Colchester Roman Circus

We were delighted to attend an open day of the excellent museum at Colchester Roman Circus and celebrate the spectacular classical heritage of Colchester, Britain's first city.

The museum is a powerful example of what can be achieved when communities embrace the value of the heritage under our feet. Something that struck us was the love of equestrian culture in Romano-British life, and the similarities in this respect to some of the "princely burials" at Sutton Hoo. It was a pleasure to meet living historians representing the classical period, and share our thoughts about the continuities through the early Middle Ages. We believe this continuity stretches to our own times — the circus is surrounded by Victorian barracks and memorials to the men and horses who went out to war not so long ago.

Horse racing is still important to the economy of the region — Chelmsford City Racecourse and Newmarket are not very far away!