of power for Cunobelin – known to Shakespeare as Cymbeline – king of the Catuvellauni (c. 5 BC – AD 40), who minted coins there. Its Celtic name, Camulodunon, variously represented as CA, CAM, CAMV, CAMVL and CAMVLODVNO on the coins of Cunobelinus, means 'the fortress of [the war god] Camulos '. During
20375-407: The pipes would have been fed by a castellum divisiorum , a water tower with multiple outlets, and that some form of aqueduct or water-lifting wheel would have been needed to bring water from springs west of the town to the pipes found at Balkerne Lane. Within the town, a complicated system of chambers, water pipes and slots for possible water-wheels was found in Castle Park that were once described as
20538-624: The podium into Colchester Castle in the 11th Century. In 2014 the discovery of marble pillars belonging to the Monumental Facade of the Temple precinct was made behind the High Street, with evidence suggesting that they were still standing until the Castle-builders knocked them over to make way for the Castle Bailey. The Normans referred to the Temple as King Coel's Palace and to the barbican of Balkerne Gate as Colkyng's Castle, reflecting
20701-430: The province by at least 150 years ). They were completed by 80, twenty years after the revolt. They were built with two external faces of alternating layers of tile and septaria mudstone containing a core of septaria boulders, with a 10 ft wide and 4 ft deep foundation trench, the whole structure taking up 45,000 cubic metres of stone, tile and mortar. They were 2,800m long and 2.4m thick, and survive up to
20864-580: The province. Late Roman military equipment has been discovered in the town, including an official cingulum militare belt buckle made in Pannonia for Roman frontier units. Alongside Roman military equipment 4th and early 5th century Germanic weaponry has been found alongside Germanic domestic objects in the Late Roman town, which has been interpreted by archaeologist Philip Crummy as perhaps representing Saxon foederati mercenaries living and settling in
21027-593: The public. Several temples and religious monuments in and around the colonia have evidence for the deity honoured by them: Marble from many of these public structures has been found, including Purbeck Marble and giallo antico (a rare yellow marble from Tunisia ), as well as statutes, inscriptions and plaques. Several other public buildings have been postulated for which evidence is so far lacking, for example: The town's streets and walls feature many brick built drains, including several large examples in Castle Park and near St Botolph's Priory . As well as drains
21190-561: The region. The building is owned by the Victor Batte-Lay Foundation. There are several bars with live music. In 2009, an art collective called 'Slack Space' took up some of the closed-down shops in the centre and converted them into art galleries with the hope of promoting art and design. The Colchester School of Art, opened in 1885, is based in the Colchester Institute , near the centre. A film festival, showcasing
21353-562: The revolt the town was rebuilt on a larger scale and flourished, growing larger in size than its pre-Boudican levels (to 108 acres/45 ha) despite its loss of status to Londinium , reaching its peak in the Second and 3rd centuries. The town's official name was Colonia Claudia Victricensis (City of Claudius’ Victory), but it was known colloquially by contemporaries (such as on the monument of Gnaeus Munatius Aurelius Bassus in Rome – see below ) as Camulodunum or simply Colonia . The colonia became
21516-402: The site of Camulodunum , the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colchester therefore claims to be Britain's first city. It has been an important military base since the Roman era , with Colchester Garrison currently housing the 16th Air Assault Brigade . On the River Colne , Colchester is 50 miles (80 kilometres) northeast of London. It is connected to London by
21679-573: The south coast. Verica , king of the Atrebates, which had branches on both sides of the English Channel and had been friends of Rome since Caesar's conquest , appealed to the Emperor Claudius for aid. At the time of this appeal in AD 43 the newly enthroned Emperor Claudius was in need of a military victory in order to secure his shaky position with the military , and saw this call for help as
21842-452: The summer. Snow falls on average 13 days a year during winter and early spring. The highest temperature recorded in Colchester was 36.1 °C (97 °F) in August 2003 (during the 2003 European heat wave ), and the lowest was −9.4 °C (15 °F) in December 2010. Colchester has been an important military garrison since the Roman era. The Colchester Garrison is currently home to
22005-601: The surrender document in the Kings Head Inn) and Charles Lucas and George Lisle were executed in the grounds of Colchester Castle . A small obelisk marks the spot where they fell. Daniel Defoe mentions in A tour through England and Wales that the town lost 5259 people to the plague in 1665, "more in proportion than any of its neighbours, or than the city of London" . By the time he wrote this in 1722, however, he estimated its population to be around 40,000 (including "out-villages"). Between 1797 and 1815 Colchester
22168-565: The surrounding area is currently undergoing significant regeneration, including controversial greenfield residential development in Mile End and Braiswick. At the time of the 2011 UK Census , Colchester and its surrounding built up area had a population of 121,859 , marking a considerable rise from the previous census and with considerable development since 2001 and ongoing building plans; it has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. The local football team, Colchester United, moved into
