Colchester redux

I think I'm caught up with time now as I awoke with the birds singing at first light at about five o'clock this morning. I wasn't awake enough to go walking with Anthea this morning so went to buy a paper to have a go at the cryptic crossword puzzle. The cloudy, showery weather which had been forecast for the week-end finally materialised; it had to I was to take Julian (younger nephew) back to Oxford; and it usually rains when I go Oxford, last week being an exception. First I was to meet a ringing friend and her husband who travel to Colchester from Cambridgeshire regularly to visit her parents. We took refuge from the rain in the Minories, a gallery with a refreshment shop at the top of East Hill, Colchester. We then walked around Colchester to some of the less frequented historical places of note in the town like remains of St Botolph's Priory and St John's Gate.

Another of my favourite corners is Scheregate Steps in a passage connecting St John's Street with Isaac Walk and Eld Lane. I was disappointed to see yet another pub name change: the Clarence is now the Purple Dog. Scheregate Steps are over the site of part of the Roman wall much of which remains in other parts of the town notably Balkerne Hill where much remains also of a Roman gate into the town and Lower Castle Park. below

There are many formal flower beds in the Castle Park but the daffodils and hyacinths are over and the roses (for which Colchester was once famed) will not be blooming for another month or so but the tulips were in full bloom.
The remains of the Norman keep are massive. It is build partly on the foundations of a Roman temple.


Hollytrees houses a museum of childhood. A rather elegant brick building. I like brick building because I hand-made bricks at one time . . . The Dutch quarter is also a quiet area off the High Street that is worth exploring on foot. East Stockwell below and West Stockwell below left streets . . .