COLCHESTER CASTLE

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Colchester Castle is a keep and bailey castle built around the vaulted base of the Temple of Claudius probably in the late 11th century. A large proportion of the construction materials are made up of Roman tile and the building is one of the largest and most impressive of the Norman period. It was certainly constructed by 1120 when the death of its first castellon is documented. The bailey was created in 1173-1174 when it was also walled, and the building was then strengthened in 1214-1215.

Demolition of the castle commenced in 1693 although in the late 18th century a programme of restoration works was undertaken.

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The huge rectangular keep was built around the vaulted base of a Roman temple. The top course of the sloping plinth is of oolite with limestone above, then alternating courses of reused septaria and tiles. Caen stone is used for interior dressings. There are towers at the angles, the South-East one modified with the East facing apse of the chapel it contains, and that in the South-West being thickended to carry the spiral stair. Before partial demolition in 1683, the corner turrets projected above the main walls. South of the keep the remains of a separate chapel on a different alignment have been found, as well asa rectangular hall.

The castle may have been built in response to the burning of the town by the Danes in 1071. The bailey was created around the castle in 1173-4, at which time it was also walled. The walls were strengthened again 1214-15 before its capture by the French. (1)

The castle was certainly built by the time of the death of its first castellan, Eudo de Rie, in 1120. By the mid 13th century the castle's military value had ceased. However,it was held for the Royalists in the Civil War and was probably made untenable after its fall to Fairfax, and the outer wall pulled down. The entrance from the town was on the South side. (2)

Built late C11 on the site of the great Roman Claudian Temple (the foundations still exist under the castle), almost entirely of Roman tiles and septaria. It was probably built in circa 1080 for William the Conqueror as an important defensive work. It was much larger and more massive than any other Norman Castle built in England - possibly partly because it had to enclose the great Roman foundations still existing on the site. It had 3 storeys or more and is now probably less than half its original height, though still a most imposing structure and a most important example of mediaeval military architecture. Demolition was begun in 1693, the height being reduced. Considerable restoration took place in the mid C18 for Charles Grey. The dome over the great staircase was added by James Deane in 1760. Grade I. (3)

Scheduled. (4)

Listed by Cathcart King. (5)

The threat of Scandinavian invasion in the 11th century which led to the constuction of the tower was not repeated in the 12th century, and so Colchester Castle never developed the extensive defences that the tower did at London. A bailey was built in 1173-4 and the town fortified at the same time. The Upper bailey surrounded the Keep, and the Nether bailey was contiguous with the town defences. The barbican protecting the defences to the main entrance was probably part of King John's strengthening of the defences. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the castle was mainly used as a gaol, and it is doubtful that the castle retained much military value after the reign of Henry III. (6)

SOURCE TEXT

(1) by Derek Renn 1973 Norman castles in Britain

Page(s)151-7

(2) by Geo T Clark 1884 Medieval military architecture in England. Volume 1

Page(s)418-31

(3) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

City of Colchester, 20-Apr-1950

(4) Scheduled Monument Notification

Essex, 1994

(5) by David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the islands. Volume I : Anglesey - Montgomery

Page(s)143

(6) R Allen Brown, H M Colvin and A J Taylor 1963 The history of the King's Works, volume 2 : the Middle Ages

Page(s)615-6

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Public park covering an area of nine hectares. It was opened to the public in 1892, extended in 1893 and completed in 1896. The grounds of Hollytrees ...

TEMPLE OF CLAUDIUS
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A site of a large classical style Roman temple that now lies underneath and forms part of the foundations of the Norman castle at Colchester (see UID ...

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