Reviews of Roman Circus Visitor Centre. (Travel Agency) in Colchester (Essex).

Roman Circus Visitor Centre

145 Reviews

105 Comments

Travel Agency

Visitor center

Roman Circus Walk, Colchester CO2 7GZ, United Kingdom

Description

Information of Roman Circus Visitor Centre, Travel Agency in Colchester (Essex)

On this page you’ll find the address, open hours, more popular times, the contact, photos and real reviews of this business.

This business has received very good reviews from their customers, so probably it’s a place you should try if you are looking for this kind of services.

Map

Open hours of Roman Circus Visitor Centre

Popular times

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Reviews of Roman Circus Visitor Centre

A. C.

We visited towards the end of the day, we had parked nearby and just happened to notice it was open (on last few occasions we had gone past it was closed). We were greeted by the friendly staff who advised that the cafe shut a tad earlier than the museum so if we wanted drinks, best to do that first perhaps. Cafe has a selection of drinks and a few cakes. Prices are not bad, and there is a small amount of seating inside the museum but more outside (which is nice if the weather is good!) After myself and the kids had demolished a bit of cake between us we popped back in for a look around. It's very informative and the staff are more than happy to answer any questions but there is a lot to read - and possibly not as hands on kid friendly as you'd perhaps want a museum to be. They did however enjoy looking at the models and we tried a bit of spot this and that on the big pictures, which when they found what we was looking for we attempted to talk about! There is also a nice outside space for a small wonder, and if weather is good it's a really nice little area for a rest / chill. In terms of facilities there is a small car park, and there is toilets. Admission to the museum is not expensive - it cost me £3 and the kids were free (kids up to 11 are free). The visit was a nice diversion from a busy day in the town / city - it was quiet on our visit and we were there for just over an hour (but that included cake eating time). If you are keen on finding out about Colchesters roman past then this is a great place to come!

K. D.

Thoroughly enjoyed my visit today. The museum is modestly sized but packed with information. It's the staff that make the place worth a visit though. The guide was excellent - knowledgeable, enthusiastic and obviously a huge fan of all things Roman. The tour is great value at only £3. Everyone else was very friendly too (not entirely sure if they were guides, other staff or visitors mind 🤔) Decent cafe too 👍

J. w.

What a wonderful experience. The curator sam knowledge of roman Britain and the circus is outstanding. The exhibits are well displayed and wonderful to see. Our family had a great time and I would recommend a visit. It has been the highlight of our stay in Colchester

J. W.

A small place packed with information and cleverly designed exhibits. Take the tour-lots of information and the tour guide is a great storyteller-made the Circus come to life!! Not to mention the homemade cakes and tea at the cafe - yum!

P. J.

Well worth a visit here to imagine the scale and grandeur of ancient Rome. It took us 1500 years to reach the same standards of literacy and hygiene in the UK ... And we could well regress. That said, they were monstrous, oppressive people so maybe the UK is better out of Italy's influence (or not?)

b. P.

The tour was brilliant very well done so much info it was Linda the tour guide

J. C.

THIS WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF OUR VISIT TO COLCHESTER!!! I believe that it is the only Roman Circus in the UK - think chariot racing. Colchester Castle is good - but this is better. Our stop a the Visitor's Centre was made by the staff on site. We arrived around 10.30 and were asked if we wanted the Guided Tour at noon. As time was tight, we were going to opt for the self-guided look a the displays. But the staff offered an immediate guided tour. Our guide, (Linda, I think) was one fo the best tour guides I have ever experienced. She was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and a great speaker. She really brought the history to live and was full of useful anecdotes, facts and information. She should be recorded and offered as a an audio package to bring the place to life. The actual site is mainly buried but one gets a good idea of how large it was. Colchester should make every effort to ensure that the historical significance of this site is maintained and emphasised. Maybe sell a combined ticket to the Castel and the Circus! There were negatives but these could and should be fixed. The signage and directions were almost non-existent. (The centre is at the back of a residential area and I nearly turned back when we popped round a corner and there it was - the City should fix this immediately!) The parking is barely adequate and should be cleaned up. The grounds are well-maintained, by volunteers, I think) but they could be so much better and integrated into the Circus remains. The Café is basic at best and could be a real money-maker for the Centre. The displays need a lot of work - again the Centre seems to rely on volunteers. This should be of the same quality and depth as the Castle. The Roman Circus is a must visit site - and Colchester you should put way more effort into it! Well done the the staff who were clearly doing a great job with very limited support.

