'Colchester' is a town, and the largest settlement within the
borough of Colchester, in
Essex,
England.
It has a population of
104,390.
[1] As the oldest recorded Roman town, Colchester claims to be the
oldest town in Britain. It also claims to have the
United Kingdom's oldest recorded
market.
Colchester is 56 miles (90 km) northeast of
London. It is connected to the capital by the
A12 road and the
Great Eastern Main Line.
History
Main articles: History of Colchester
Roman Colchester
A map of Colchester from 1940
Colchester is claimed to be the
oldest recorded Roman town in Britain. Its
Celtic name was Camulodunon, meaning 'the fortress of (the war god)
Camulos'. Following the
Roman conquest of Britain in AD
43, a Roman legionary fortress was established and the name Camulodunon was modified to the Roman spelling of 'Camulodunum'. Camulodunum served as the first 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 but it would seem that the council of the provincial natives still met at Colchester, where the
Temple to the Divine Claudius served as the seat of this council. Later, when the Roman frontier moved north (c. AD
49), Camulodunum became a
colonia known as ''Colonia Claudia Victricensis''.
Sub-Roman and Saxon Colchester
There is evidence of hasty re-organisation of Colchester's defences around 400AD, including the blocking of the
Balkerne Gate. Archaeological excavations have shown that public buildings were abandoned, although the 8th-century chronicler
Nennius mentioned the town, which he called ''Caer Colun'', in his list of the 30 most important cities in Britain. 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 however, excavations have revealed some early Saxon occupation, including a 5th-century wooden hut built on the ruins of a Roman house in present-day Lion Walk. The Saxons called the town Colne ceaster, the Roman fortress of 'Colonia'. The tower of Holy Trinity Church is late Saxon work.
Vikings from
East Anglia overran Colchester and most of Essex in the late 9th century; the town remained in Viking hands until 920 when it was besieged and recaptured by the army of
Edward the Elder.
Medieval Colchester
Colchester Castle, constructed over the vaults of the ruined Temple of Claudius
Medieval Colchester's main landmark is
Colchester Castle, which is an
11th century Norman keep, and built atop 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 (know locally as "St. John's Abbey”), and the ruins of the
Augustinian priory of
St. Botolph (known locally as “
St. Botolph's Priory").
Royal charter
In
1189, Colchester was granted its first
Royal Charter by King Richard I (
Richard the Lionheart.) The charter was granted at Dover with the King about to embark on one of his many journeys away from England. The borough celebrated the 800th anniversary of its charter in 1989
[1].
Tudor Colchester “The Dutch Quarter”
Between
1550 and
1600, a large number of weavers and clothmakers from
Flanders emigrated to Colchester and the surrounding areas. They were famed for the production of Bays and Says cloth. 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 was one of the most prosperous wool towns in England. The old Roman wall runs along Northgate Street in the Dutch Quarter.
English Civil War “The Siege of Colchester”
Main articles: Siege of Colchester
In
1648, during the
Second English Civil War, a
Royalist army led by Sir
Charles Lucas and Sir
George Lisle entered the town. A pursuing
Parliamentary army led by
Sir Thomas Fairfax and
Henry Ireton besieged the town for eleven and a half weeks. The
Royalists surrendered in the late summer and their leaders Lucas and Lisle were executed in the grounds of
Colchester Castle. A small obelisk marks the spot where they fell.
Victorian Colchester
Colchester is noted for its Victorian architecture. Significant landmarks include the
Colchester Town Hall and the
Jumbo Water Tower. In
1884, Colchester suffered an
earthquake that is estimated to have been 5.2 on the
Richter Scale.
Colchester Army Garrison
Main articles: Colchester Garrison
Colchester has been an important military garrison since the
Roman era. The
Colchester Garrison is currently home to
16 Air Assault Brigade.
Colchester Town Watch
Colchester Town Watch
[2] was founded in
2001 to provide a ceremonial guard for the
Mayor of Colchester and for civic events such as the Oyster Feast. The
historic re-enactors wear a livery based on late Elizabethan dress. Colchester Town Watch is accompanied by the musicians of the Colchester Town Waits
[3] - a musical tradition dating back to the 14th century.
Paxman Diesels
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 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.
Recent history
The £22.7m eight-mile
A120 Colchester Eastern Bypass opened in June 1982.
