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We're renowned for Romans, cuckoo about clocks and wild for animals! Custodians of Colchester Castle, Hollytrees Museum and Colchester's Natural History Museum.
On 27 October, join us for our Curious Creatures Mobile Zoo. Meet real-life creatures that slither, scuttle, and squawk, and learn what makes them so fascinating.
🎟 Ages 4+ | colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/mobilezoo
A perfect half-term treat for curious kids (and brave parents).
Weathered terracotta antefix fragment with a frontal Gorgon mask. The reddish clay tile is dome‑shaped with rough, broken edges. The face has deep‑set eyes, straight nose and full lips; strands of hair sweep up into a central tuft. Curled snakes frame the face on both sides and along the lower edge. The surface shows patches of erosion and earthy staining, photographed on a white background.
In ancient myth, Medusa’s snaky hair was said to turn people to stone. The Romans used her image, like this antefix tile, to keep evil at bay and protect their homes.
This Halloween season, we’re exploring the myths behind the monsters.
A woman in late 16th‑century dress stands at a wooden table arranging herbs by candlelight. Behind her, the shadow of a cat‑like creature stretches across a timber‑framed wall, evoking tales of spirit “imps” from witchcraft accusations in St Osyth.
🕯️ St Osyth, 1582: hunger, grief and suspicion. Ursula Kemp, a midwife and folk healer, was accused after a neighbourly rift. Accusations snowballed, her young son was pressured to testify, and she was condemned.
Witches of Essex continues tonight at 9pm on Sky History. Keep an eye out for us!
Wide view of Colchester Castle’s galleries at night, with stone walls and display cases. Overlaid floorplan labels “Puppet Theatre”, “Exhibition Corner”, and “Antiquities Corner”, each with £40 per person price and sleeping capacity notes.
Roman gallery spaces inside Colchester Castle with stone arches and display cases. Overlaid floorplan labels “Roman Chariot Fireplace” and “Soldier Dress Up”, each with £40 per person price and sleeping capacity notes.
Few places left for Knightzzz at the Museum, Sat 25 Oct.
Choose your sleeping spot, meet costumed characters, explore hidden spaces, hot chocolate at lights‑out and a light breakfast. Ages 5+.
From £40pp. Book by phone: Colchester Castle 01206 282939 (10am–4.30pm).
A vibrant dragon sculpture is suspended from the ceiling at Colchester Castle, featuring shimmering blue-green scales, orange-yellow underbelly and wings, and a striking amber eye with a vertical slit pupil. The dragon is crafted in a stylised, almost lantern-like design, with translucent panels that catch the light. A blue banner across the lower part of the image reads: “Mythical Creatures, 26 Jul 2025 – 22 Feb 2026.” The Colchester Castle logo is placed in the bottom right corner, and “Tom Archer Photography” is faintly credited on the left.
Not all dragons are created equal: traditional dragons have four legs and wings, while wyverns walk on two. And their breath? Sometimes fiery, sometimes poisonous.
Get up close with dragon diversity in Mythical Creatures at Colchester Castle: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/mythical-creatures
A row of small taxidermy shorebirds stands on labelled wooden bases inside a glass case. The nearest bird faces forward with dark head markings; eggs and more specimens sit further along the shelf, with gothic arches visible beyond.
Wild About Essex will refresh Colchester’s Natural History Museum. What would make the space feel more accessible and relevant to you?
Tell us here: buff.ly/uS4spfx
#WildAboutEssex #HaveYourSay
A large fossilised skull is displayed on a green surface within a glass case at Colchester Castle. The skull features prominent ridges, a parrot-like beak, and weathered textures, with red-brown patches accentuating its contours. A nearby label titled “Mythical Origins” discusses how fossil discoveries have inspired legends. Above, a blue banner reads: “Mythical Creatures, 26 Jul 2025 – 22 Feb 2026.” The Colchester Castle logo and photo credit appear in the bottom corners.
