Colchester Museums

Colchester Museums

@colmuseums.bsky.social

We're renowned for Romans, cuckoo about clocks and wild for animals! Custodians of Colchester Castle, Hollytrees Museum and Colchester's Natural History Museum.

15,790 Followers 1,067 Following 3,380 Posts Joined Jul 2023
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1 day ago
Graphic poster with a light blue background featuring the silhouette of a large dinosaur skeleton filled with an overlaid image of a forest. The text at the top left reads “Be part of something prehistoric,” with the word “prehistoric” highlighted in bold. At the bottom, the web address “volunteers.cimuseums.org.uk” appears in dark text.

🦕 Hollytrees Museum is opening a world-first Discover exhibition this Easter and we need volunteer Gallery Champions. Register before 23rd March: volunteers.cimuseums.org.uk/opportunities/discovergallerychampion AND email transform.museums@colchester.gov.uk with a short note on why you're keen.

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1 day ago
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Three weeks. That’s how long until Colchester gets its first dinosaur.

Timed tickets coming later this month. We’d suggest being quick.

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A display case showing several pieces from the Fenwick Treasure replica collection by Niky Wade. A gold-toned necklace with freshwater pearls and small stone drops hangs from a wooden bust. In front sit a wide sterling silver bangle, a gold-toned bangle with a spiral detail, and a pair of mixed metal cufflinks. Price tags are visible on each piece.

The originals are on display at Colchester Castle, and for those who'd prefer their Roman jewellery wearable, we stock an exclusive replica collection by local designer Niky Wade. Limited run of 100 per design, exclusive to the Castle.

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An acrylic-mounted display sign headed "the Fenwick Treasure" in decorative copper lettering, with the subtitle "Exclusive to Colchester Castle." The text explains that the Fenwick Treasure is a collection of Roman jewellery and coins buried under a Colchester house before the Boudican revolt, hidden for almost 2,000 years and uncovered by the Colchester Archaeological Trust in 2014. It describes a limited-edition replica collection designed by local designer Niky Wade, made from sterling silver with some pieces including 24 carat gold plating, freshwater pearls, or emerald stones, each in a limited run of 100. Gold bangles are partially visible on wooden display stands in the background.

Buried under a Colchester house just before Boudica burned the town down. Hidden for nearly 2,000 years. Found by archaeologists in 2014. The Fenwick Treasure is one of the most significant Roman finds in recent British history.

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2 days ago
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Serpents Curse: Escape Experience | Colchester Museums Gather your friends and try to break the serpents curse at Colchester castle! Do you have what it takes?

Choose a start time of 5:30pm or 6:45pm. Suitable for ages 10+, with at least one adult per group. £75 for 2 to 5 people, or £100 for 6 to 8 people.

Book now: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/serpe...

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2 days ago
A promotional image showing a room with rough, pale stone walls and an arched alcove. In the centre is a wooden table surrounded by several upholstered chairs. To the left of the table stands a tall floor lamp, and near it is a mannequin or display figure wearing armour and a helmet with a plume. On the right, beneath a window, a display case contains an object with a curved, snake‑like form. Soft, coloured lighting casts cool tones across the room, creating a mysterious atmosphere. Text across the top reads: “CAN YOU BREAK THE SERPENT’S CURSE?” and to the right: “2 April 2026 • Escape Room.” The Colchester Castle logo appears in the lower left corner.

On 2 April, we're hosting The Serpent's Curse at the Castle: a special after-hours escape experience set inside Europe's largest Norman keep.

You and your team will have 45 minutes to crack clues, solve puzzles, and work out what happened to the Castle staff who mysteriously disappeared.

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Wellness Week is in full swing at the Castle and our visitor services team is well aware of the happiness baked goods bring! 🍰🧁🍪

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Yeah, that front building being gone now does make quite a difference. Having known it used to be there though, you can totally see the shadow on the building still there.

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2 days ago

It certainly wouldn't go amiss!

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3 days ago
A close‑up view of dark fossil pieces arranged in clear plastic trays inside a display case. The background shows a softly lit museum wall with framed information panels. White text overlaid in the lower part of the image reads “COMING SOON Discover: Museum Wonders.”

Our new exhibition will bring that story together with a visitor from Wyoming that changes the picture entirely. Discover: Museum Wonders opens this April. More details coming very soon.

🌐 www.colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/discover

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3 days ago
A museum display case filled with large fossils, including tusk‑like bones, fragments of prehistoric remains, and assorted specimens arranged on glass shelves. Behind the case are illustrated information panels showing shark silhouettes, fossil diagrams, and text descriptions. A graphic cut‑out figure of a dinosaur skeleton stands to the left, with light shining through the cut‑out sections onto the floor.

150 million years ago, this part of Essex was a shallow sea. No land dinosaurs survived in the local fossil record. Our collections reflect a marine world.

