"What is most impressive at Colchester, more impressive than in any other town in England, is the continuity of its architectural interest. It began before the time of the Romans and lasted through to the C18." Nikolaus Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Essex, 1954
""Britain's Oldest Recorded Town"...can give no idea of the extraordinary visual pleasure, the immense sense of historic continuity into the present that is peculiar to the very lively character of the place." Norman Scarfe, A Shell Guide: Essex, 1968
Our only argument with these statements is that Colchester's architectural interest certainly does not end in the 18th century. Colchester Town Hall (1898-1902), University of Essex (1964-), and firstsite:newsite (2006-) are all of national importance at least, not to mention innumerable fine Victorian buildings.
The following links provide a chronological catalogue of Colchester's best buildings, (some of its worst!), and plenty of its little known gems.
Colchester Architectural Blog Highlighting some of Colchester's lesser-known buildings and places, with a view to raising awareness of the need to treat development and change with care. It also aims show residents and visitors that there's more to Colchester than the usual tourist destinations Colchester Civic Society We encourage high standards of architecture and town planning in England's oldest recorded town
English Heritage English Heritage exists to protect and promote England's spectacular historic environment and ensure that its past is researched and understood SAVE Britain's Heritage Campaigning for threatened historic buildings Ancient Monuments Society Founded in 1924 for the study and conservation of historic buildings of all ages and all types The Georgian Group The Georgian Group is the national charity dedicated to preserving Georgian buildings and gardens The Victorian Society The Victorian Society is the national society responsible for the study and protection of Victorian and Edwardian architecture and other arts The Twentieth Century Society ...to create understanding of and appreciation of the best of all kinds of buildings erected in Britain in the 20th century
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