Exploring Camulodunum

 

Camulodunum as the Romans called Colchester was the focus of our travels today.

 

 

As I mentioned yesterday we intended to make an early start to travel to the furthest away of the ‘day trips’ of this holiday. I was up at 5.30am had breakfast, showered, brushed my teeth and shaved then finished off the blog for yesterday, most was drafted the night before.

 

We left Wagtail Barn at 7.30am for our journey to Colchester. The route was a comparatively simple one, the same route down, as it was back – 71 miles each way:

 

 

Why Colchester

 

One of the things that I enjoyed during lockdown and don’t do in more normal times is study with FutureLearn. Their free courses are usually of a great quality and I had studied one on Hadrian’s Wall from Newcastle University, another about Architectural Digs which included a Roman dig in the UK and finally the one I found most engaging was a review of Rome itself using a simulated virtual world to explore the Rome as it was in 300CE.

 

Two of the courses mentioned the importance of Colchester asa centre of Roman Life from the first conquering of the area by the Emperor Claudius to the burning down of the city by Boudica and the Celts, and the reestablishment and enhancement of Camulodunum after Roman Rule was restored.

Arriving in Colchester

 

We arrived at Colchester Butt Road Car Park – based on a recommendation on the Visit Colchester website. It was a wise choice as this carpark allowed for all day parking at a reasonable price (£2.50)

 

Having made such good time, we were to early for the Roman Circus Visitors’ Centre or for the Museum, so we went for a coffee. Where the enthusiastic server engaged Drew in detailed conversation about her Nikon camara and its various lenses and compared them with his. Camera with your coffee anyone??

Roman Circle Visitors’ Centre

 

The Roman Circle Visitors’ Centre was a short walk from the Car Park and we arrived to be greeted enthusiastically by the team of volunteers who care for the site. I say enthusiastically, as the lady who took our fee gave us a long explanation of the history of the archaeological digs and what they found, plus what was in each room in the centre. She explained that this site was only known circus in the former province of Britannia, though she suggested there would likely have been one in York and London, though neither had yet been discovered, so Colchester can claim the fame for being the only one in the country.

 

We were amused 20 minutes later when another couple came in and began the same introduction when the wife of the couple said: “We aren’t paying for the tour, we just want to look around”. Clearly, we are more patient than some people!

The small building, a former Mess Hall for the British Army Camp which used to be on this site, has more information than artefacts, but includes a very interesting display of all the known Roman Circuses in the world. Having visited the Circus Maximus in Rome previously and seeing the layout of the racing track which later became the spectacular Plaza Navona I was familiar with the concept. What I wasn’t familiar with is that none of the Colchester site is visible and most of it is underneath other buildings. Though the Visitors’ Centre is good at picturing the site as it was, and indeed as they hope it will one day be again.

Colchester High Street

We walked along Colchester High Street from the Visitors' Centre to the Castle. The High Street seems prosperous with a wide range of shopping and eating facilities. It passes Drew's test of a good place as it has a Five Guys burger joint. He is such a fan of Five Guys that before they opened in the UK I was led 12 blocks through New York to find one of their places. To be fair they do have a higher class of burger than some of their competitors! 

Notable on High Street was a pub named after the Roman Name of the City

and a fascinatingly decorated Town Hall.

 

Colchester Castle Museum

 

After walking along High Street our next stop was Colchester Castle, which is now a museum, and before becoming a Castle was the Temple of Claudius in the centre of the Roman City.

The museum was excellent, its range of displays of artefacts were wonderful and the easy-to-read explanations of the Roman Conquest, the development of the City and its decline at the end of Roman rule leading to its reinvention by the Vikings and latter by the Normans offered a fascinating view into its history. Very well worth a visit if you are in this area.

 

One of the key exhibits is the Tombstone of Marcus Favonius Facilis, but there are also many other memorials to people who lived and died at Colchester and the University of Reading is working with the local museums to discover more about the individual stories of those whose bodies have been found in the city. The displays had a wide selection of funereal artefacts. Drew especially liked the jolly funerary urns below.

Drew also liked the idea that Romans were regarded as frugal because they wore their clothes until the wore out, rather than the ‘throw-away’ culture often associated with our own era. However, he was particularly amused when noticing me standing beside the note on this topic and asked me to stand beside it. I wasn’t sure why, until I saw the picture and the slightly decayed form of the bottom of my trouser legs. Zooming in to the right show gives a good example. Perhaps the Roman culture is alive, or perhaps we are just frugal on such matters (i.e. mean!)

