Exploring Colchester with kids

I’ve had a day out in Britain’s oldest city in my sights for a long time, with plans to check out its Roman history and discover the other things to do in Colchester with kids.

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So as we headed back from our break on the border of Norfolk and Suffolk, I decided to detour via Colchester and finally explore this corner of Essex, having also vowed to see more of the county after our trip to Saffron Walden.

Before we even left, I knew we’d want to come back again – there are far more things to do with kids in Colchester than we could fit into our day, but between Colchester Castle museum, spying part of the Roman wall and the ruins of an old priory, it was a perfect family day out.

Colchester Castle

There’s one place which you really can’t miss if you’re visiting Colchester with kids – and that’s Colchester castle.

The Norman castle was built by the ruins of the Roman Temple of Claudius and now houses its museum, so it’s a perfect place to discover more about Britain’s oldest town in the very spot where much of that history was made.

Later a prison, the site tells the story of Boudica’s revolt, the Norman invasion, the English Civil War and even the Witchfinder General along the way, in one of the most child-friendly museums we’ve visited.

After a wander through castle park, down to the remains of the Roman wall, we headed inside for our stroll through history.

Guided tours are (understandably) not running at the moment, but I couldn’t help feeling the alternative was almost better for kids – a tablet with some great AR bonuses, letting you bring the castle and some of the exhibits to life.

There are various interactive screens and activities along the way too – a highlight was Roman chariot racing towards the end – with plenty of sanitiser dotted around.

Primed by staff to make sure that we tilted the tablet in all directions as we explored, we got a glimpse of its medieval furnishings (and spotted our own feet in Norman shoes), as well as doing the same with an Iron Age roundhouse and taking a look at the prison as it was (check your virtual feet there too).

Another stand-out was getting to see Roman tombstones as they would have looked when new and painted – before ‘destroying’ them with a few swipes of your finger, just as the Iceni did in real life during their rebellion.

And the chapel’s walls might be an austere white today perhaps, but looking at the screen, they were a riot of colour.

Perhaps the only drawback was stopping my daughter from galloping ahead to find the next numbered spot to check the tablet.

Because the collections are fantastic too. The big focus is on Roman Colchester (or Camelodunum), but the displays cover the town’s history from the Iron Age through to the English Civil War, when Colchester and its castle were besieged by the Roundheads.

There are also other exhibits along the way, such as one on West African gold, covering both culture and the slave trade.

And as you wander, the castle itself to marvel at, passing a spiral stone staircase and well near the entrance: there’s a model of the castle with its original higher towers, home to (my daughter was tickled to discover) a small figure sitting on a historic drop toilet.

There are too many exhibits to mention, but don’t miss the famous vase showing gladiators in training, along with countless mementoes of Roman daily life, death and religion.

There’s also a more grisly display including skulls, as well as details on the Boudican revolt, and the ruthless Roman retaliation that followed.

One golden hoard is currently on loan to the British Museum for its exhibition on Nero, but you can still see a model of the temple of Claudius, giving an idea of its sheer scale and grandeur before the Iceni razed it to the ground.

Moving into more modern times, we headed down to the old prison – you have to wait to be escorted by staff, but you get a mini tour by your stand-in warder (fortunately without the actual costs of staying in prison) and the chance to learn the difference between the stocks and pillory.

There’s also a small display on the prison’s history, including the infamous Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins, born not far from Colchester, who used the castle as his base to imprison and interrogate suspected witches.

Unsurprisingly, given that he got paid by the witch, he found plenty during what must have been a reign of terror, with over 100 executed (none were burned in England, another handy fact).

Even during a mini heatwave, I couldn’t help shivering down in these old dungeons.

The last displays are dedicated to post-Norman times, with seals and documents from Colchester’s medieval days, Tudor history and the English Civil War, including gruesome tales of the 11-week siege, when the town’s residents were forced to eat soap and candles.

And possibly inspiring a nursery rhyme – history tells of a cannon with the nickname Humpty Dumpty which was set on Colchester’s walls, knocked down during the Civil War battle. It makes a good story, even if no-one knows for sure!

Waving a reluctant farewell, we took a final look at the memorial to the Royalist captains shot after the surrender by the Roundheads, and the remains of the ancient Temple of Claudius, before resolving to return one day and tackle the rest of our list…

For more Roman places in the UK to visit with kids, check out my pick from around the country, as well as the best Roman sites in London

Colchester Castle Museum with kids: Need to know

Tickets to the museum must be prebooked by calling in advance – you can book up to 14 days beforehand, although if you visit midweek as we did, you may be able to get same day visits.

Tickets cost £10.95 for adults, £5.95 for kids aged 4-16. There are timed entry slots and you can stay in the museum as long as you want, but there’s no re-entry once you leave.

The museum has a one-way system to follow around the exhibits: it’s worth knowing that toilets are towards the end of this.

