Colchester

Today started out with a visit to the city of Colchester, which brags about being the oldest in England. Be that as it may, it is definitely one of the coziest, though I sadly did not have the time to explore it as thoroughly as it deserved. Definitely a place on my list for another time.

I had to settle for a quick trip to the city's main claim to fame, the castle and the castle gardens. The castle today is a mainly Norman affair, largely built in the 1070s, then added on here and there throughout the centuries. Still, most of the rocks used for building the Norman castle were nicked from the ruins of a giant temple to emperor Claudius, who was the architect behind the Roman invasion in AD 43.

It is this, btw that constitutes the claim that Colchester is the oldest town in Britain; it is the oldest RECORDED place, as they were mentioned by the Roman historian Pliny the Elder (the admiral who died at Pompeii). The Romans even made it into their capital of Roman Britain, until the place was burned to the ground by Queen Boudica in AD 60, including the almost finished temple to Claudius.

The city and the temple were both rebuilt, but the Romans soon moved their capital to London. The Romans also put up a defensive wall around Colchester, a large part of which you can still see, some of it in the castle garden. Say what you will about them, they built stuff to last. The Claudian temple stood for the duration of Roman Britain, but eventually fell into disrepair and the upper levels crumbled. It was then turned into a castle when the French bastards invaded in 1066. It is said to have been the largest keep in all of England, and the internal staircase was the widest ever recorded in these isles.

All pictures here.

The castle in all its splendor. Historians disagree about how tall the keep was, but it was probably somewhat higher than now.


The Claudian temple as it may once have looked.


The castle gardens. It was a Saturday, and lots of people of all ages milling about. Even the weather has been nice so far, I haven't seen a drop of rain from Tuesday afternoon till Saturday evening.


The Roman wall at the back.


Some dragon figure cleverly cut out of the bushes.


The shitter. Ah knows how to finds 'em.


From the vaults, which were built by the Romans. Those walls are almost 2,000 years old.


Huge Roman tile.


Stone age tools.