The Minories - 'One Square Mile'
74 High Street, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1UE
The ‘One Square Mile: Heritage on our Doorstep' exhibition celebrates St John's Green Primary School's National Lottery Heritage Fund project exploring Colchester's rich heritage. It includes displays of the pupils' artwork, a 3D cardboard model of Colchester, a timeline of the school's history, sound recordings and resources developed by pupils and teachers. Join our Pupil Tour Guides and explore the displays on 14 September, from 11.00 to 15.00.
The building now known as the Minories was acquired in 1731 by Isaac Boggis with wealth from the cloth trade. The Tudor mansion was remodelled as an elegant Georgian residence for his son, Thomas Boggis, in 1776. It started to be called 'The Minories' in the 1870s when it became fashionable to give buildings names. From 1884 to 1902 the house was leased by Charles Becker, father of the artist Harry Becker who was raised in the Minories. In 1915, Geoffrey Bensusan-Butt and his wife, Ruth, took the lease, and in 1923, they purchased the property from the Boggis-Rolfe family. Ruth was sister-in-law to Lucien Pissarro, son of Camille, and the Pissarro family visited regularly. She was a GP, a founder member of the Socialist Medical Association and for 35 years a Borough Councillor and Alderman. After her retirement, she sold the Minories to the Victor Batte-Lay Trust (now the Foundation) in 1956. Since then, the building has been run as an art gallery. It has a lovely garden which includes a mid-18th-century summer house or folly.
Timings & Tours
- Thursday 12 September:
- 1000-1600
- Friday 13 September:
- 1000-1600
- Saturday 14 September:
- 1000-1600
- Sunday 15 September:
- 1000-1600
Location & directions
74 High Street, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1UE
- Contact on day:
- Reception
- Telephone number:
- +441206712437
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Pre-booking not required
Accessibility details
First floor only accessible by a staircase.
Additional information
Join our Pupil Tour Guides and explore the displays on 14 September, 1100 - 1500. Other buildings open nearby for Heritage Open Days on the same dates are the Mercury Theatre (13 September only), Roman Circus Centre (14 September only), Colchester Castle (14 September only), Hollytrees Museum (14 September only), Colchester Town Hall (14 September only), Quaker Meeting House (14 September only), St John's Green Primary School (14 September only), St Helen's Chapel, St Martin's Church and St James the Great Church.