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3 days ago
A colour photograph of a modern road junction with several low-rise buildings around it. On the left stands a tall, narrow brick building with a steeply pitched roof and pale render on its upper storeys; in front of it are metal railings and traffic signs, including a “no entry” sign and direction signs for Fingringhoe and Rowhedge. The road curves around the building, with cars visible on the street—one white car turning in the foreground and another further back. In the centre background is a white building with a sloped roof and an arched gateway sign leading into a courtyard area. On the right side of the image, there is a small shop with red signage and a bollarded island in the road. The sky is bright blue with scattered clouds, and long shadows suggest late afternoon sunlight. A black‑and‑white street scene showing a road junction in what appears to be a mid‑20th‑century town. At the centre stands a small, two‑storey corner building with multiple chimneys; a sign above the ground‑floor shopfront reads “PIE SHOP.” A person on a bicycle is riding across the foreground, moving from right to left. Several pedestrians are walking on the left side of the frame near the corner building. On the right side of the image, an older-style vehicle is parked by the roadside, partly cut off by the edge of the photograph. Further down the road, additional buildings line the street, including a shop with a striped awning. The lighting suggests bright sunlight, casting strong shadows across the street.

Reveal time for our #ThrowbackThursday! This is the junction of Military Road and Magdalen Street. That corner building with the gabled end and chimneys is still standing today. Military Road takes its name from Colchester's long garrison history. Got memories of this spot? Share them!

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3 days ago

Absolutely!

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4 days ago
A black‑and‑white street scene showing a road junction in what appears to be a mid‑20th‑century town. At the centre stands a small, two‑storey corner building with multiple chimneys; a sign above the ground‑floor shopfront reads “PIE SHOP.” A person on a bicycle is riding across the foreground, moving from right to left. Several pedestrians are walking on the left side of the frame near the corner building. On the right side of the image, an older-style vehicle is parked by the roadside, partly cut off by the edge of the photograph. Further down the road, additional buildings line the street, including a shop with a striped awning. The lighting suggests bright sunlight, casting strong shadows across the street.

Throwback Thursday! Can you recognise this spot in Colchester? Cyclist pedalling past a corner shop with those distinctive chimneys. Where do you think this is?

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4 days ago
A vertical promotional poster on a blue background with the bold headline “FLASH SALE” in white and orange letters with a yellow lightning bolt. Above it is the text “23 February – 26 March 2026,” and below it the message “Child day tickets just 50p!” A red stylised castle graphic sits on layered white shapes surrounded by floating yellow stars. The lower section is red with white text promoting child tickets to Colchester Castle and Hollytrees Museum for 50 pence until 26 March, with a note directing readers to the website for full terms and conditions.

Flash sale alert: child tickets to the Castle and Hollytrees are 50p from 23 Feb to 26 March. Up to 4 kids (aged 16 and under) with every full-price adult ticket.

Chariot racing, prison cells, Boudica, three centuries of toys and a house full of clocks. Book at colchester.cimuseums.org.uk

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5 days ago
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After Hours Castle Guided Tour | Colchester Museums Unlock the Castle after hours on 10 April 2026. Discover Roman foundations, the Great Stairs and centuries of stories on a guided tour. Ages 10+.

Exclusive after-hours access to Roman foundations, hidden corners and centuries of history with an expert guide. Evening tours | ages 10+ | £15. Limited spaces: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/afterhours-tour

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5 days ago
A mannequin dressed in Roman soldier armour, with a helmet and red scarf, stands in a room with stone walls and replica artefacts. On the left side, a black panel displays white text reading: “Colchester Castle. After Hours Castle Tour. Explore the Castle after hours and behind the scenes with an expert guide. Suitable for ages 10+. 10 April 5:30 or 6:45 PM £15 pp colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/afterhours-tour.”

Step inside Colchester Castle after dark on 10 April for a guided tour beyond the everyday visitor experience.

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5 days ago
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Hollytrees Museum is preparing for something unprecedented: a 6.2m Theropod dinosaur skeleton, 150 million years old, never publicly displayed. Opens Good Friday, 3 April.

Full reveal on BBC One Show w/c 30 March.

www.colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/discover

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6 days ago
Two people in Roman-style costumes standing together in front of a large illustrated backdrop, with the text “Dress to Kill (Literally) – 18 April • £35 • 18+.” People in Roman-style costumes gathered inside a stone-walled venue, accompanied by bold text reading “Deadly Good Company – Book your tickets now!”

Date night / group activity / celebration sorted in one. 💪

Murder mystery at Colchester Castle, 18 April. Ancient Rome setting, interactive whodunnit, fizz included. Atmospheric historic venue, properly entertaining.

£35 • 18+ • 7:30pm
colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/murdermystery/

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6 days ago

That would be something we'd have to ask the council to do as they own the land, but it's a lovely idea! They could be like our urban version of the Mistley swans.

