Jumbo Water Tower Colchester, England's largest Victorian water tower
Colchester Castle Museum with Britain's largest Norman Keep
Roman Walls in Colchester which was the Roman Capital of Britain
Late Victorian Colchester Town Hall
Historic Coaching Inn Hotels in Colchester centre
Mercury Theatre ColchesterBritain's oldest town Colchester in North Essex sits close to the Suffolk and Essex border was once the Roman capital of Britain. Harwich International Port is just 20 miles east of Colchester whilst Stansted Airport is a mere 30 miles to the west. Colchester attracts millions of visitors annually - this historic Essex centre contains award winning museums like the Colchester Castle Museum, top family attractions like Colchester Zoo and iconic contemporary arts venues like the dazzling contemporary firstsite. Colchester is a superb holiday base and perfect for weekend breaks. Fantastic attractions are also around Colchester including Dedham Vale John Constable Country, nearby Mersea Island beaches and coastal parks and the East Anglian Railway Museum.
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Colchester centre contains beautiful historic hotels, luxury B&Bs and stylish boutique hotels. Luxury self catering cottages and premier B&Bs around Colchester are also widely available. Premier shopping, dining, art cafes and acclaimed theatre all feature in Colchester centre and fast trains from Colchester to London Liverpool Street take just 50 minutes.
Colchester is not only Britain's oldest town, it was Roman Britain's capital. The Colchester Castle Museum, with exhibits exploring Colchester's Roman history and Norman invasion, sits on the former site of a Roman temple and the remains of Roman walls and the largest Roman gateway in Britain are in Colchester. Millions of visitors visit Colchester annually and this historic Essex centre caters well for visitors offering a range of tours, year round events, live music pubs and arts centres. Stunning timber-framed medieval architecture and magnificent Victorian architecture like the Jumbo Water tower are in Colchester town centre.
The choice of museums in Colchester alongside the internationally acclaimed Colchester Castle Museum include the Natural History Museum, Hollytrees Museum and Tymperleys Museum. All these Colchester museums are conveniently clustered close together at the end of High Street in Colchester's historic quarter near Colchester Tourist Information Centre (Queen Street). First class collections are on display in Colchester museums including one of Britain's largest collections of clocks in the Tymperleys Museum and the dazzling display of Roman finds including mosaics at the Colchester Castle Museum.
Colchester's Roman heritage is an influence on contemporary marvel the crescent shaped firstsite art gallery in Colchester designed by award winning architect Rafael Vinoly. Funky exhibition space, contemporary craft retail outlets and conference facilities are all within the iconic firstsite Colchester. Colchester centre also contains several great art cafes and premier theatre The Mercury Theatre, hub arts venue for cutting edge drama, music, comedy and family shows.
Fantastic family leisure activities in Colchester include Rollerworld's vast roller skating rink. Go-karting and Megabowl are further family activities in Colchester which also has town centre cinemas. Shopping and dining in Colchester is superb. Fairtrade Colchester offers an extensive choice of dining experiences from stylish cafes and award winning restaurants to superb traditional pubs. Shopping in Colchester is equally superb. The town centre is easily explored on foot and mixes favourite high street shops with independent stores including award winning independent department store Williams & Griffin.
Attractions around Colchester are numerous, ranging from top family attractions like Colchester Zoo and The East Anglian Railway Museum to walking around Dedham Vale's Constable Country within easy reach of Colchester.
Just a short drive from Colchester is outdoor playground Mersea Island and the Essex Coast. Great beaches, coastal parks and an ancient Roman burial ground are all on Mersea island. Dedham Vale just north of Colchester on the Essex/Suffolk border is John Constable country, a mecca for art lovers and walking fans, with the countryside scene here largely unchanged since Constable's day.
Also within easy reach of Colchester is nearby Tiptree, home to the internationally acclaimed Wilkin & Sons Tiptree jam family. The company, which sells its Tiptree jams worldwide, has been in the town for 300 years. Charming tearooms with traditional waitress service, a visitor centre, jam shop and a jam museum are all at the Wilkin & Sons site in Tiptree (signposted from Tiptree towards Tollesbury).
Essential visiting situated just outside Colchester at Chappel and Wakes Colne Station is The East Anglian Railway Museum. Hub site for the history of East Anglian railways, the open air museum is home to one of Britain's best collection of heritage Victorian railway buildings and stock. Special railway themed events at the East Anglian Railway Museum take place year round including beer festivals, Days out with Thomas and Santa Specials.