There’s also plenty of sanitiser near interactive displays and masks must be worn by any visitor aged 11+ (unless exempt).

More things to do in Colchester with kids

St Botolph’s Priory

There’s only the shell left of the old St Botolph’s priory, founded just outside the Roman walls as the first English Augustinian priory church.

This English Heritage site dates from the end of the 11th century, before being badly damaged during the Civil War at the siege of Colchester.

But even if you just spend five or 10 minutes wandering around the ruins, it’s a lovely site, especially on a sunny day: you can see arches and the base of columns, as well as wandering through the nave.

It’s free to enter and wander around: an almost literal stone’s throw from Queen’s Street, you could pop in as you explore Colchester, and also handily next to a car park if you’re just visiting for the day.

The Roman Circus

Top of my list to visit when we go back (we’d sadly managed to pick a day when the Roman Circus isn’t open), this is the only known Roman circus in the country.

Built in the early 2nd century, it may have seated up to 8,000 spectactors, watching chariot races as well as other spectacles until it fell out of use around 150 years later.

You can wander around the site yourself and check out the displays in the visitor centre, plus there are tours to bring the circus to life, explaining how it was discovered in 2005, as well as the secrets of chariot racing.

Free for under 11s, tickets cost £3 or £6 for a tour, and there are also regular family activities during school holidays.

Natural History Museum

Set in the old All Saints Church, just across the road from the castle park and castle, the Natural History Museum collections here focus on north-east Essex as well as British wildlife.

Looking at wildlife and the environment from the Ice Age to today, there are some great family-friendly activities, including the chance to peek inside a badger’s sett, a garden trail and a stag beetle exhibition.

You’ll also find some quirky facts, including an exhibit on the 1884 earthquake, and discover the drowned world underneath the North Sea.

Entry is free but you may need to wait, as numbers are currently limited for social distancing

Take a walking tour

There’s nothing like a walking tour to get the feel of a town – and to get kids out walking. And Colchester has a couple of great self-guided routes that you can follow to explore.

You could explore the Roman and medieval gates of the ancient city with this walking route, including the largest surviving town gateway from Roman times in Britain, as well as St Botolph’s Priory.

For one which works with GPS, try this self-guided route while there’s also a Colchester heritage app, which is free to download (although the Android version doesn’t seem to be working at present).

Or download this Roman Colchester audio tour, with 10 stops around Colchester, complete with audio files to listen to on your phone.

There’s also a Colchester Treasure Trail which takes a couple of hours and loops through the city as you solve a mystery – always a favourite way to explore with my daughter, it’s great motivation to get kids walking.

Colchester Zoo

From Komodo Dragons to kudu (along with rhino, giraffes, zebras, elephants, tigers, orangutans, bears…), there are 200 species to spot at Colchester Zoo.

And that’s only the start of it: you can follow a Top Trumps trail, check out the interactive area to make your own landcape, hop on the road train, discover the walkthrough enclosures with a chance to get close (ish) to lemurs, watch sealions through an underwater tunnel, plus an app to help you learn more as you explore.

You could even join a zoo photography workshops, and if you’re lucky, spot the animals being fed (the usual sessions are temporarily suspended).

Basically everything you might want from a zoo, and a fair amount more, along with indoor and tropical areas which are ideal if you’re visiting Colchester in the rain with kids.

Tickets cost from £21.24 if you buy in advance, for off-peak visits, £15.30 for children aged 3-15. Free for under-threes. Prebooking is currently essential except for zoo pass members or those with open-dated tickets.

There’s currently up to 30% off with Kids Pass – a 30-day trial of the Kids Pass app costs just £1

Hollytrees museum

Set in the grounds of Castle Park, Hollytrees Museum focuses on more recent social history than the nearby castle itself.

Set in a Georgian townhouse, you’ll find toys and clothes from over the past few centuries, as well as displays of clocks, watches and art.

There’s a chance for kids to discover what life was like for both rich and poor, including a recreated Hollytrees Mansion in the dolls house.

It’s also free to enter, ideal if you’re looking for a cheap day out in Colchester with kids.

High Woods Country Park

A lovely place to get outdoors, you’ll find bluebells in the woods at High Woods Country Park in spring, wildflowers through the summer and some lovely views of the lake and of Colchester itself along the walking trails.

One trail is just 30 minutes long, great if you’re visiting Colchester with a toddler or younger kids. If you’re lucky, you can spot deer along the way too.

There are cycling routes as well, plus an adventure play area near the car park, along with family activities throughout the year, such as den building and pond dipping.

For more ideas of things to do in Essex with kids, you’re also close to Flatford National Trust, pretty Mersea Island, and Manningtree and Mistley for more on the Witchfinder General

PIN FOR LATER: COLCHESTER WITH KIDS

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Balkerne Gate/lemur courtesy of Depositphotos, all other images copyright MummyTravels

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