Firstly, as soon as we arrived at Colchester train station we went along to the town centre. It was a bit of a walk away and we had to go up quite a steep hill. Along the way we walked over the River Colne. It's a very pleasant river although it is quite small and full of lily pads.
Eventually we came to the town centre, which is full of the shops you find in every town. However we came across a nice cosy cafe for a beverage, a snack and a sit down from walking up the very steep hill.
Once our refreshments were over we went along to the castle, which is the main attraction in the area. It is located in the town's park. Just before entering we came to a drawbridge as there mostly is in these old castles and part of a wall possibly from the Norman period. In the castle there are many artefacts on display dating from the Roman age to the Tudor age. The castle itself is mostly Norman but some of it dates back to Roman times such as an original Roman mosaic. There were a few opportunities to dress up. Some of us tried on a heavy Roman helmet and a very large shield. We came to a part of a recreation of a peasant's house where there were some clothes to try on. Later we each had a go at a simulation of chariot racing and some got into it more than others.
Afterwards we went outside to the park, which has very beautiful gardens. An ideal place to sit and relax. It has a pond with a variety of flowers arranged in quite interesting ways such as spelling out the words "Castle Park". We went for a nice stroll and came across a very interesting archway, which we found to be Norman. However, we did find the ruins of Roman gate on the other side of the park, which must have been destroyed at the end of the Roman era. We walked further into the park and then along the River Colne for a short while.
Opmerkingen