Colchester Castle

In the civil parish of Colchester. In the historic county of Essex (Modern Authority of Essex, 1974 county of Essex).

Construction of Colchester Castle started in the reign of William Conqueror, perhaps as early as 1070-1, under the direction of the king's steward, Eudo Dapifer. The castle was later held by him until his death in 1120 when it reverted to the king. Colchester castle originally consisted of a large defended enclosure in the north-east quadrant of the Norman town and it had a great keep, or fortified palace, in the centre. The keep measures 46.2m x 33.5m (151ft 6 inches x 110ft) making it even larger in area than the White Tower in London which was a very similar structure. Battlements preserved in the wall show that work on the keep at Colchester ceased temporarily, perhaps in 1075, when there was a rebellion in East Anglia supported by a Danish fleet. This may have required preparation of the keep for a siege after only the ground floor had been completed. In any event, the building was completed by 1101, although exactly when is uncertain. The keep rests on the foundations and podium of a great Roman temple. Practically all of the masonry in the keep itself is re-used Roman material, apart from the newly-carved stone for the quoins, window reveals and facing, much of which has now been removed. At the base of the keep a substantial plinth splays out like a skirt. Above this the building has a ground floor and first floor, although an additional floor was originally planned. Internally the space was divided, first of all, by two major north-south walls, one of which was arcaded and is now missing. In addition, in the south-east corner, on the second floor, there was to have been a chapel with a projecting apse which is reproduced in the plan of the crypt and sub-crypt on the floors below, although the chapel itself may not have been built. The main entrance to the keep on the south side is, unusually, at ground level rather than on the first floor, although it was protected by an additional defensive structure. West of the entrance is a tower containing a spiral staircase. There are substantial clasping buttresses in the north-east and north-west corners and in the latter there is a second spiral staircase which rises from first floor level. At this level the Great Hall occupied the western side of the building. A second entrance, reached by an outside stair existed at the north end of the Hall. Large fireplaces, two in the west wall and two in the east, are amongst the earliest in medieval England. The keep was reduced to its present height in the late C17. Other buildings, including a hall and a chapel, are known in the castle bailey.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 116865)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TL998253

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 536814
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 12224; 12225 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/castles/colchester%20castle.htm
    http://www.colchestercastle.co.uk/
    http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/colchester/colchester.php
    http://homepages.enterprise.net/jordy/places/castle.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/colchester.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_east_anglia/168/colchestercastle.htm
    http://www.touruk.co.uk/castles/castle_colchester.htm
    http://www.norman-world.com/angleterre/Patrimoine_architectural/Angleterre/Castles/colchester/colch1.htm
• Books
  • Neville, David, 2003, Lost Castles of Essex (Ian Henry) p69-81
    Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern) pp24-6
    Crummy, P., 1997, City of Victory (Colchester) p144-9
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p70-2 [plan]
    Cooper, Janet (ed), 1994, VCH Essex Vol9 p241-48 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=21994
    Drage, C., 1987, 'Urban castles' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report) p117-32
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p143-4
    Crummy. P., 1981, Aspects of Anglo-Saxon and Norman Colchester (CBA Research Report 39) Appendix 4 http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/cbaresrep/pdf/039/03911001.pdf
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p211-12
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker) p151-7
    Pevsner, N., 1965. The Buildings of England: Essex (London, Penguin, 2edn. revised by E. Radcliffe) p138 - 9
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p615-6
    Toy, Sidney, 1953, The Castles of Great Britain (London) p70-2
    Benham and Co,, 1946, Colchester (Colchester) p56-71
    Toy, Sidney, 1939, Castles: A short History of Fortifications from 1600 BC to AD 1600 (London) p71-2
    RCHME, 1922, An inventory of the historical monuments in Essex. Vol3 [north-east] p50-4
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p132-4
    Evans, Herbert A., 1912, Castles of England and Wales (London) p119-29
    Hamilton Thompson, A., 1912, Military Architecture in England during the Middle Ages (London) p124-5
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England Vol1 p256-60
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England  (Wyman and Sons) Vol1 p418-31
    Buckler, 1876, Colchester Castle a Roman Building (Colchester) [King writes 'well illustrated and not useless, despite its preposterous thesis']
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p211-6
    Morant, 1868, History and Antiquities of County of Essex (London) Vol1 p7-10
    Jenkins, 1853, Colchester Castle (London and Colchester)
    Britton, John, 1835, The Architectural Antiquities of Great Britain (London) Vol1 p109-14
    Cromwell, 1825, History and Description of Colchester (London) esp p205-11
    King, Edward, 1799-1805, Munimenta antiqua or Observations on antient castles (W.Bulmer and Co) p44-7
    Grose, Francis, 1787, The Antiquities of England and Wales (London) Vol2 p117-22
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p91
    Strutt, Joseph, 1774, Horda Angel-cynnan (London) Vol1 plates ii, iii
    Morant, P., 1748, The History and Antiquities of Colchester
• Journal Articles
  • Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p308
    Drury, P.J., 1982. 'Aspects of the origins and development of Colchester Castle' Archaeological Journal Vol139 p302-419 [full bibliography]
    King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
    Cotton, M.A., 1962, 'The Norman Bank of Colchester Castle' Antiquaries Journal Vol42 p57-61
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
    Brown, R. Allen, 1955, 'Royal Castle-building in England 1154-1216' English Historical Review Vol70 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press)] pp19-64
    Rickwood, 1938, Essex Review Vol47 p1-7 [later history]
    Jarmin, 1922, Journal British Archaeological Association Vol37 p198-208
    St John Hope, 1907, Archaeological Journal Vol64 p188-91
    Nichols, 1889, Essex Archaeological Society Vol3 p1-35
    Round, J.H., 1889, Essex Archaeological Society Vol3 p143-54 [records]
    Clark, G.T.,1889, 'Contribution towards a complete list of moated mounds or burhs' Archaeological Journal Vol46 p188-191
    Anon, 1883, The Antiquary Vol7 p45-9, 157-62 [commentary on Clark's paper]
    Clark, G.T.,1882, Archaeological Journal Vol39 p239-56 [reprint in MMA]
    King, 1776, 'Observations on antient castles' Archaeologia Vol4 p406-9 [reprint in Antient Castles]
• Guidebooks
  • Clarke, D.T-D., 1989 (7edn), Colchester Castle: a history, description and guide. (Colchester: Colchester Borough Council)
    Clarke, D.T-D., 1985 (6edn), Colchester Castle: a history, description and guide. (Colchester: Colchester Borough Council)
    Clarke, D.T-D., 1980 (5edn), Colchesrer Castle (Colchester: Colchester Borough Council)
    Clarke, D.T-D., 1948, Colchesrer Castle (Colchester)
    Round, J.H., 1882, The History and Antiquities of Colchester castle (Colchester)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p190-2
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/essexeng.html#essex22]