Colchester - Capital of Britannia

With begin our exploration of the historic city of Colchester with its famous Castle, just a short distance from our hotel. In this historic setting, Peter Berridge will give a talk on Roman Colchester, from its role as the first capital to Britannia to the Boudiccan revolt. We proceed to an exploration of the castle, built on the foundations of the Temple of Claudius, the focus of so much of British ire against the Roman presence in Camulodunum. We then visit the Colchester Museum housed in the castle to see its fine iron age artefacts. Whilst in the Castle Park, we venture to the so called Duncan’s Gate, one of the two surviving gates belonging to the Roman wall before exploring the remains of the Roman theatre, one of two found in the city. After lunch, we venture to the Firstsite art centre to see the Berryfield Mosaic once decorating the triclinium of a 3rd century AD domus, restored to its former glory near where it was found. After viewing the Church of St John from the outside, we continue to see more sections of the well preserved Roman wall before viewing the Butt Road Church, first founded in the end of the 4^th century. The ends with a visit to the Balkerne Gate, the 1^st century AD gate which is the largest of its kind in Britain.

The day begins with a lecture on late antique and Saxon Colchester before we set off to St Botolph’s Priory, an erstwhile Saxon church transformed into an Augustinian priory in the Norman period by a follower of Anselm of Bec. From there we make our way to St Johns Abbey Gateway, where we have special access to this former Benedictine abbey built on the foundations of a Saxon church in the Norman period using Roman spolia. We proceed to the Roman Circus, the only one of its kind in Britain, where we meet Philip Crummy, the Director of the Colchester Archaeological Trust who will speak to us about the excavations carried out here. After lunch, we explore the Holy Trinity Saxon Tower, the only surviving Saxon building in Colchester, built re-using Roman bricks. After afternoon tea at Tymperleys, a stunning Tudor Tea House built in the end of the 15^th century, we view the exterior of St Mary’s Church built against the Roman walls, allowing us to consider the development of the urban fabric in the medieval period. Our last visit takes us to the council chambers and to Moot Hall, the Norman remains of the historic Town Hall.