In Ancient Greece, fossil Protoceratops may have sparked tales of griffins guarding gold in the Gobi Desert.
Meet the legends behind the myth in Mythical Creatures at Colchester Castle: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/mythical-creatures
It’s the perfect mix of learning, creativity and fun for under 5s. Tickets are just £3 per child, and adults go free. Book now to join us: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/mmeoct/
18.10.2025 07:01 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
An x-ray image of a human hand is shown in blue tones against a black background. Overlaid text reads: “21 October Mini Museum Explorers” and “With Real X-rays!” The Natural History Museum logo is in the top corner.
Our next Mini Museum Explorers session is on Tuesday, 21 October, and this month, we’re exploring bones and skeletons in all sorts of hands-on ways. Children can examine real X-rays in a light box, decorate their own sugar skull mask, and piece together a skeleton from our sensory box.
18.10.2025 07:01 — 👍 11 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0
Discover more Roman objects connected to death and remembrance at Colchester Castle this half term in our Dark Castle Tour. Book now on our website to avoid missing out: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/dark-...
17.10.2025 07:01 — 👍 11 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
Beige ceramic pot with a rounded body and wide flared rim, featuring two handles near the top and decorative detailing around the neck. Sculpted facial features—including eyes, nose, and an open mouth—are prominently displayed on the front, giving the vessel a distinctive and expressive appearance.
This one is especially unusual. Above the eyebrows are ‘horns’, a detail rarely seen in Britain, but more common in pottery from the Danube region. We don’t know if the face was meant to depict the deceased, a god, or something else entirely. The uncertainty is part of their power.
17.10.2025 07:01 — 👍 16 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Beige ceramic pot with a rounded body and a wide, flared rim, featuring two handles near the top and decorative detailing around the neck. Sculpted facial features—including eyes, nose, and an open mouth—are prominently displayed on the front, lending the vessel a distinctive and expressive character.
This Roman face pot was found in a grave with ceramic flagons and a lamp, dating to AD 50–100. The cremation itself has not survived. Face pots were unusual cremation vessels, with human features applied to their surface. No two are the same.
17.10.2025 07:01 — 👍 41 🔁 5 💬 2 📌 0Make sure to catch Witches of Essex on Now TV or Apple TV. You might spot a familiar face…
15.10.2025 21:43 — 👍 24 🔁 7 💬 4 📌 0By the late 1800s, black jewellery signalled loss. Jet, deep black and highly polishable, became a hallmark of mourning style during Queen Victoria’s long grief after 1861. Motifs like crosses and urns turned jewellery into a quiet public language.
Got a family mourning piece? Share the story.
Close-up of a small Victorian mourning ring with a white crucifix set on a smooth black bezel, the pale cross standing out against the glossy dark setting. The gold band is narrow and plain. Photographed on a neutral background with soft light that highlights the reflective surface of the bezel.
We’re starting a Halloween series on mourning practices with a small statement: a mourning ring with a white crucifix on a black bezel.
16.10.2025 07:01 — 👍 18 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0Did you catch the Witches of Essex last night? It re-examines the trials when hundreds of women were condemned as witches and explores how fear and prejudice fuelled one of the darkest chapters in our history. The full series is on demand now. Keep watching and you might just spot us!
15.10.2025 07:01 — 👍 15 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 2
Ben takes us inside Colchester’s own witch-finding history, linking local records and folklore to wider social forces. Tune in tonight, and in the meantime, dive into the episode: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgnM...
14.10.2025 17:12 — 👍 6 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0🔮 Tonight on Sky you can catch the new series Witches of Essex where they explore the dark side of the county’s past. Before it airs, why not check out this special Bethnal Archives episode featuring our curator Ben Paites, where he reveals the real reasons behind the witch trials.
14.10.2025 17:12 — 👍 11 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0
Children will investigate real bones and X-rays while enjoying themed stories, crafts, and sensory activities. It’s a brilliant way to learn and bond together.
