Colchester is Britains oldest recorded town with almost 2,000 years of history going back to the times of the Roman conquest of Britain and much of a Roman wall built around the town can still be seen. In fact the Roman invaders suffered one of their worst defeats at Colchester at the hands of Queen Boudica (Boudacea) who famously destroyed their garrison in the town.
Colchester is home to a fine Norman Castle which houses an excellent museum and stands in the beautiful Castle Park. Also in the town is Tymperleys clock museum, housed in a fine timber-framed building dating back to about 1500, the Seige House which still has bullet holes in it from the time of the English Civil War and Hollytrees Museum dating back to the 1700s.
Colchesters modern attractions include Colchester Zoo, Leisure World, Rollerworld, Superbowl and Aqua Springs as well as numerous shops, pubs, restaurants, cafes and nightclubs.
The town can also be used as an ideal base to tour other nearby areas. Within easy reach are the beautiful sandy beaches of Clacton & Walton and the picturesque areas of Flatford & Dedham - known as Constable Country after the artist John Constable. There are many typical English villages such as Lavenham, Coggeshall, Long Melford and Clare.