Colchester is an inland town, 15 miles/24 kms north of Clacton on Sea and 17 miles/27 kms the west.

 

Colchester is the oldest recorded town in Britain it is claimed to be actually the oldest town and was for a time the capital of Roman Britain. It is the only town in the United Kingdom to be a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network. 

 

The main landmark of Medieval Colchester is Colchester Castle, which is an 11th century Norman keep and built on top of the vaults of the old Roman temple.  There are notable medieval ruins in Colchester and many of Colchester's parish churches date back from this period.  Colchester Castle and Victorian Park was judged in 2009 to be the best park in Britain. Currently being renovated, the castle itself will open again to the public in 2014.

Colchester is a thriving town offering lots of attractions to tourists with a wealth of places to visit:

 
Colchester Leisure World
Award winning Colchester Zoo
Go Bananas and Children Play Adventure land indoor play centres

Beth Chatto Gardens
Wilkins Tiptree Jam Museum
East Anglian Railway museum
Firstsite - art gallery built in 2011
Mercury Theatre

 

Sources - visit the sites for more information:

Wikipedia-Colchester