Governance
Main articles: Colchester Politics,
Mayor of Colchester,
Colchester (UK Parliament constituency)
The
Member of Parliament for the Colchester is '
Bob Russell' (
LibDem). The
Mayor of Colchester is Councillor '
Ray Gamble' (
Liberal Democrat).
Colchester Borough Council is the local authority. Control of the borough council has passed between
Tories and
LibDems in recent years. The political composition of the council is (
2007 election results):
★
Conservative – 32 seats
★
Liberal Democrats – 19 seats
★
Labour – 6 seats
★ Others – 3 seats
The town is also represented on
Essex County Council. Individual villages within the borough boundaries are also represented by
parish councils.
Culture
Main articles: History of Colchester
Colchester has a vibrant culture and attracts many visitors because of its
history and its architecture.
Museums
★ 'Colchester Castle Museum': located in the
Colchester Castle, features an extensive exhibit on Roman Colchester.
★ 'Hollytrees Museum': located close to the castle, formerly the home of
Charles Gray, currently a social history museum with children's exhibits.
★ 'Natural History Museum': located across from the Castle Park gates and Hollytrees, the museum is located in the former All Saints Church.
★ 'Tymperleys Clock Museum': located in the historic town centre, in a 15th Century timber-framed house, once home to
William Gilbert, now houses the
Bernard Mason clock collection.
★ '
East Anglian Railway Museum': located roughly 4 miles to the north east of Colchester, located at
Chappel and Wakes Colne railway station.
Arts
Connor Barrett's ''Crucifixion of Mankind'', located in the Colchester Public Library
★ 'Mercury Theatre': opened in
1972, the Mercury Theatre is one the region's leading repertory theatres.
[4]
★ '
Headgate Theatre' - Colchester's most central theatre
★ 'Colchester Arts Centre': multi-function arts venue located in the former St Mary-at-the-Walls church, home of the Colchester Beer Festival.
[5]
★ 'Firstsite': the town's main art gallery,
Firstsite is thought by some to be one of the leading
contemporary art venues in the country.
Music
★ ' Colchester Arts Centre' - The largest music and performing arts centre in Colchester
★ '
The Twist' - A live music venue
★ '
Charter Hall' - larger music venue next to
Colchester Leisure World
Sports
★ 'Colchester United': the
Layer Road ground is home to
Colchester United football club.
★ 'Colchester Rugby Football Club': the largest rugby club in the borough providing community rugby for adults, women and children from age 6 up.
★ 'Colchester Leisure World': swimming & fitness facilities, exhibition hall.
★ 'Athletics Stadium': the
Colchester Garrison Athletics Stadium is a co-operative facility jointly used by the Army and the Town.
★ 'Colchester Cricket': the Colchester & East Essex Cricket Club has its grounds near the Castle Park. The
Essex County Cricket Club plays a series of games at Colchester during the summer.
★ 'Colchester Skatepark' Facilities for extreme sports.
★ 'Colchester Gladiators American Football Club' play at Broad Lane Stadium, home of
Wivenhoe Town FC.
Nearby attractions
★ 'Constable Country': villages in the
Dedham Vale painted by
John Constable.
★ 'Lovejoy Country': towns and villages featured in the
Lovejoy novels of
John Grant (also the TV series of the same name), such as
West Mersea and
Long Melford.
★ 'Munnings Museum': at the house of the painter
Alfred Munnings.
★ 'Clacton-on-Sea': traditional British
seaside resort with a
pleasure pier.
★ 'Essex & Suffolk "wool towns"': villages with architecture dating to the 16th and 17th century
wool trade, such as
Coggeshall and
Lavenham.
★ 'Mersea Island': the most eastern inhabited island in the UK.
Link to the Mersea Island community website
Twin towns
Colchester competes in the
Twin Town Games against
Wetzlar,
Avignon,
Orleans,
Tarragona, and
Siena.
Colchester's
twin towns are:
Education
Colchester is home to many secondary schools including two grammar schools, the
Colchester Royal Grammar School for boys and
Colchester County High School for girls. Both produce excellent GCSE and A-Level examination results, often in the country's top ten.
Colchester Sixth Form College offers a wide range of subjects at A-level, AS level, and GCSE or equivalent level, as well as the International Baccalaureate. This is complemented by the
Colchester Institute which covers many practical and day release courses as well as some of the more academic ones.
The
University of Essex is located in a parkland setting on the edge of Colchester, close to the town of
Wivenhoe.
