Colchester Castle in Colchester, England, is the largest Norman keep ever built in Britain and the largest surviving example in Europe. (William Howard/Stars and Stripes)
A visit to Colchester Castle is the perfect way to experience a bit of history during a day of shopping in the center of the English town of Colchester.
The row of stores on High Street leads downhill to an open park, where the massive castle dominates the skyline view.
Colchester Castle is the largest Norman keep ever built in England. William the Conqueror ordered its construction in 1069, and it was completed in 1076, when Colchester was the first Roman capital of Britain. It was built over the ruined foundations of the Temple of Claudius, itself erected between A.D. 54 and 60.
The museum inside the castle includes important holdings, such as Neolithic pottery; the Coin of Cunobelin, which dates from A.D. 10 to 40; and other artifacts recovered from the graves of Roman warriors buried in the first century.
Interactive displays let you don Roman armor, lead a chariot race and witness the forced confession from a witch in an interrogation in a prison cell.
Plan your visit carefully, because between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., young children on school field trips take over the museum, running throughout the displays and screaming.
If you’re brave and don’t mind staying out late, ghost tours are available at the castle, which has seen much bloodshed over the centuries. It was, for example, the target of a Celtic uprising against Roman rule in A.D. 60-61, and self-styled witch finder Gen. Matthew Hopkins interrogated and imprisoned suspected witches here in 1645.
The ghost tours are the only way to see the prison vaults beneath the castle, where prisoners were kept in the most barbaric of conditions and often left to rot to death.
Colchester Castle Ghost Hunt is a special event held a couple of times each year. It costs 59 pounds ($83.70) per person. The event is 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., with ghost hunting vigils utilizing specialized equipment. For more: tinyurl.com/ycbl9z97.
I’d like to take the ghost tour on my next visit. It would be a great way to avoid the horror of the horde of children inside the castle museum during the day.
howard.william@stripes.com Twitter: @Howard_stripes
DIRECTIONS: Address: Castle Park, Colchester CO1 1TJ, England The castle is about an hour’s drive from RAF Mildenhall via the A14 motorway. Parking is available in the nearby Priory Street and Britannia car parks, a few minutes from the castle.
TIMES: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays
COSTS: Admission is 7.75 pounds ($11) for adults, 4.80 pounds for children
FOOD: Vending machines on site offer snacks and beverages.
INFORMATION: Phone: (+44)(0) 1206-282939; email: museums@colchester.gov.uk; website: tinyurl.com/ydenoael