A. S.

Small & inexpensive visitor centre. Very knowledgeable staff. Parking nearby @ rainer Road carpar 'pay & display' only £2.50 for 12hrs!!

S. V.

Really worth paying the small extra charge for the guided tour as the volunteer guides really know their stuff and bring the site to life.

S. M.

Excellent place to visit, the Roman Circus was really worth going to.. It doesn't open (at the moment), until 11am.. There is a great exhibition indoors and lots to see outside.. It was £1 for an adult to get in and free for children.. A bit difficult to see the turn but once found it was good to be there.. Great educational value.. There is a brilliant mosaic piece outside and some seating areas as well as a really nice cafe inside.. Great food.. Scones, sandwiches and cakes, excellent staff.. Took my Grandson of 13 years and he really enjoyed it.. It's small, but well worth the effort of seeing it.. Considering there are not many Roman Circuses.. It's perfect for exploring the past.. There were posters available to buy and very reasonably when I went in April.. Hopefully they still have them when I go back.. Remember to take your camera, there are some excellent pieces inside and outside worth photographing..

T. F.

We went for a guided tour which was fantastic the guide was so knowledgeable and she really brought it to life.

D. R.

Loveley place for lunch. Informative staff and lots to look at. Even the little ones have things to do and play with. Well worth a visit!

N. E.

Feel pleased to have visited. Such a unique piece of history in UK. The area is still underdeveloped and can do more to increase its potential, but I guess it's early days and at least it's established now.

S. J.

Fantastic place and very informative tour guide.

S. P.

This place is full of Roman history and it gives a Good account of the facts that took place in the chariot races that happen there. It has a good museum free of charge. It also has a cafe...

D. B.

Very nice coffee shop. Nice menu with home-made cakes. Will priced

J. M.

Lovely little place. They don't have a lot of original objects but do have a lot of well presented information, cool models & really helpful staff.

T. R.

Interesting. Go inside for sure

M. M.

Well worth a visit, make sure you take the guided tour to get the most out of it. The tearoom is excellent too.

P. B.

A most interesting place to visit. It's best to go during heritage weekend. the reason for this is that you will me people who are into re-enactment clubs. This people are very knowledgeable about a large number of issues related to the soldier of the time and are eager to answer questions. The tour guides are also well informed and are interesting to listen too. You can go on other says, however you would only get the tour guides taking you around, still interesting, but not as much fun.

J. T.

Highly recommend the guided tour - they kindly did the guided tour out of schedule so make sure you ask when you arrive.

J. D.

Amazing place, to think of all the history preserved on display is mind blowing. Really kind knowledgeable staff on hand to answer questions . Well worth a visit ileven if you thought you knew a lot about the history of Colchester

J. H.

Not much to see outside but very instructional little museum showing how it would have looked and where it lies under the modern buildings.

e. b.

Fantastic place but proper presentation and signage of the site is desperately needed. Local council needs to appreciate that history - and this unique Circus - is the most important asset of the town. Believe it or not drivers, unfamiliar with the place, sometimes assume that the section of the track on the Arena Place development is a roadway !!!

S. T.

Had a great two hours here hearing about this recent and ongoing amazing find. Some thoughtful and subtle exhibits, especially outside, give a sense of the shape and scale of the place despite the competition with nearby buildings and road. We had a super guided tour with Samantha who took every question on the volley. Agree with other posts about signage etc for finding this important site.

D. J.

Essential you get a tour from guides who are knowledgeable and interesting.

M. G.

Very interesting place to visit if you are into Roman history and/or local Colchester history. Small museum but a good one - icing on the cake is the chance to see visible remains of largest Roman chariot circus ( think Ben-Hur) north of the Alps. And in an interesting part of town anyway, with St Johns Abbey gatehouse close. Town centre only five mins walk; park in Napier Rd North carpark, cheaply.

l. h.

This is an amazing place... loved every minute. Our tour guide was amazing, she was so informative. Will definitely be back.

J. W.

Really worth a visit and not far out of town centre. Need to check opening times as not open every day. Guided tours (only on a Saturday I think at 12MD and 1300hrs) are very interesting and informative but there's plenty of info available to read too.