Higher education
★
University of Essex - established
1964
★
Colchester Institute
Secondary schools
★
Colchester Sixth Form College
★
Colchester Royal Grammar School - boys' grammar school, selective enrolment.
★
Colchester County High School - girls' grammar school, selective enrolment.
★
Alderman Blaxill School
★
Gilberd School
★
Sir Charles Lucas Arts College
★
Philip Morant School and College
★
St Helena School
★
St. Benedicts College (Roman Catholic)
★
The Stanway School - Comprehensive Secondary. Founded
1956.
★
Thomas Lord Audley School
Independent (private) schools
★
Colchester Boys High School -
coed 3-11, boys 11-16, founded
1882.
★
'Holmwood House Prep School' -
coed 4-13, founded
1922.
★
Oxford House School -
coed 2-11, founded
1959.
★
St Mary's School - girls 11-16, founded
1901.
Transport
Colchester has a bus system (run by '
First Essex', '
Network Colchester', '
Hedingham Omnibuses' and other smaller operators) which mainly centres around
Colchester Bus Station in the town centre.
Colchester North station is served by
'one' services on the
London - Norwich mainline and the
Colchester - Clacton line.
Colchester Town railway station, still referred to by some as St Botolphs, is on a spur from the
Colchester - Clacton line, and
Hythe station is also on the Clacton line.
References in literature
The
Roman historian
Tacitus mentions Colchester (Camulodunum) in ''The Annals of Imperial Rome''. In the Chapter ''Nero and his helpers'' he describes how '...the Roman ex-soldiers...had recently established a settlement at Camulodunum', later burned down in the Iceni rebellion.
Geoffrey of Monmouth describes Colchester as the site of the legendary kingdom of
Camelot, due to the similarity of its Roman name.
It is the only town in Britain to have been explicitly mentioned in
George Orwell's novel ''
Nineteen Eighty-Four'' as being the target of a
nuclear attack. The Atomic Wars took place during the 1950s. Colchester, England is the only city that was specifically mentioned as being bombed, but the book does say that many cities were destroyed in North America, Europe, and Russia.
Colchester in popular culture
Local legend places Colchester as the seat of
King Cole (or Coel) of the rhyme ''Old King Cole'', a legendary ancient king of Britain. The name Colchester is from
Old English: the place-name suffixes ''chester'', ''cester'', and ''caster'' derive from the Latin word ''
castrum'' (fortified place). In folk etymology the name Colchester was thought of as meaning Cole's Castle, though it actually means the Roman fort 'Colonia'. In the legend Helena, the daughter of Cole, married the
Roman senator Constantius Chlorus, who had been sent by Rome as an ambassador and was named as Cole's successor. Helena's son became Emperor
Constantine I. Helena was canonised as
Saint Helena of Constantinople and is credited with finding the
true cross and the remains of
the Magi. She is now the patron saint of Colchester. This is recognised in the emblem of Colchester: a cross and three crowns. A local secondary school – St Helena's – is named after her, and her statue is atop the town hall, although local legend is that it was originally a statue of Blessed Virgin Mary which was later fitted with a cross.
Colchester is also the most widely credited source of the rhyme
Humpty Dumpty. During the siege of Colchester in the Civil War, a Royalist sniper known as One-eyed Thompson sat in the belfry of the church of St Mary-at-the-walls (''Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall'') and was given the nickname Humpty Dumpty, most likely because of his corpulence. Thompson was shot down (''Humpty Dumpty had a great fall'') and, shortly after, the town was lost to the Parliamentarians (''all the king's horses and all the king's men / couldn't put Humpty together again.'') The church of St Mary-at-the-walls still retains its Norman tower until the top few feet, which are a Georgian repair.
The third rhyme to come from Colchester is
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, which was written by Jane Taylor in the town's Dutch Quarter, and published in 1806 with the title "The Star".
Colchester has also been suggested as one of the potential sites of
Camelot, on account of having been the capital of Roman England and its ancient name of Camulodunon.
Notable Colcestrians
People of note that were born or have lived in Colchester include:
★
Sir George Bidell Airy (1801-1892) -
Astronomer Royal, attended Colchester Royal Grammar School 1814-1819.
★
Damon Albarn (1968- ) - Musician, lead singer of
Blur and co-creator of virtual cartoon rock band
Gorillaz.
★
Paul Allender (1970-) - Musician, lead guitarist of
Cradle of Filth.
