Whilst Colchester is perhaps best known as a Roman city, its history stretches back well beyond that with an ancient Iron Age settlement that was established long before the Romans arrived and was once ruled by Cuneobelin 'King of the Britons'. Beyond a few earthen mounds, little from this period has survived in the landscape, but numerous artefacts have been discovered over the years and an impressive collection is on display in the Colchester Castle Museum.
Following the Roman Invasion in AD43, a city was established on the site of Camulodunum and designated as the Roman capital of Britannia. The city's destruction at the hands of Boudicca is well documented, but - despite the damage - the Roman settlement rose up again, and the remains of several buildings from this period can still be seen on a trip to the city today.
Following this period of prosperity for Colchester, the city fell into decline as it was largely neglected by the Anglo-Saxons and eventually occupied by Viking Invaders. It was only when Edward the Elder drove these Vikings out in AD917 that the city began to prosper again. After a hundred years of renovations and a Norman Invasion in 1066, Colchester Castle was eventually built on the site of the old Roman Temple; with this, Colchester once again became one of the most important English towns.
Periods of boom and bust came and went over the turbulent Medieval and Tudor periods, with the large religious sites of the St Botolph's Priory and St John's Abbey being established and subsequently closed by Henry VIII before being near-destroyed during the English civil war and Siege of Colchester. However, despite the rise and fall, Colchester continued to make its mark on British History.
Once again, the city recovered. The 18th and 19th century brought relative prosperity and significant changes to Colchester. During the Victorian period, booming industries provided jobs for local residents, huge developments on the railway systems ensured better accessibility and trade opportunities and architectural feats dominated the city's skyline.This period that can be well-explored on a visit to Hollytrees Museum.
In November 2022, Colchester - which had spent almost two-thousand years as a town! - once again became a city when it was granted status as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations. To learn more about this complicated name-game, be sure to visit our 'Britain's First City' page.
Colchester Through the Ages
