Colchester

Arms of Colchester Borough Council

This article is about the town in England. For other towns with the same name, see Colchester (disambiguation).

Colchester is a town in the north of the English county of Essex, with a population of about 160,000. It is the main town in the borough of Colchester, and is one of the towns which claim to be Britain's oldest town.

Colchester lies 54 miles east of London, with fast direct links into the capital via the A12/M25 road network, or just 47 minutes by train into the heart of the city.

Table of contents

1 Roman Colchester
2 Medieval Colchester
3 Colchester Earthquake
4 Tourism
5 Colchester Army Garrison
6 University of Essex
7 See also
8 External links

Roman Colchester

Colchester is the oldest recorded Roman town in England, although it existed as a Celtic settlement before the Roman conquest and there is archaeological evidence of settlement 3,000 years ago. Its Celtic name was "Camulodunon", meaning "the Fortress of Camulos". (Camulos was the Celtic god of war.) This name was modified to the Roman spelling of "Camulodunum" (written "CAMVLODVNVM").

Camulodunum was the capital of the Catuvellauni tribe. King Cunobelinus (or "Cunobelin") (Cymbeline in William Shakespeare's play and "Old King Cole" of the nursery rhyme) was ruler of the Catuvellauni when the Romans invaded Britain in 43 AD.

A Roman legionary fortress was established at Colchester in 43 AD. This was the first permanent legionary fortress to be built in Britain. Later, when the when the Roman frontier moved north (c. 49 AD), Colchester became a colonia known as Colonia Claudia Victricensis (written "COLONIA CLAVDIA VICTRICENSIS").

A Roman monumental temple was built at Colchester in c. 44 AD and was dedicated to the Emperor Claudius as The Temple of the Divine Claudius. The temple was completely destroyed during Boudicca's rebellion in 61 AD.

Colchester was the only place in the province of Britannia where samian ware was produced (for a short time).

Medieval Colchester

Its main landmark is Colchester Castle, which is an 11th century Norman keep, and built atop the vaults of the old Roman temple. The castle is surrounded by the landscaped Castle Park. The castle is a minute's walk from the high street.

The Benedictine abbey of St. John the Baptist, generally known as "Colchester Abbey" or "St. John's Abbey," had a beautiful late 11th century church until the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the execution of its abbot in 1539. Now all that remains of it is its gate, which is still a tourist attraction on St. John's Green.

The Augustinian priory of St. Botolph, generally known as "St. Botolph's Priory", was also established in the 11th century. Today, all that remains of the priory are ruins.

Colchester Earthquake

At around 9:20 in the morning of April 22, 1884, the Colchester area was at the epicentre of the UK's most destructive earthquake, estimated to have been 5.2 on the Richter Scale, and lasting for about 20 seconds. The quake was felt over much of southern England and into Europe, and over 1,200 buildings were destroyed or damaged.

The Times for Wednesday, April 23 reported heart-rending damage "in the many villages in the neighbourhood from Colchester to the sea coast", with many poor people made homeless, and estimated the financial cost of the quake at 10,000 pounds. Great damage was also reported in Wivenhoe and Ipswich, and buildings destroyed included Langehoe church, and the Rose and Crown Inn at Peldon. The death of a child at Rowhedge was also reported.

A copy of the Report on the East Anglian Earthquake of April 22nd 1884 can be found in the local library.

Tourism

As well as the medieval landmarks above, Colchester's tourist attractions include Colchester Zoo, situated in Stanway and a number of civic and historical museums [1]. The borough is home to the University of Essex and the Colchester United football club.

Colchester is ideally situated for tourists wishing to visit Constable Country in the Dedham Vale. It is also the setting for many of John Grant's Lovejoy novels and is an ideal base for touring the picturesque villages of Lovejoy Country.

Colchester Army Garrison

Colchester has been an important military garrison since Roman times. The Colchester Garrison [1] is currently home to [1] 16 Air Assault Brigade.

During World War II the town was ringed by over 120 pillboxes or other defensive structures.

University of Essex

Colchester is also regarded by many as a university town. The University of Essex is located on the edge of Colchester, beside Wivenhoe. [1]