Essex is your oyster! The delights of old Colchester with one of Britain’s longest Roman city walls, the largest Norman depository in Europe and incredible seafood

After the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43, Emperor Claudius came in person when the fighting was over and founded Camulodunum, present-day Colchester, making it the capital of his new province.

There has been a settlement here for centuries and some of the earthworks can still be seen today.

A Roman colony, inhabited by retired legionnaires, was established and helped to secure the region. Their first step was the construction of a large temple to the deified emperor Claudius on the hill that was later occupied by the Norman castle.

They were a little cocky about it. While Colchester’s commander was fighting in Wales, Queen Boudicca of the Iceni descended in a rage to avenge the rape of her daughters and laid waste to the city, slaughtering the inhabitants and demolishing the temple.

The rebellion was crushed and Camulodunum was rebuilt with strong walls that you can walk on today – the oldest and one of the longest Roman city walls in Britain. The walk takes more than an hour, with several sights to discover along the way. One of the highlights is Balkerne Gate, Britain’s largest surviving Roman gate. Colchester’s street plan still reflects Camulodunum’s plan, and when the Normans arrived after 1066, they used bricks from the base of the Temple of Claudius – a millennium earlier – to build a castle.

Pictured above is Balkerne Gate, a Roman gate in Colchester’s city walls

Today, the largest Norman depository in Europe is Colchester Castle Museum, which offers guided tours of 2,000 years of history, family-friendly events with costumed characters, games and crafts, and themed exhibitions that reveal untold stories.

In addition to bricks, the Romans left another legacy: oyster farming.

Not only did they consume it in great quantities, but they are said to have drawn nets of it behind boats bound for Rome.

The estuaries on this part of the Essex coast are home to Colchester’s native oysters, still regarded by those in the know as the king of mussels.

You can try them at places like The Company Shed or West Mersea Oyster Bar on the island of Mersea overlooking the ever-changing Wadden Sea.

Arguably a modern addition to the city, Colchester Zoo, where those with a taste for the exotic can easily spend a whole day visiting its 160 species.

Essex oysters are considered by connoisseurs to be the king of mussels. Above is a plate with a dozen oysters on the nearby island of Mersea

You can enjoy the view of the ever-changing Wadden Sea on Mersea Island (photo) while feasting on local oysters. Image courtesy of Creative Commons

Visitors can get up close and personal with giraffes, elephants and parakeets at hand-feeding sessions, while children can let off steam in one of the many play areas. But if you’re looking for an outdoor activity without the animals, Colchester has plenty of green spaces that offer a break from the busy city.

Inspirational Beth Chatto, who passed away in 2018, transformed two acres of vacant land into her pioneering gravel garden with plants that can thrive in drought conditions. She won ten consecutive gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show in the 1970s and 1980s.

There is a tea room overlooking the gardens. If you want to continue your tour outdoors, return to Colchester to follow the Nordic Walking Trails of High Woods Country Park and perhaps catch a glimpse of the resident deer.

At Colchester Zoo, those with a taste for the exotic can easily spend a whole day visiting the 160 species

Above are the gardens of the inspirational Beth Chatto, who passed away in 2018

Follow the Wivenhoe Trail, a five-mile walk that takes you along the River Colne to Wivenhoe where you’ll find the Wivenhoe House Hotel (above).

Clive describes the Wivenhoe House Hotel as “the perfect place to rest for the night”.

Castle Park is the ideal starting point for following the Wivenhoe Trail, a five-mile walk that takes you along the River Colne to Wivenhoe where you’ll find the Wivenhoe House Hotel, the perfect place to rest for the night.

When Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe, came to Colchester in 1722, he found it still showing signs of civil war damage.

Yet he concluded that it was “large, very populous”; the streets beautiful and beautiful; and though “it may not be well built, there is an abundance of very good and well built houses.”

A Georgian house survives as the Minories Galleries run by the Colchester School of Art.

There is so much to enjoy in this old city.