3 Things to do on a Colchester Staycation

Colchester is a historic town within the county of Essex, England and is claimed to be the oldest town in Britain with roots supposedly going back as far as 77AD. These days the town has a population of over 120,000 people and has had considerable development since 2001.

51.2 miles northeast of London, Colchester is a great place to visit on a trip to England with some fantastic things to do for people of all ages and for all interests. I wanted to share with you my favourite three things to do in Colchester to give you a bit of inspiration.

Colchester Zoo

A must-see for any visitors to Colchester is its well-known zoological garden which opened in 1963 and receives over 800,000 visitors a year. Home to numerous rare and endangered species such as primates, birds and big cats Colchester Zoo is supported by Action for the Wild which offers financial and technical support to conservation projects across the globe.

New as of summer 2014 is the Australian Rainbows exhibit – a colourful garden offering a journey through a little exotic aviary paradise showcasing lorikeets (brightly coloured small to medium-sized arboreal parrots). For £1 you can purchase a pot of golden nectar and get up close with the birds as they feed from your pot – an amazing experience for any animal lover. My other favourite exhibits include Otter Creek and Call of the Wild, the Wolf enclosure.

The Beth Chatto Gardens

Named after Beth Chatto OBE, a British plants woman, garden designer and author; construction for this botanical Eden 6 km east of Colchester started in 1960 on land attached to the Chatto family home. From an overgrown wasteland it has been transformed using plants adapted by nature to thrive in difficult condition producing an inspirational garden. The Gardens include a varied range of sites totalling 7 acres highlighting the contrast of ‘problem areas’ experienced by gardeners with the juxtaposition of dry patches with boggy areas, woodland and alpine planting.

Exhibits by Beth’s “Unusual Plants” exhibition were awarded an amazing 11 consecutive Gold Medals at the Chelsea Flower Show from 1977 to 1987. Beth still works in The Beth Chatto Gardens, guiding staff as well as sharing her deep love and profound knowledge of planting. If you enjoy nature this is certainly a place to visit.

Mercury Theatre Colchester

A highly regarded venue for original work under the title ‘Made in Colchester’ this Theatre established in 1968 and designed by Norman Downie has had some fantastic featured artists including Martin Clunes, Gwen Taylor, Simon Gray and Toby Longworth to name a few with Gari Jones, formerly of the National Theatre, regularly piloting new work at the Mercury.

The theatre is made up of two auditoria as well as The Digby Gallery, which showcases local art. 2021 sees an exciting array of shows including Baskerville (a Sherlock Holmes mystery), Aladdin and Sirens a haunting new play explores themes of belonging, family ties and forgiveness.  If you fancy emerging yourself in the arts during your visit to Colchester, check out the what’s on section of the Theatre’s website for more information.

Bonus: The Mercury Theatre is right next to the Jumbo Water Tower one of Colchester’s Architectural gems. Built in 1883 from 1,200,000 bricks and over 800 tons of stone and cement. It is 116ft to the viewing level which offers amazing views across the city. It’s definitely worth snapping a selfie here!

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Micaela combines her love for all things digital and all things creative with a career in digital marketing alongside running her UK lifestyle blog. Micaela has been blogging since 2012 and loves sharing new experiences, her knowledge products and her passions with her readers.

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