... Average property prices for Colchester are £167,505 (Jul–Sept 2003) but cheaper properties are available.
So what does Colchester have?
All the usual high street names that you’d expect in a town of this size are here and I won’t name them, as that would be tedious for both of us. Needless ... Read review
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Advantages: Everything you'd ever need in a town. Disadvantages: Not in Yorkshire.
...guess). Average property prices for Colchester are £167,505 (Jul–Sept 2003) but cheaper properties are available.
So what does Colchester have?
All the usual high street names that you’d expect in a town of this size are here and I won’t name them, as that would be tedious for both of us. Needless to say it’s very well served. What the town centre does have is a very large pedestrianised area that gives easy access to ... .../>
Due to its history Colchester has quite a reasonable tourist trade and I’ve heard it called the York of the South. Now I can see the similarity but it’s more of a poor cousin than a close sibling and I mean no disrespect to the town when I say that.
For more detailed information about its museums of which there are several and very good they are too go to http://www.colchestermuseums.org.uk/ for a wealth of detail including visiting times ... more
I came to live Britain’s oldest recorded town more by chance than design. I’d planned to go to India after six months working for a local charity but never got any further than Essex. I did get a wife a mortgage and two cats though hence never making it any further.
There is archaeological evidence of a settlement here 3000 years ago and visible remains dating from Roman and Norman periods right through to some very ugly modern building by the North Station but that’s the same where ever you live these days.
The population is around 155,000 (2001 statistics) and has the fifth lowest crime levels in the Essex Police area and is also in the top 25% of the safest places to live in the Eastern region. (Better than been in the lower 75% I guess). Average property prices for Colchester are £167,505 (Jul–Sept 2003) but cheaper properties are available.
So what does Colchester have?
All the usual high street names that you’d expect in a town of this size are here and I won’t name them, as that would be tedious for both of us. Needless to say it’s very well served. What the town centre does have is a very large pedestrianised area that gives easy access to most of the shops. As well as the usual suspects the town has a very eclectic mix of small businesses catering for all sorts of custom and trade.
Due to its history Colchester has quite a reasonable tourist trade and I’ve heard it called the York of the South. Now I can see the similarity but it’s more of a poor cousin than a close sibling and I mean no disrespect to the town when I say that. For more detailed information about its museums of which there are several and very good they are too go to http://www.colchestermuseums.org.uk/ for a wealth of detail including visiting times and admission prices. I would certainly recommend the Castle Museum housed in the largest Keep ever built by the Normans if only to look round the castle itself and the tour is well worth the time and money as you get to see parts that you wouldn’t otherwise see and the view from the roof is stunning.
Being of an age where I’ve stopped pubbing and clubbing I’m unable to comment on the nightlife other than to say there is plenty of it if that is your thing so get down with your bad self. If you fancy the latest blockbuster then the new Odeon is the place for you. Opened just over a year ago its all new and shiny and very comfortable with more screens than you can shake a white stiletto at. If you fancy something a little different check out the Art Centre, a live venue that resides in an old church that has everything from Jazz to Rock taking in a little comedy to boot as well as the odd poetry reading. For your more standard run of the mill productions try the Mercury Theatre just next door.
Eating out is also an area where I can pass only limited comment. Being vegan does have its drawbacks in Colchester if you fancy a meal out but all is not lost. If you are vegan there is one place that can provide you with a meal that will leave you with that freshly stuffed feeling, Monty’s on North Hill. A friendly and welcoming Nepalese restaurant that serves authentic Nepalese dishes none of your pale imitations here and if your not vegan go anyway as my Grandfather in Law assures me the Lamb is second to none. If your dietary habits aren’t as limiting then you have the choice of all the usual high street franchises as well as a large choice of eateries and coffee shops.
Getting into town isn’t to bad if you don’t mind taking the bus as all the surrounding parts of town have an excellent bus service and a return ticket is currently £1.70. If you choose to bring the car into town be prepared to sit in traffic for a while. Colchester suffers from its geography slightly being originally built on top of a hill; great if you’re a defending Roman solider, crap if you’re a motorist. The old Roman walls surround almost the whole of the town centre so it’s easy to find but a pain to drive round. There are 4 car parks around the edge of town one at each point of the compass so finding a parking place isn’t much of a problem, neither is the price. There is also a park and ride starting from the North Station on a Saturday but by the time you’ve got to the park and ride you may as well drive into town as it is poorly sited in my opinion.
Getting away from the town centre you find houses and lots of them and more are springing up everywhere they can be built. Not everywhere has suffered from this plague of bricks however. A little over a mile from the town centre is High Woods Country Park, run and maintained by the Colchester Borough Council and covering 350 acres of woodland, grassland, wetland and farmland. Open from 7.00am to 10pm in the summer and 7.00pm in the winter it offers a variety of walks and trails to suit all abilities and disabilities and it’s free to get in. The Visitors Centre can be contacted on (01206) 853 588 or emailed at countryside@colchester.gov.uk The woods were originally owned by the Crown and used for hunting amongst other activities. The woodland is very well established due to its age and is very diverse as are the number of bird and animal species that can be found there, a truly beautiful and peaceful place to spend an afternoon.
Living in Colchester does have some hidden advantages if you’re environmentally minded as it is estimated that the participation in the kerbside recycling scheme is currently 60% and it is hoped that it will reach 75% by 2005. Colchester also has the highest recycling rate in Essex with 22% of its total waste being recycled. Also on an environmental bent the Council is very keen to promote cycle use and to this end has provided some excellent cycle routes one or two are a little round the houses but on the whole are very good.