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1 week ago
A dark grey pottery fragment with a curved rim and an engraved inscription near the break line reading SABINA. The surface shows signs of age and wear, with the carved letters appearing lighter than the surrounding clay. Decorative gold flourishes frame the top and bottom of the image. A pair of spherical gold earrings with smooth, polished surfaces. Each earring has a small circular gold plate at the top and a curved hook-shaped wire for fastening, set against a soft green and gold-speckled background. A fragment of an aged wall painting depicting a standing figure in a long green dress with fitted sleeves. The figure wears a gold-coloured headpiece and a necklace, with one hand resting on the hip. The artwork is faded and textured with visible wear and missing sections, shown against a white background with gold geometric line accents. An oval-shaped vintage locket containing a sepia-toned portrait photograph. The locket has a gold frame and a decorative triangular bail at the top. The person in the photograph is shown from the shoulders up, wearing a high lace collar and a dark, patterned garment, with the background softly tinted pink.

For #InternationalWomensDay: Roman graffiti, earrings from a lost hoard, a mysterious medieval figure, and a businesswoman extraordinaire.

Stories of women from Colchester's past, pieced together from what survived.

Read the blog: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/women-of-col...

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1 week ago
A promotional poster showing a person holding a green‑cased tablet displaying an augmented‑reality map of a castle, with colour‑coded sections labelled Iron Age, Roman Invasion, Roman Heyday, Saxon/Norman, Post Medieval, and Modern Age. The background shows part of a physical map beneath the tablet. Text at the top reads “EXPLORE THE CASTLE IN AR – Free with any Lottery ticket.” At the bottom left is The National Lottery logo, and at the bottom right the dates “7–15 March” are displayed.

Free tablet hire at Colchester Castle this National Lottery Open Week (7–15 March). Show any Lottery ticket at the welcome desk for interactive games, historic photos, and AR reconstructions of the Castle's spaces through time. Subject to availability.

Details: buff.ly/CmxdtKc

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Pigeons, as charming as they can be, aren't ideal neighbours for a Norman keep as their droppings damage stonework. Barney's presence persuades them to relocate without harm. It's an age-old solution that happens to be remarkably effective and considerably more elegant than netting or spikes.

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1 week ago
A modern colour photo of the same street view, with the Co-op bank on the left, Fenwick’s modern façade in the centre, and the tower of Colchester Town Hall visible in the distance.

Today, the Albert Hall building is still there (now home to the Co-op bank), but St Runwald’s is long gone. In its place, you’ll now spot Fenwick’s and the Town Hall keeping an eye on the hustle. A street full of change, but still very much the centre of it all.

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A black and white photo of a wide cobbled street lined with Georgian buildings. A small church tower stands in the middle of the road in the distance. Horse-drawn carts are visible along the street.

For today’s #ThrowbackThursday, you’re looking at Colchester High Street long before traffic lights, Fenwicks or Friday shopping crowds! This view (taken before 1878) shows the High Street facing east, with St Runwald’s Church visible at the centre in the distance.

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Many are on display in the Castle, and more can be explored via the Online Collections cim-web.adlibhosting.com/ais6/search/...

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Rounded terracotta clay vessel with a narrow base and wide body, fitted with two loop handles near the rim. A stylised human face is modelled on the front with raised circular eyes, a small nose, and a faint mouth beneath a decorative band around the neck. The rim is slightly flared with a textured edge. Visible cracks and worn patches mark the surface, suggesting age and repair. The pot is photographed against a plain light background.

What remains genuinely unresolved is their function. Some examples served as cremation urns, whilst others appear to have been used for food and drink storage. Whether the faces represent the deceased, the maker, a god, or something else entirely is still debated.

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Rounded beige clay vessel with a narrow base and a wide mouth, fitted with two rounded loop handles near the rim. A stylised human face is modelled on the front with raised circular eyes, a small straight nose, and a subtle mouth, with simple ears indicated on each side. The rim features a narrow decorative band, and faint horizontal lines encircle the body. The surface shows light wear and small marks, set against a plain light background.

The type originated in the Rhineland and spread across the Roman Empire in the footsteps of the army, though civilian use continued long after the military had departed any given area. Their arrival in Britain is therefore tied directly to the Roman conquest and the movement of troops and settlers.

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Rounded beige clay vessel with a narrow base and a wide opening, featuring two looped handles attached near the rim. A stylised human face is moulded on the front with closed eyes, a long nose, and a small circular mouth shaped as if blowing. The rim has a scalloped decorative edge with a small central ridge extending downward between the handles. The surface appears slightly worn and uneven, set against a plain light background.

They feature a human face, usually occupying the upper half of the pot. They vary considerably in fabric, finish, and quality. Some are finely made in grey or black colour-coated ware; others are cruder, suggesting they were produced at different workshops and for different purposes or budgets.

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Rounded, beige clay vessel with a wide opening and two small loop handles on either side of the rim. A stylised human face is modelled on the front, featuring raised circular eyes, a long nose, small mouth, and simplified ears. The rim is decorated with a scalloped pattern, and the pot narrows slightly towards a small base. The surface appears smooth but slightly worn, set against a plain light background.

The sheer volume of archaeological excavation that has taken place across Colchester over the decades means the collection has grown steadily, with finds coming from cemetery sites, domestic contexts, and garrison excavations alike.

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