 

Castle Park

 

On leaving the Museum we walked through the rather spectacular Castle Park, a large open space around the Castle. It had a children’s play area, a bouncy castle and boating lake, as well as some lovely floral displays, ornamental lakes and lovely walks. Though the centre of the park remains part of the original Roman Walls of the City.

 

Roman Theatre

The online guide had also mentioned visiting the Roman Theatre though this was less spectacular than I’d assumed having wandered around such theatres in the model of Rome on the Course I discussed at the beginning of this post. The Theatre is completely gone and is only marked by a sign on one of the houses and bricks in the floor showing the shape of the wall in the area (dark bricks being the wall). Finally, there are some remaining stones from the theatre as the bottom layer of other buildings in the area as shown in this photo.

St. Botolph’s Priory

Having seen many Roman Sites, we walked through the centre of the city to a site more in line with yesterday’s visit. The former Priory of St. Botolph’s. This ancient site had been the first (of 200+) Augustine Priories in the country. The layout looks very familiar following visits to similar sites. Here, like in Binham Abbey the nave was converted into the Parish Church, but unlike Binham, the proximity of the Abbey to the City Walls means it lost its roof and part of the building during the English Civil War when the town was being kept by the Royalists and the Roundheads of Cromwell’s army were keeping the town under siege, by firing into the town and, finally, starving the town into submission.

The current Church of St. Botolph’s was rebuilt 200 years after the Civil War in the Priory grounds but was not open when we visited.

 

Roman Church

The final Roman site on the itinerary was called a Roman Church. This site, next to the Police Station we passed earlier today, has been excavated and was assumed to be an early Christian Church (from the 320s to 340s) when it, and associated graves, were discovered in the 1970s and 80s, however as there were signs of feasting on the site later archaeologists have suggested it might be a Mithram. i.e. A temple to the Eastern Sun-god Mithra which was very common in Roman military circles. The fact that this site is outside the city, rather than near the barracks brings into question the assumption of a Mithram, most, like the one in Llandrindod Wells are either in or beside the barracks. But there is no conclusive evidence for either position.

 

Returning Home

 

We left Colchester at 2.30pm and were amused by the fact that the Google Maps we are using for direction told us the name of the street we were on:

My guess is that her Latin pronunciation is better than her Welsh!

Drew took the chance of lovely wide, and often very straight (thanks Romans) roads to drive back having escaped most of the driving this holiday due to the amount of B roads we have been on. We got back to the Barn at 4pm.

 

Dinner

 

We decided on the journey back from Colchester that tonight we would have an Indian Meal, but one with meat this time. Most days this holiday we have driven past an Indian Restaurant called Rani's Indian Dining exactly one mile from our cottage/barn on the way into Dereham. 

It seems a little out of place. In the village of Yaxham it is only accompanied in terms of business by a small post office and general store, a few bed and breakfasts (including the Windmill next to the restaurant) and a caravan site. Trip Advisor gave it good reviews, so taking into account the strange location we thought we would give it a try. We were glad we did.

 

The restaurant was busier than we expected for the location, but still no more than 50% full in what is a large space. Everything was laid out so that people could be socially distanced from each other.

 

We began with Papadums and Chutneys with the Lime Pickle and the Onion Salad being our favourite – as they often are.

 

For starters I had Aloo Chat and Drew had Prawn Puri. I always think Indian food isn’t very photogenic, but both these dishes with their puris on the side looked as good as they tasted.

For Mains we shared a Chicken Jalfrazi with its green chillies, green peppers and onions served on a sizzling plate and a Lamb Bahari with coriander and chillies (both these dishes will be familiar to anyone who has eaten food described as Indian in Britain, but often known as Bengali in India). Both were cooked perfectly and managed the layering of spices which characterises good Indian food.

 

These were accompanied by a Bombay Aloo and a Chana Masala, potatoes and chickpeas being great vegetables to support meaty curries in our view.

 

Alongside we had garlic and keema nans and a plate of fragrant pilau rice to share.  

We got back to the Barn at 9.30pm and to bed by 10pm.