Colchester Castle

Image via Wikipedia

Colchester is where we have lived now for 13 years now, though I lived in Norwich before for about 2 years, before which I lived in Hackney, London for 10 years and originally I am from Lancashire.

Colchester is Britain's oldest recorded town and it has a lot of history to it, much of it evident in the surrounding buildings etc. In particular, it has an extensive Roman wall and a Norman Castle (actually its just the Keep - the largest in Europe) as well as Dutch Quarter and evidence locally of the Celts in a network of defensive dykes.

So there is plenty to see if you are visiting Colchester and in particular the Castle is where most visitors end up, but fortunately they are let out of the dungeons at the end of their tour!

A brief history of the Castle:

 

The Castle is located just off the town's main high street in a lovely park with remains of the Roman walls still evident. Here is what the Castle Museum says about the Castle:

Colchester was the first capital of Roman Britain and beneath the Castle are the remains of the most famous Roman buildings, the Temple of Claudius. Today if you lay your hand on the stonework of the temple it can be said that you are touching the very foundation of Roman Britain.

To Romans the temple was a symbol of their power and success, but to the native Britons it was a symbol of oppression. The temple became a main target of the rebels led by Queen Boudica who attacked the Roman town of Colchester in AD 60. The town's citizens barricaded themselves into the temple but after two days they were all killed.


It is estimated that up to 30,000 people could have been killed during the sacking of Colchester. After the revolt was suppressed the town and its magnificent temple were rebuilt.

Around 1076 William I ordered a royal fortress to be built at Colchester. The great stone base of the ruined Roman temple was an obvious foundation for the central tower, or keep, of the castle.
 
The huge size of the temple meant that the keep of Colchester Castle was the largest ever built in Britain and is the largest surviving example in Europe. For most of its life the Castle was used as a prison. One of the most infamous episodes in its history occurred in 1645 when Matthew Hopkins, the self-styled Witch-finder General, used the Castle to imprison and interrogate suspected witches.

The Castle first opened to the public as a museum in 1860. Today it is still a living vibrant place.
It is not only the town's flagship museum, but it is also in a real sense a symbol of Colchester, Britain's oldest recorded town.

So, as you can see, the Castle has quite a fascinating history and that is only a taster. You can't beat an actual visit and I highly recommend you do visit at least once, if possible. If you are not able to at least be sure to visit the museum's website and  take the virtual tour at http://www.colchestermuseums.org.uk/castle/castle_vr.html

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