Tickets are just £3 per child, with free entry for adults. Book now to secure your space: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/mmeoct
A close-up photo of a smiling toddler nuzzling affectionately into an adult, likely a parent or carer. The toddler is laughing with eyes closed, wearing a blue top. Text reads: “Mini Museum Explorers, 21 October” and “Explore + Bond Together” with the Hollytrees Museum logo.
Do you have a preschooler curious about science and the natural world? Join us on 21 Oct for our next Mini Museum Explorers. This month, we’re exploring the world of bones and skeletons.
14.10.2025 07:01 — 👍 7 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
A taxidermy red fox rests on a faux grass mound, head lifted with alert ears and bright amber eyes. The fur is orange and white with darker legs; museum shop signage is softly blurred in the background.
Help shape the redeveloped Natural History Museum. What would make the building work better for you on a rainy day or any day?
Share ideas in 5 minutes: buff.ly/uS4spfx
#NaturalHistoryMuseum #WildAboutEssex #HaveYourSay
Book titled The Wicked of the Earth by A. D. Bergin, featuring a predominantly red cover with the title and author’s name in white cursive text. A gold emblem appears near the bottom centre. The background illustration depicts a historical cityscape with buildings and ships, suggesting a historical fiction theme. The backdrop behind the book echoes this old city scene, reinforcing the period setting.
An evening of uneasy history at Colchester Castle: A. D. Bergin discusses The Wicked of the Earth, then curator Ben Paites explores the town’s witchfinding past. Includes a brief look at the prisons.
Thu 16 Oct • Adults • Limited bar
Tickets: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/twote-adbergin
Myth, Magick and Mystery is on at Colchester Castle today. Come for the legends, stay for the science.
Plan your visit: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/myth-magick
Essex fossils have a way of starting rumours. Megalodon teeth on the coast. Mammoth bones in the gravel. No surprise our villages are full of dragon stories.
Video courtesy of Bethnal Archives - more here: youtube.com/@BethnalArchives
A fragment of iron corrosion is attached to the base of a broken jug, suggesting historical or archaeological significance. Overlaid text asks, "What's special about some iron corrosion stuck to the base of a broken jug?" prompting curiosity about the object's context or origin.
X-ray image of a vessel revealing fragments of iron nails inside. Accompanying text explains that the presence of these nails has led to the vessel being interpreted as a witch bottle.
This jug fragment once held iron nails, buried beneath a home to keep evil away. Would you trust a witch bottle to protect your house today?
🎟️ Discover more at Myth, Magick & Mystery → colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/myth-magick
#ColchesterCastle #MythMagickMystery
Certainly can't hurt to be careful!
09.10.2025 18:02 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
If you like stories of luck, charms and the unseen, join us for Myth, Magick and Mystery on 11 Oct. Book your place: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/myth-magick/
Close view of a silver‑coloured decorative horseshoe with “GOOD LUCK” embossed along the curve. Two cream ribbon bows sit at the top corners, each beside a small hanging silver shoe. A wreath of artificial green leaves and pale flowers fills the centre opening. Small bunches of artificial flowers are attached near the lower edge. Studio white background.
Why do we hang a horseshoe with the ends pointing up? To stop the luck spilling out! This sparkling wedding horseshoe was given in 1939, complete with ribbon, tiny silver shoes and a wreath of flowers. A small charm with a big job: bring the couple good fortune.
09.10.2025 07:00 — 👍 17 🔁 3 💬 2 📌 0
A long glass display of fossils and geological specimens runs through a church-like gallery with stone columns and a high timber roof. Labels read eras such as Pleistocene and Eocene; warm lighting leads towards a family activity space at the far end.
Have your say on Wild About Essex, the redevelopment of Colchester’s Natural History Museum. Your views will shape exhibitions, events and access.
Share your thoughts: buff.ly/uS4spfx
#WildAboutEssex #Colchester #NaturalHistoryMuseum #HaveYourSay
