Colchester Castle

Colchester Castle dominates the centre of Britain's oldest recorded town and is, by area, the largest Norman keep ever built. Construction began around 1076 on the orders of William the Conqueror, deliberately placed atop the foundations of the Roman Temple of Claudius, which had been destroyed during Boudica's revolt in AD 60. The result is a vast stone fortress whose ground plan is half as big again as the White Tower at the Tower of London.

Today the keep houses Colchester Castle Museum, with award-winning galleries that trace 2,000 years of local history. Highlights include the Fenwick Hoard of Roman jewellery buried during the Boudican destruction, the Colchester Vase depicting gladiatorial combat, and interactive displays where children can try on Roman armour, fire a catapult or experience life in a medieval prison. Guided tours reach areas not normally open to the public, including the Roman vaults beneath the keep and the rooftop with views across north Essex.

The castle stands within Castle Park, a Victorian municipal park of lawns, formal flowerbeds and the River Colne, ideal for combining a visit with a picnic or a stroll. Colchester railway station is around a 15-minute walk away.