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Colchester Museums Other
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About Colchester - show infohide info
Colchester is a town located in the county of Essex. It has a population of 160,000, and makes a claim to be the oldest town in Britain. The town is the oldest in Britain, having been recorded as a Celtic settlement over 3000 years ago. Its Celtic name was "Camulodunon", meaning "the Fortress of Camulos". The Romans modified the name to Camulodunum. A Roman fortress was established in Colchester in AD43, and was the first Roman legionary fortress to be built in Britain, and later became the Roman Capital of Britain, before the capital was moved to the more accessible London. In medieval times, Colchester's castle was built in the 11th century, atop the vaults of a Roman temple. Colchester was granted a Royal Charter in 1189 by King Richard I. The charter granted the rights to the Oyster fishery in the estuary of the River Colne. More charters were granted over time. Since Roman times, Colchester has remained an important military garrison, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars and World Wars. Today, the Colchester garrison is home to the 16th Air Assault Brigade, as well as several regiments of the Territorial Army. Colchester is home to the world famous diesel engine manufacturer Paxman, who manufacture engines for a variety of transports world wide. However, the Colchster plant closed in 2003, with production moving to Stockport. Colchester is a popular tourist destination, with attractions including Colchester Zoo, along with a number of civic and historical museums. Colchester is ideally situated for tourists wishing to visit Constable Country in the Dedham Vale. Colchester lies on the Great Eastern Main Line, and sees services to Norwich, London Liverpool Street, Harwich and Clacton. Colchester is also served by the smaller Colchester Town station, which sees trains to Colchester and Walton-on-Naze. Nearby towns to Colchester include Chelmsford, Braintree, Ipswich, Saffron Walden, Harwich, Felixstowe, Clacton-on-Sea, Sudbury, Tiptree, Walton-on-the-Naze and Malden.
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