Colchester Castle

Top choice

Built in 1076 on the foundations of the Roman Temple of Claudius, England’s largest surviving Norman keep is bigger than that of the Tower of London. Over the centuries it’s been a royal residence, a prison and home to the Witchfinder General. An imaginative £4-million restoration has added a cracking son et lumière which recreates lost internal structures.

Other highlights include the 'Fenwick Hoard' of Roman gold and silver jewellery, and guided tours onto the castle roof (adult/child £3/1.50, booking required).

Contact

Address

Castle Park

Get In Touch

https://www.cimuseums.org.uk/

Suggest an edit to this attraction

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Sutton Hoo
23.44 MILES
Somehow missed by plundering robbers and left undisturbed for 1300 years, the hull of an enormous Anglo-Saxon ship was discovered here in 1939, buried…
Abbey Gardens
25.67 MILES
Now a picturesque ruin in parkland behind the cathedral, Bury's once-mighty abbey still impresses despite the townspeople having made off with much of the…
St Edmundsbury Cathedral
25.7 MILES
The 45m-high tower of this cathedral was only completed in 2005 and is a vision in Lincolnshire limestone – its traditional Gothic-style construction…
Gainsborough's House
12.65 MILES
Thomas Gainsborough's atmospheric birthplace is now home to the world's largest collection of his work. The 16th-century house and gardens feature a…
Flatford
6.93 MILES
Set right beside Flatford Mill – a feature of several Constable paintings – thatched Bridge Cottage has an exhibition that provides a fine introduction to…
Kentwell Hall
16.39 MILES
Gorgeous, turreted Kentwell Hall may date from the 1500s and be full of Tudor grandeur, but it's still used as a private home, lending it a wonderfully…
Theatre Royal
25.48 MILES
A rare treat – Britain's only working Regency playhouse features ornate gilding, sweeps of boxes and a trompe l'oeil ceiling, all revealed on self-led …
Saffron Walden Museum
29.8 MILES
In this excellent museum dating back to 1835, you'll find eclectic collections covering everything from local history and 18th-century costumes to geology…

View more attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Hollytrees Museum

0.06 MILES

In this Georgian town house, toys, costumes, watches and clocks form reminders of the domestic life of the wealthy owners and their servants. Quirky…

2. firstsite

0.14 MILES

Colchester's shiny, curved, glass-and-copper arts centre is as striking inside as out: installations flow seamlessly into one another amid a wealth of…

3. Dutch Quarter

0.21 MILES

The best of the city's half-timbered houses and rickety roof lines are clustered together in this Tudor enclave just a short stroll north of High St. The…

4. Flatford

6.93 MILES

Set right beside Flatford Mill – a feature of several Constable paintings – thatched Bridge Cottage has an exhibition that provides a fine introduction to…

5. Flatford Mill

6.93 MILES

Constable fans will recognise red-brick Flatford Mill immediately, as it appears in many of his canvases and still looks idyllic today. It was once owned…

6. Gainsborough's House

12.65 MILES

Thomas Gainsborough's atmospheric birthplace is now home to the world's largest collection of his work. The 16th-century house and gardens feature a…

7. Melford Hall

15.36 MILES

From outside, the romantic Elizabethan mansion of Melford Hall seems little changed since it entertained Queen Elizabeth I in 1578. Inside, there's a…

8. St Peter & St Paul

15.68 MILES

This late-Perpendicular structure seems to lift into the sky, with its beautifully proportioned windows, soaring flint tower and gargoyle waterspouts…

View more attractions

placement: superzone
path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],

targeting:

{
  "url": "england/southeast-england/colchester/attractions/colchester-castle/a/poi-sig/1213260/358952",
  "position": "superzone"
}