The Roman Town Wall

This is the Roman town wall of Colchester, probably dating from the late 3rd century. Originally approximately 3,100 yards in length, it formed a rectangle measuring roughly 1,000 yards east to west and 510 yards north to south, with rounded corners. The wall can be traced throughout its circuit except in the south-west corner, where it was heavily damaged during the 1648 siege.

The three most important visible sections are on Balkerne Hill on the west side (including the Balkerne Gate), in Castle Park on the north side (including the north-east postern gate and the great vaulted drain beneath it), and at the south-east corner in Priory Street.

Construction

The wall is built of layers of septaria (a type of nodular limestone) interspersed with four-fold courses of brick. The lowest brick course extends right through the thickness of the wall. The core consists of rubble and cement. Considerable lengths still reach a height of 15 feet, and the wall averages 8 feet in thickness.

The wall was strengthened at each corner and at points where internal streets met it by solid internal towers. The base of one such tower can be seen in the stretch on Balkerne Hill.

Later Alterations

During the reign of Richard II (1389–1399), the wall was extensively repaired and strengthened by the addition of external semi-circular solid bastions. Four of these bastions remain in Priory Street.

The wall suffered considerable further damage in the 1648 siege. Much brick patching is evident, particularly in Priory Street, probably dating from the early 18th century.

Detailed Description of the Wall's Circuit

What follows is a detailed description of the wall's course and construction, beginning at the Balkerne Gate in the centre of the west side and proceeding clockwise. All measurements are approximate. All heights refer to the outside face of the wall. The ground level on the inside is often considerably higher due to the earth bank built as part of the fortifications.

A. Balkerne Gate to North Hill

Total length: 455 yards. Condition: good.

Beginning at the Balkerne Gate, the wall runs due north down the east side of Balkerne Hill:

• 30 yards of Roman wall, 12 feet high
• 15 yards of medieval refacing, 12 feet high
• 30-yard breach caused in the Civil War
• 60 yards of Roman wall, 10 feet high, built on a bank
• 40-yard breach filled by modern red brick wall
• Approximately 280 yards of Roman wall running to the rear of the old Coach and Horses Inn on North Hill, 10 feet high dropping to 8 feet, with considerable medieval repairs, particularly in the north-west angle

B. North Hill to East Hill

Total length: 1,100 yards. Condition: fragmentary.

• 80 yards of considerably altered Roman wall beginning between No. 30 North Hill and No. 1 Middleborough, 10 feet high dropping to 3 and 4 feet in the yard of No. 1
• Behind Nos. 2 and 4 Northgate Street (Northgate House), 3 feet high
• Fading at the rear of Nos. 8, 10 and 12 Northgate Street to the corner of Short Cut Road
• 260 yards with no visible remains. The row of houses Nos. 22A–32 (even) Northgate Street are built on the course of the wall; it then runs beside or under the road to the corner of Castle Park
• 40 yards with a footpath on top of remains; only modern facing visible
• 15 yards to the park gate, 3 feet high, Roman with much modern facing
• 12-yard gap for park gate
• 120 yards of Roman wall with much medieval and later facing, 8–12 feet high
• 5-yard gap for park gate
• 90 yards of Roman wall with later facing, 10 to 12 feet high
• Duncan's Gate (postern) with drain beneath and remains of fallen tower
• 35 yards, Roman, 8 to 10 feet high, running beside No. 40 Castle Road
• Modern arch through to Castle Road
• 100 yards to the north-east angle, Roman, 8 to 10 feet high, buttressed at the angle

From the north-east angle to East Hill, the wall forms the garden wall to all houses on the east side of Roman Road (Nos. 55–15 odd, Nos. 14–2 consecutive) except for Nos. 23, 21, 19, 17, 15, 14, 13, 12 and 11, where it has been largely destroyed:

• 70 yards, Roman with medieval facing, 8 to 10 feet high, along the Private Burial Ground and Nos. 55, 53, 51 and 49 Roman Road
• 30 yards, Roman, 6 feet high, behind Nos. 47, 45, 43, 41 and 39 Roman Road
• 60 yards behind Nos. 37, 35, 33, 31, 29, 27 and 25 Roman Road, where it has been virtually destroyed—at first a low wall of a few old stones with modern brick, then higher but completely rebuilt
• 65 yards behind Nos. 23, 21, 19, 17, 15, 14, 13, 12 and 11 Roman Road; no visible remains
• 80 yards to East Hill; no significant remains behind Nos. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2 Roman Road and between Nos. 89 and 90 East Hill

C. East Hill to Queen Street

Total length: 490 yards. Condition: good.

