Colchester Castle

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Built in 1076 on the foundations of the Roman Temple of Claudius, England’s largest surviving Norman keep is bigger than that of the Tower of London. Over the centuries it’s been a royal residence, a prison and home to the Witchfinder General. An imaginative £4-million restoration has added a cracking son et lumière which recreates lost internal structures.

Other highlights include the 'Fenwick Hoard' of Roman gold and silver jewellery, and guided tours onto the castle roof (adult/child £3/1.50, booking required).

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Sutton Hoo

    Sutton Hoo

    23.44 MILES

    Somehow missed by plundering robbers and left undisturbed for 1300 years, the hull of an enormous Anglo-Saxon ship was discovered here in 1939, buried…

  • Abbey Gardens

    Abbey Gardens

    25.67 MILES

    Now a picturesque ruin in parkland behind the cathedral, Bury's once-mighty abbey still impresses despite the townspeople having made off with much of the…

  • St Edmundsbury Cathedral

    St Edmundsbury Cathedral

    25.7 MILES

    The 45m-high tower of this cathedral was only completed in 2005 and is a vision in Lincolnshire limestone – its traditional Gothic-style construction…

  • Gainsborough's House

    Gainsborough's House

    12.65 MILES

    Thomas Gainsborough's atmospheric birthplace is now home to the world's largest collection of his work. The 16th-century house and gardens feature a…

  • Flatford

    Flatford

    6.93 MILES

    Set right beside Flatford Mill – a feature of several Constable paintings – thatched Bridge Cottage has an exhibition that provides a fine introduction to…

  • Kentwell Hall

    Kentwell Hall

    16.39 MILES

    Gorgeous, turreted Kentwell Hall may date from the 1500s and be full of Tudor grandeur, but it's still used as a private home, lending it a wonderfully…

  • Theatre Royal

    Theatre Royal

    25.48 MILES

    A rare treat – Britain's only working Regency playhouse features ornate gilding, sweeps of boxes and a trompe l'oeil ceiling, all revealed on self-led …

  • Moyse's Hall

    Moyse's Hall

    25.91 MILES

    Set in an impressive 12th-century undercroft, Moyse's Hall's rarities include a locket containing some of Mary Tudor's hair, finds from the town's ruined…

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Nearby attractions

1. Hollytrees Museum

0.06 MILES

In this Georgian town house, toys, costumes, watches and clocks form reminders of the domestic life of the wealthy owners and their servants. Quirky…

2. firstsite

0.14 MILES

Colchester's shiny, curved, glass-and-copper arts centre is as striking inside as out: installations flow seamlessly into one another amid a wealth of…

3. Dutch Quarter

0.21 MILES

The best of the city's half-timbered houses and rickety roof lines are clustered together in this Tudor enclave just a short stroll north of High St. The…

4. Flatford

6.93 MILES

Set right beside Flatford Mill – a feature of several Constable paintings – thatched Bridge Cottage has an exhibition that provides a fine introduction to…

5. Flatford Mill

6.93 MILES

Constable fans will recognise red-brick Flatford Mill immediately, as it appears in many of his canvases and still looks idyllic today. It was once owned…

6. Gainsborough's House

12.65 MILES

Thomas Gainsborough's atmospheric birthplace is now home to the world's largest collection of his work. The 16th-century house and gardens feature a…

7. Melford Hall

15.36 MILES

From outside, the romantic Elizabethan mansion of Melford Hall seems little changed since it entertained Queen Elizabeth I in 1578. Inside, there's a…

8. St Peter & St Paul

15.68 MILES

This late-Perpendicular structure seems to lift into the sky, with its beautifully proportioned windows, soaring flint tower and gargoyle waterspouts…