Layers of history in Colchester

St. Botolph's Priori

St. Botolph's Priori

the Roman wall

We headed out of Suffolk today for a quick trip to Colchester in Essex. Colchester is England's oldest recorded town. We explored the towns history with a visit to St. Botolph's Priori and Colchester Castle and did a little shopping in the town center. The Roman Wall that encircles the town, like the castle and Priori, shows the layers of history, with the Roman wall layered with bricks from across time periods.

Colchester Castle

The castle, owned by English Heritage, has a nice archaeology exhibit. Archaeology shows over 3,000 years of history. The area was a Celtic settlement before the Roman conquest. The exhibit uses material culture to trace the history from the Saxon, Viking, and Medieval eras.

St. Botolph's Priori is an Augustinian monastery established about 1100. It is an impressive example of early Norman architecture, built in flint and reused Roman brick. The circular pillars and round arches are massive. It was destroyed in 1648.

Jay at St. Botolph's Prior

The Purple Dog

These sites surround Colchester's town center making it a great place to shop, eat and, of course, have a pint. We stopped in The Purple Dog for lunch. I had a delicious falafel wrap and a pint of Crouch Vale Brewers Gold.

Tomorrow we head back to London.