• 80 yards, Roman, 12 feet high with medieval stone and modern brick facing, along St James' Churchyard to the medieval bastion
• 70 yards, Roman with medieval stone repairs, 12 feet high, to the south-east angle and second medieval bastion
• 50-yard breach (Civil War) rebuilt in the 18th century in red brick, 12 feet high
• 200 yards to Bastion V, Roman with extensive repairs; height varies between 12 and 8 feet
• 40 yards, Roman, 8 feet high, with red brick bus depot above
• 25-yard gap through bus depot buildings
• 25 yards to St Botolph's Street, between Nos. 48 and 50; no visible remains

D. Queen Street to Scheregate

Total length: 285 yards. Condition: good.

• 60 yards to the bastion behind No. 10 Short Wyre Street, between Nos. 1 and 1a St Botolph's Street and then behind Nos. 1–10 (consecutive) Short Wyre Street. These houses have their rear walls built on the Roman wall, including the bastion under No. 10, but little remains of the original stonework
• 225 yards from the bastion to Scheregate. Destroyed behind No. 11 Short Wyre Street
• Roman, 6 to 8 feet high behind Nos. 27–14 (consecutive) Eld Lane
• Gap with modern filling behind No. 13 Eld Lane
• Roman, 10 feet high to No. 6A Eld Lane
• Breach between No. 6A and No. 5 Eld Lane; 18th-century red brick wall, 10 feet high
• Roman, 10 feet high, to Scheregate behind Nos. 5–1 (consecutive) Eld Lane and between No. 1 Eld Lane and No. 2 Scheregate Steps; incorporated in the buildings, partly destroyed and partly invisible
• Scheregate (separately listed), medieval

E. Scheregate to Head Street

Total length: 225 yards. Condition: fragmentary.

• Between No. 3 Scheregate Steps and No. 6A Sir Isaac's Walk; no visible remains
• 20 yards beneath the car park, 6 feet high but mostly rebuilt, some stonework
• Visible stonework behind No. 6 Eld Lane
• Bottom garden wall behind Nos. 36 to 48 (consecutive) St John's Street, running under the southern side of Eld Lane; very fragmentary
• Running through buildings to Head Street; no visible remains, probably quite destroyed

F. Head Street to the Balkerne Gate

Total length: 400 yards. Condition: fragmentary.

• Running at rear of Nos. 3–33 Crouch Street and Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5 Church Walk, the rear walls of the latter being built above the Roman wall; no visible remains, probably largely destroyed
• 30 yards, 10 feet high, behind Nos. 35, 36 and 37 Crouch Street, forming the garden wall of St Mary's Cottage, Church Walk
• South-west angle destroyed
• 20 yards, Roman, 6 feet high, behind No. 8 Balkerne Lane
• 25-yard gap
• 20 yards Roman to postern gate, 10 feet high, behind Nos. 14, 15 and 17 Balkerne Lane; No. 17 is built into the postern gate
• From the postern gate to the Balkerne Gate, 100 yards, Roman, 12 feet high, in good condition, running behind No. 18 and Nos. 25 to 31 (consecutive) Balkerne Lane

Buildings Connected with the Roman Wall

Buildings Structurally Connected with Visible Remains

Balkerne Lane: No. 17 (The Hole in the Wall Public House)

Church Walk: Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5

Eld Lane: Nos. 1, 1b, 1c, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6a, 7, 11, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27

Middleborough: No. 1

Northgate Street: Nos. 2, 4, 10 and 12

North Hill: Nos. 30 and 31

Queen Street: Eastern Counties Bus Depot

Sir Isaac's Walk: No. 6

Short Wyre Street: Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10

Buildings with Possible Invisible Remains Incorporated in Foundations (Nothing Certain)

Crouch Street: Nos. 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 25, 27, 31, 33 and 41

East Hill: Nos. 89 and 90

St Botolph's Street: Nos. 1 and 1a

Scheregate: Nos. 2 and 3

Short Wyre Street: Nos. 1, 2, 3a, 3b and 11

Sir Isaac's Walk: Nos. 6a and 6b

Buildings Not Directly Connected with the Wall but Where It Forms Part of the Property Boundary

Balkerne Hill: Gilberd Lodge

Balkerne Lane: Nos. 8, 18, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31

Castle Road: No. 40

Crouch Street: Nos. 35 and 37

East Hill: Church of St James; Nos. 89 and 90

Eld Lane: Nos. 1a, 6, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15 and 19

High Street: Easthill House

Queen Street: Eastern Counties Bus Depot

Roman Road: Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55 and the Private Burial Ground

Several of the buildings listed above are of merit in themselves and are separately listed under their respective streets.