22331-521: The surrounding areas. They were famed for the production of "Bays and Says" cloths which were woven from wool and are normally associated with baize and serge although surviving examples show that they were rather different from their modern equivalents. An area in Colchester town centre is still known as the Dutch Quarter and many buildings there date from the Tudor period. During this period Colchester
22494-578: The town . Over 25,000 cubic metres of reused Roman tile and brick was used for the Castle alone. The quarrying of Roman rubble for building material reached a peak in the 12th and 13th Centuries. Several structures from the Saxon and Medieval period incorporated Roman structural remains within their walls and outlines. The Temple of Claudius was a standing ruin until the Normans cleared the superstructure to incorporate
22657-525: The town . After the Romans under governor Gaius Suetonius Paullinus finally defeated the uprising, the Procurator of the province moved his seat to the newly established commercial settlement of Londinium ( London ). The destruction of the early town by the rebels has left a thick layer of ash, destroyed buildings and smashed pottery and glasswork across the town centre and at the Sheepen river port site outside
22820-462: The town during this period, several decades before the Saxon migrations of the mid to late 5th century. During this period the late Roman church at Butt Road just outside the town walls was built with its associated cemetery containing over 650 graves (some containing fragments of Chinese silk ), and may be one of the earliest churches in Britain. A strong numismatic chronology has been obtained from
22983-497: The town had declined significantly by 300, but the 4th century saw an increase in the bone-working industry for making furniture and jewellery, and evidence of blown glass making has also been found. Large areas of the Southern part of the town were given over to agriculture. Despite scaling down of private buildings an increase in size and grandeur of public buildings occurred in the period 275–400. The Temple of Claudius and its associated temenos buildings were reconstructed in
23146-402: The town prior to the rebellion: As the symbol of Roman rule in Britain the city was the first target of the rebels, with its Temple seen in British eyes as the arx aeternae dominationis ("stronghold of everlasting domination") according to Tacitus. He wrote that it was undefended by fortifications when it was attacked with a garrison of only 200 members of the procurator's guard. He wrote of
23309-412: The town walls was located the Temple of Claudius in its large temple precinct with a monumental columned arcade. Parts of the temple precinct wall are still visible to the NW of the present castle, jutting out from beneath the Norman bailey rampart. The front of the precinct wall consisted of a large columned arcade screen extending the full width of the frontage. At the centre of this arcade stood
23472-576: The town, which it calls Cair Colun , in a list of the thirty most important cities in Britain. Colchester was in the area assigned to the Danelaw in c.880, and remained in Danish hands until 917 when it was besieged and recaptured by the army of Edward the Elder . The tenth-century Saxons called the town Colneceastre , which is directly equivalent to the Cair Colun of 'Nennius'. The tower of Holy Trinity Church
23635-522: The town. At the Culver Street site a thin layer of early Saxon pottery was discovered along with two dwellings. Other circumstantial evidence of activity includes large post-Roman rubbish dumps, which suggest nearby occupation by Romano-Britons. Excavations at Guildford Road Estate have uncovered a Germanic-style brooch, dated to around the 420s, associated with a group of beads from a necklace, also dated to sometime between 400 and 440. The presence of Late Roman and Germanic military and domestic finds within
23798-449: The town. Tombs lined the roads out of the town, with several belonging to military veterans giving insights into the military units stationed in Britain during the post-Conquest period, such as: By 60–61 the population may have been as high as 30,000. The city was the capital of the Roman province of Britannia , and its temple (the only classical-style temple in Britain) was the centre of
23961-479: The vessel. Some cremation pots have graffiti on them, with PVERORVA ("remains of the boys") scratched on one, as do some glass vessels, such as one found with CN.A.ING.A.V.M. scratched on it (presumably the initials of the interred ashes). Later (post-c. 260) burials are inhumations , some in lead coffins decorated with patterns and images of scallop shells, and some with wooden superstructures above and around them. Examples of bustum burials (funerary pyre that
24124-399: The way around the outside of the site, with a solid outer wall, a row of columns down the centre of the portico and a second row of columns around the inner side. In all there were about 260 columns placed 2 m apart, and reaching a height of at least 5 m. The portico ran around the outside of a deep, Iron-Age enclosure ditch, which separated the portico from the central space in
24287-457: The west (c. AD 49), Camulodunum became a colonia named in a second-century inscription as Colonia Victricensis . This contained a large and elaborate Temple to the Divine Claudius , the largest classical-style temple in Britain, as well as at least seven other Romano-British temples. Colchester is home to two of the five Roman theatres found in Britain; the example at Gosbecks (site of
24450-602: The wetter places in Essex. Colchester is generally regarded as having an Oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfb ) like the rest of the United Kingdom. Its easterly position within the British Isles makes Colchester less prone to Atlantic depressions and weather fronts but more prone to droughts. This is because, like most areas in southeast England, Colchester's weather is influenced more by Continental weather patterns than by Atlantic weather systems. This leads to
