In Colchester, the oldest city in England, on top of 2,000 year-old Roman ruins was built another Norman castle, one of the most fascinating to visit in England today. What makes Colchester Castle so fascinating besides its size, setting, age and classic Norman style so representative of the 1066 conquest is that it is a working museum, one well done with educational and fun exhibits.

The castle was the largest in the land when it was built around 1170, and is built directly over the temple of Claudius of Roman times. Its builders mimicked the same herringboned brick pattern and support system of the Roman remains, creating a massive walled structure. In the Colchester Castle, a brilliant museum details the building up of Colchester’s layers, and exposes for all to see some amazing artifacts of the past.