★
Cub Alport -
Cabinet Minister, [High Commissioner] to the
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland,
High Steward of Colchester.
★
John Ball (priest) (d. 1381) - Leader of the
Peasants' Revolt of
1381.
★
Allister Carter (1979- ) - A professional snooker player.
★
John Constable (1776-1837) - Landscape painter.
★
Piers Courage (1942-1970) - A
Formula One driver.
★
Graham Coxon (1969- ) - Musician and former Blur lead guitarist (he met Damon Albarn at
Stanway Comprehensive School).
★
John Crackstone -
Mayflower Pilgrim.
★
Cunobelin - King of the Britons,
Shakespeare's Cymbeline.
★
Darren Day (1968- ) - Actor and television presenter.
★
Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) - Author and social commentator.
★ Sue Denim - Actor (
The Mighty Boosh), Musician (
Robots in Disguise,
I AM X,
The Siblings)
★
Neil Foster (1962- ) -
Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1988, former pupil at
Philip Morant School.
★
William Gilbert (1544-1603) - Scientist, pioneer in the field of
magnetism and court physician to
Elizabeth I and
James I.
★
John Grant - author of the
Lovejoy stories.
★
Sir William Withey Gull, 1st Baronet - Physician to Queen Victoria's household and
Jack the Ripper suspect.
★
Joan Hickson OBE (1906-1998) - Actress.
★
Jay Kay (1969- ) - leader singer of
Jamiroquai, former pupil at
Holmwood House Preparatory School.
★
Klaus Kinski (1926-1991) - actor, director, former German POW in Colchester during the Second World War.
★
Bernard Mason - businessman, philanthropist, clock collector
★
Philip Morant (
18th Century)- Parish priest of St Mary at the Walls, author of ''The History & Antiquities of the County of Essex''.
★
Ralph Morse (actor) (1955 - ) and his country music alias
Johnny Cashbox
★
Martin Newell (1953- ) - Musician, poet, author.
★
Sheila Nicholls (1970- ) - Streaker, later a musician.
★
Dermot O'Leary (1973- ) -
BBC Radio 2 DJ.
★ Sir
Roger Penrose OM FRS (8 August 1931-), mathematical physicist and controversial philosopher.
★
Steven Pimlott (1953-2007) An English opera and theatre director and actor.
★
Dave Rowntree (1964- ) - Musician, drummer for Blur.
★
Jeremy Spake (1968- ) - TV personality, former pupil at
Philip Morant School.
★
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) - Baptist preacher, minster of the
Metropolitan Tabernacle.
★
Jane Taylor (1783-1824) - Poet and author of the lyrics to
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
★
Margaret Thatcher (1925- ) - Baroness Thatcher, Conservative politician and former Prime Minister, worked in Colchester as a research chemist during 1940s.
[6]
★
Archibald Wavell (1883-1950) British Field-Marshal during
World War II and Viceroy of India.
★
Mary Whitehouse (1910-2001) - Morality campaigner.
★
Rt. Hon. Sir Laming Worthington-Evans (1868-1931) - Secretary of State for War, Postmaster General, Privy Councillor.
★
Richard Bartle (1960 - ) - co-author of MUD, the first
multi-user dungeon
See also
★
British military history of World War II
★
Geology of the United Kingdom
★
List of natural disasters in the United Kingdom
★
Camulodunum
Footnotes
1. Key Statistics for urban areas in the South East. 2001 Census, National Statistics. Retrieved on February 11, 2007.
External links
★
Colchester Borough Council
★
Colchester - Britain's first Roman city
★
Colchester - White's Directory of Essex, 1848 - Inhabitants
★
Hanseatic port see
Hanse - Gresham College
★
Colchester Guide - 100% Devoted to Visitors to Colchester
★
Colchester Rugby Football Club
★
Colchester Zoo
★
Colchester Garrison
★
16 Air Assault Brigade
★
East of England Co-operative Society
★
University of Essex
★
Colchester Institute
★
Hospital NHS Trust for north east Essex
★
Colchester Sixth Form College
★
Colchester Royal Grammar School
★
Colchester Museums
★
Colchester Archaeological Trust
★
Colchester Choral Society
★
The Parish of St James & St Paul
★
WikiTravel Entry
★
Cuckoo Farm Studios - The largest artist run studio group in East Anglia
★
Essex Photos
★
Colchester Gay Switchboard
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