Travelling to and from Colchester is fairly straightforward seeing that it is so well placed within the transport infrastructure of the area. By train you can be in the centre of London (Liverpool St.) in just 50 minutes (leaves or snow permitting). Drive to or from Colchester and the A12 gives easy access to the M25 and the Capital. To the North is Ipswich and A14 that leads to the Midlands and the North of England and Scotland I suppose if you keep going past Yorkshire. Also within easy reach of Colchester are Stansted (45 mins) and the major East coast seaports of Felixstowe and Harwich International.
So if you ever find yourself moving to Essex, Colchester isn’t a bad place to be. I’d recommend it to you if you asked me. It has everything thing you need to meet your needs and for those that it can’t then you’ll find them very near by, except for rock climbing! Which is why I’m moving back to Yorkshire.
Colchester Visitor Information Centre (01206) 282920 / e-mail: vic@colchester.gov.uk
Advantages: Nice large town blend, home, good distance from London Disadvantages: House prices, squaddies and slappers(?), not big city/country
...Lomano Lua Lua) and the Colchester area is home to bands like Blur and the Prodigy. Not to mention it’s where I’ve lived all my life. Not bad eh? Where is it? How to get there. In north-east Essex, about 60 miles from London and near the port of Harwich and the seaside resort of Clacton. Rail services run from Liverpool Street (London) through Colchester en route to Norfolk and Suffolk; rail travellers from anywhere else will probably ... ...road through (or rather, bypassing) Colchester is the A12 – again you may have to go via the M25. Why go? Like I said, Colchester is Britain’s oldest recorded town. Colchester (whose name derives from fort on the River Colne) was the lowest bridging point of said river. It was a Roman capital, and parts of the old Roman walls can still be seen – best on Balkerne Hill, along with the ruins of an amphitheatre just out of town (in ...
a-true-ben 01.10.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Colchester in General
Advantages: So much to do and see Disadvantages: None
...many dispute but to which Colchester is immensly proud.
Situated in the North East of Essex and easily accessible via the A12 trunk road between London and Ipswich, Colchester offers the would be visitor a mixture of ancient and modern delights. In and around the area there are plenty of places to visit and things to do.
Perhaps the best known of all the sights in Colchester is its grand Norman Castle, nestled in the town centre and in beautiful ... ...catle is home to the Colchester and Essex museum and is open daily all year round.
On the outskirts of the town, 1 mile to the south, is Bourne Mill, restored to it's original corn grinding use by the National Trust this building looks more like a Tudor mansion than a traditional English mill. Built about 1591 this old building is an interesting and educational place to visit.
Railway enthusiasts won't be dissapointed either as to the west of Colchester ...
jonwhite 27.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Colchester in General
Advantages: Great place to visit NOT to live in Disadvantages: Nothing
...Colchester, if you live in Colchester you may know the hospital that I was born in~ Colchester Maternity Hospital which has now unfortunately closed, it closed last year but was along Lexden Rd. I'm not a complete Essex girl though, Essex girls are supposed to have blue eyes and long blonde hair and usually quite a large chest as well, well for the information not all Essex girls are like that, because the only thing I have is the blue eyes part! ... ...girls so here goes............
Colchester is a very easy town to visit and get to, it's just off the A12 between London and Ipswich, it's in the North East of the county, Essex. The town is famous for its ancient history but also has many decent modern day activities and places to visit as well.
Colchester is quite a popular town and got nominated last year to become a city but along with other bigger named towns of course we had no chance! We ...
emu128 04.03.2001 (06.04.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Colchester in General
Advantages: Has Everything You need Disadvantages: Bit of an under-rated town
...to write a piece about colchester that that was informative but not too long. I was just wondering if you could rate it so i can see if it is a successful piece or not. Thanx for taking the time and trouble. Here it is:-
Colchester
Colchester is certainly one of the most well known towns in East Anglia due to the fact that it dates back to Roman Times and is the oldest recorded town. Colchester is a picturesque place of modern verses the past. ... ...Colchester Castle which has the foundations of a Norman built castle and the final appearance of a Roman built castle. With ornate gardens and beautiful flower beds to wander round Castle Park is an ideal place to sit down and rest after a walk around the town taking in the peace and quiet of the surroundings and enjoy the nature around you.
There are many museums situated around Colchester. In the grounds of Colchester Castle Park can be found ...
Frevia 30.09.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Colchester in General
Advantages: Lots to see and do, and loads of history!! Disadvantages: None
...I wanted to write about Colchester first, but as there wasn’t a category for that. Or so I thought?? That’ll teach me to look properly!
Colchester deserves a mention as a place of interest to visit, not only because it has the distinction of being known as “The oldest recorded town in Great Britain”, but because it seriously is a great place to visit. Colchester is steeped in history, most of it Roman, and if you have the ... ...methinks. The old word for Colchester was Camulodunum, the king of it was called Cunobelin, otherwise known as Old King Cole in the nursery rhyme (now I never knew that!!..even though there is a road called King Cole Road, Oh and a rather nice pub too!) Colchester was the main centre of Roman Britain before London increased in size.
Boadicea was the Queen of the Iceni tribe and she sacked the town in AD60. There is an incredible sculpture of Boadicea ...
kazziebears 13.05.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Colchester in General
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. There is a job centre in the town, should you need to deal with during your stay. The main Post Office gets very busy but is open 6 days a week, although only until 12pm on Saturdays. There is also a good number of small local Post Offices although most of these are closed on Wednesday.
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