Colchester
Properties and events in Colchester
Before heading out for your Heritage Open Days visit, please check entries for last-minute changes.
'Brutal but Beautiful': University of Essex Architecture Tour
This guided walk led by curator Jessica Twyman focuses on the 1960s architecture of the University of Essex.
7 Queen Street Colchester - One of the city's most interesting buildings.
7 Queen Street Colchester dates from the 14th century. It has been occupied as a business and/or domestic premises for the the last 600 years.
80th Anniversary of D-Day
Commemorating D-Day with large Diorama, largescale model of P47, pictures and recollections. The 56th Fighter Group with their P47 aircraft flew protective missions over the beaches as the men landed. Our book The History of Boxted will be on sale.
Audley Chapel
16th-century burial chapel of the Audley family, with a fine hammer-beam roof and unique monuments and features. Knowledgeable guides will be on hand to answer questions.
Cannock Mill
There has been a mill on this site since the Middle Ages, although the present building was only constructed in 1845. Cannock Mill has three storeys with a hoist loft and is weatherboarded. It is now owned by Cannock Mill Cohousing.
Colchester Castle Museum
A much loved museum in the picturesque Castle Park, this is the annual opportunity to explore this fascinating building free of charge.
Colchester Town Hall
Colchester possesses one of the finest and most imposing town halls in England which reveals in its architecture the history of Britain's newest city.
Colchester's Roman Circus 2004-2024
Colchester's Roman Circus archaeological remains will be open to the public to celebrate 20 years since its modern discovery - the only Roman chariot racing track in Britain! Come and find out all about it on a free guided tour at the Visitor Centre.
Cuckoo Farm Studios
Cuckoo Farm Studios was established over thirty years ago when a small group of artists moved in and began to turn this derelict farm into a suitable venue in which to work. Today it is the home of more than thirty artists.
Essex Industrial Archaeology Group Industrial Heritage Fair
The Industrial Heritage Fair contains stands and talks from organisations around Essex that have an interest in the Industrial Heritage of the county.
Grey Friars (now Greyfriars Luxury Hotel and Restaurant)
The present Grey Friars building dates back to 1755, but its site has a much older history which is revealed via a guided walk and displays of old photographs and documents in The Salon, one of the hotel's meeting rooms.
Harwich Museum
Harwich is a historic and distinctive town steeped in a wealth of history.
Hollytrees Museum
Hollytrees is the best 18th-century house in Colchester and has been a museum since 1929.
Holy Trinity Church
Holy Trinity is the oldest standing building in Colchester, predating the Norman castle by three-quarters of a century.
Mersea Roman Barrow
The Roman Barrow Mound is an excavated burial chamber, the contents of which are in Mersea Museum. They are the cremated remains of a male contained in a glass Roman cremation urn, found with a lead casket. It was excavated in 1912.
Quaker Meeting House
An opportunity to visit the meeting house of the Colchester Quakers who have been active in the area for centuries.
Roman Theatre
This is one of two Roman theatres in Colchester, the other being at Gosbecks Archaeological Park also featuring in this year's programme. Going to see a play was a popular leisure activity in the Roman world.
St Giles Masonic Centre
Originally a Norman church, St Giles has had many later additions including a wooden tower built in 1819. It was converted to its present use as a masonic centre in 1972-76.
St James the Great Church
St James the Great is a beautiful Grade II* listed Anglo-Catholic church situated in an imposing position. It is a house of worship and of historical, architectural and artistic interest being a repository of Colchester's heritage.
St John's Abbey Gate Open House
This pinnacled gatehouse, elaborately decorated in East Anglian 'flushwork', is the sole survivor of the wealthy Benedictine abbey of St John. It was built around 1400 to strengthen the abbey's defenses following the Peasants' Revolt.
St John's Green Primary School
Drop-in and join our History Ambassadors for a tour of the late Victorian School, built in 1898 by architects Goodey & Cressall.
St Mary-at-the-Walls Church (Colchester Arts Centre)
St Mary-at-the-Walls has a rich history, both as a church and, more recently, as the Colchester Arts Centre. Refurbished in 2021, it boasts amazing mosaic toilets, which are not to be missed, as well as stunning views from the top of its tower.
St Mary's Church, Wivenhoe
St Mary's is a largely mid-Victorian church in the heart of the picturesque riverside town of Wivenhoe. The church was recently refurbished and extended to enable it to function as a community space in the 21st century.
St Michael and All Angels Church, Copford
A church has stood on the present site since around 1130 and its rare Norman wall paintings have been described by the writer Simon Jenkins as 'amongst the best in England'.
St Peter's Church
Check out this medieval city centre church with a tower from 1758 and interior with a 17th Century pulpit and interesting memorials.
The Minories - 'One Square Mile'
The Minories is an historic building used for art exhibitions. For this year's festival it hosts a school's project looking at the history of St John's Green in the city.
The Minories - Treasures from the Archives
The Minories is an historic building used for art exhibitions. For this year's festival it hosts a special exhibition of material from the archives, including old exhibition catalogues and photographs.
The Nottage, Wivenhoe
A maritime institute and museum established in 1896 in memory of Capt. Charles G. Nottage and, since 1947, located in a former sail loft.
Wivenhoe Chapel Museum
Wivenhoe Chapel Museum opened as the town's museum in 2015.