Colchester Castle

Colchester Castle is the largest Norman keep in all of Europe, and its history begins long before the Norman conquest. The site sits on the foundations of the Temple of Claudius, built between AD 49 and 60 in Camulodunum (Roman Colchester), the most important building in Roman Britain — funded by local taxes and built with enslaved British labor, a symbol of Roman domination that became a focus of deep local resentment.

That resentment erupted in AD 60, when Queen Boudica, leading the Iceni, joined forces with the Trinovantes to attack and burn the largely undefended city. Survivors took refuge in the largest building in the city, the Temple of Claudius itself, but held out only a couple of days before the temple fell.

Construction of the Norman castle began around 1076 and was completed by around 1100, as a royal fortress for William I, son of William the Conqueror. Norman builders made use of the existing Roman temple foundations — a practical choice in a region with little natural stone — and reused Roman stone in the construction. The resulting keep is one and a half times the size of the White Tower of London, on which it was modeled, and since there wasn't enough stone to fully fill the podium, its four vaults were packed with sand instead.

Today the castle operates as a museum, with collections spanning thousands of years: archaeological finds, Roman objects, sculpture, mosaics, coins, jewelry, weapons and everyday items. Among its most notable pieces are the celebrated Colchester Gladiator Vase and the Fenwick Hoard, a remarkable collection of Roman jewelry and precious objects.