24613-518: Was attacked by a large crowd. In 1648, during the Second English Civil War , a Royalist army led by Lord Goring entered the town. A pursuing Parliamentary army led by Thomas Fairfax and Henry Ireton surrounded the town for eleven and a half weeks, a period known as the Siege of Colchester . It started on 13 June. The Royalists surrendered in the late summer (on 27 August Lord Goring signed
24776-414: Was believed to have been founded in the vicinity of Colchester) and castra , meaning fortifications (referring to the city walls, the oldest in Britain). The earliest forms of the name Colchester are Colenceaster and Colneceastre from the 10th century, with the modern spelling of Colchester being found in the 15th century. In this way of interpreting the name, the River Colne which runs through
24939-514: Was dedicated to Jupiter . Temple I at the Sheepen site was found to be enclosed by a large, buttressed precinct wall during excavations in 1935 and 2014. In 2005, the only known Roman circus in Britain was discovered on the southern outskirts of the colonia. It is about 450 metres long, with eight starting-gates, and it was built in the early 2nd century. It could accommodate at least 8,000 spectators and maybe up to as many as double that. The structure's gates are being opened to
25102-421: Was excavated by archaeologist M.R. Hull near Middleborough, just outside North Gate. It was 8 ft wide, with a 5m flue under a large circular kiln chamber, and had a complex system of ceramic pipes and tubes for regulating the oxidisation of the pottery to produce its distinctive red colour. Several of the potters operating in Camulodunum in the First, Second and Third centuries are identified as immigrants from
25265-423: Was found beneath, was discovered in the town centre. The director of Colchester Archaeological Trust, Philip Crummy, described the hoard as being of "national importance and one of the finest ever uncovered in Britain". There is evidence of hasty re-organisation of Colchester's defences around 268–82 AD, followed later, during the fourth century, by the blocking of the Balkerne Gate. John Morris suggested that
25428-433: Was made public, with Colchester receiving city status dated 5 September 2022 by the late Queen. Colchester officially received city status on 23 November 2022. Colchester was visited by King Charles III on 7 March 2023, in order to congratulate Colchester on receiving city status. Colchester is in one of the driest regions of the United Kingdom with average annual precipitation at 635 mm (25.0 inches), although among
25591-531: Was mentioned by Pliny the Elder , who died in AD 79, although the Celtic name of the town, Camulodunon , appears on coins minted by tribal chieftain Tasciovanus in the period 20–10 BC. Before the Roman conquest of Britain it was already a centre of power for Cunobelin – known to Shakespeare as Cymbeline – king of the Catuvellauni (c. 5 BC – AD 40), who minted coins there. Its Celtic name, Camulodunon, variously represented as CA, CAM, CAMV, CAMVL and CAMVLODVNO on
25754-521: Was one of the most prosperous wool towns in England, and was also famed for its oysters . Flemish refugees in the 1560s brought innovations that revived the local cloth trade, establishing the Dutch Bay Hall for quality control of the textiles for which Colchester became famous. The old Roman wall runs along Northgate Street in the Dutch Quarter. In the reign of "Bloody Mary" (1553–1558) Colchester became
25917-446: Was probably one of the British kings that Strabo says sent embassies to Augustus . Strabo reports Rome's lucrative trade with Britain; the island's exports included grain, gold, silver, iron, hides, slaves and hunting dogs. Iron ingots, slave chains and storage vessels discovered at the Sheepen site appear to confirm this trade with the Empire. The Catuvellauni king Cunobelinus, ruling from his capital at Camulodunon, had subjugated
26080-602: Was rebuilt, reaching its zenith in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. During this time it was known by its official name Colonia Claudia Victricensis ( COLONIA CLAVDIA VICTRICENSIS ), often shortened to Colonia Victricensis , and as Camulodunum , a Latinised version of its original Brythonic name. The town was home to a large classical temple , two theatres (including Britain's largest), several Romano-British temples, Britain's only known chariot circus, Britain's first town walls, several large cemeteries and over 50 known mosaics and tessellated pavements. It may have reached
26243-451: Was soon supplanted by Tasciovanus' son Cunobelinus . Cunobelinus then succeeded his father at Verlamion, beginning the dominance of the Catuvellauni over the south-east. Cunobelinus was friendly with Rome, marking his coins with the word REX and classical motifs rather than the traditional Gallo-Belgic designs. Archaeology shows an increase in imported luxury goods, probably through the Sheepen site port of Camulodunon, during his reign. He
26406-521: Was still in use into the Saxon period . The History of the Britons traditionally ascribed to Nennius includes a list of the 28 cities of Britain , including a Cair Colun that has been thought to indicate Colchester. Archaeology aside, Colchester first explicitly re-enters the written historical record again in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for 917, the year it was retaken from the Danes by
26569-507: Was the HQ of the Army's Eastern District, had a garrison of up to 6,000, and played a main role in defence against a threatened French or Dutch invasion, At various times it was the base of such celebrated officers as Lord Cornwallis, Generals Sir James Craig and David Baird, and Captain William Napier. It was in a state of alarm during the invasion threat of 1803/4, a period well chronicled by the contemporary local author Jane Taylor. Significant Victorian landmarks include Colchester Town Hall ,
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