S. H.

Not a pleasant walk to get here along a narrow path on the local racetrack. Some amazing history but you will need your imagination. It's a shame how the military camp was built over and through it. £3 to enter the small exhibition centre but we didn't look in. There is a lovely modern mozaic but strangely positioned to the side of the building. Some Roman foundations can be clearly seen.

S. L.

Fascinating BUT Essex C.C. need to put up proper signage so that one can find it!

A. G.

A very informative place to visit. If of the most important and historically significant Roman locations in the country. We'll worth a visit.

P. A.

Interesting place but we found it a little hard to find from the city centre. There is a small exhibition hall with finds, models and photos, a lovely modern wall mosaic outside and the remains of the starting gates of the Roman circus. An interesting spot to visit while you are in the area.

J. T.

Was a really great experience. We went to their Open day which was full of great little activities for all ages and the volunteers were brilliant, full of useful information and a pleasure to speak with!

C. N.

Bit out of the way but interesting when you get there. Has a cafe!

A. L.

Really well laid out and informative. You can also see the chariot that was on Time Team on display. The staff are really friendly and helpful. Make sure you visit the starting gates there as well.

Z. E.

Free Entry And Certainly Worth Popping In And Visiting. Friendly/Informative People And Plenty Of Information Boards. There Is Also A Seasonal Cafe.

E. A.

We had a brilliant afternoon tea today to celebrate my birthday. Everything was perfect.

E. D.

Pretty interesting once you find it. Good for kids as well. Shows clear evidence of other locations across the world.

T. E.

Lovely place to visit. Friendly staff and great cafe

J. C.

Hugely under marketed archeological site here!!! Needs more publicity this is beyond amazing to know and see!

m. r.

Nice little museum ,went off season so cafe wasn't open , check out the marks outside where the starting gates are you get a sense of the scale of the vast area the circus must have covered

J. M.

Very interesting site, great exhibitions and very knowledgeable guides. Well worth a visit! :)

J. L.

well worth a visit if you like Roman History. Lots of new finds going in soon.

S. D.

It's very interesting, but wasn't fully open - I don't think it is open routinely over autumn / winter. We were let in to see the model though which was good to help visualise.

K. B.

Lovely spot, interesting history with a nice tea room and garden.

B. F.

The staff are very friendly and helpful , they also know their Roman history!

J. B.

We love stopping here for lunch or a snack. Family friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

S. S.

Brilliant, knowledgeable staff, very helpful.

S. B.

This is a very atmospheric place with good guides and a super tearoom

D. Y.

Very little to view externally, so book a visit to the onsite exhibition centre. We had not pre-booked and were short on time.

j. p.

Good for tea, sandwiches, scones or cake. Decent service and nice outdoor area. Cheap for what you get too.

J. R.

we enjoyed it. but saw it after doing the Caulodium to Colchester walk. so found it fascinating

c. w.

Very interesting loved the etched glass helped to bring the past to life. Well worth a visit lovely tea shop with delicious cake.

p. l.

Imagine Pompeii or the Colosseum in Rome. Now, this Roman circus doesn't quite match up to either of these. A lot of imagination will be needed as there are virtually no actual remains. It's still definitely worth going to however. The starting gates have been recreated and the cafe is very quiet and peaceful

J. B.

The Roman circus centre is a very interesting place. It the only Roman chariot course in this country. I didn't know it was there, found it by accident. You can see the starting gate and in the information centre there is a model and pictures from othe countries. Well worth a visit

R. B.

Really interesting piece of history, worth donating a quid to have a look at the pictures inside. Don't expect clowns or lion taming, you'll be disappointed!

D. D.

Not actually visibly amazing but, only roman chariot racing place in UK with small handy museum.

B. D.

Brilliant that Colchester has this. Shame not more is made of it. Needs to have better funding from the council

M. W.

Tasty food at very reasonable prices in a lovely quiet corner surrounded by trees and historical artefacts. Well worth a visit!

c. g.

A must if you come to Colchester. Needs to be valued and pushed more by the council. Great excavation fun for kids in the summer.

S. M.

Impressive display of what was the significant find of the only Roman circus in England. Although not much of the actual circus is now visible, the displays show how it would have looked and compares with other similar sites around the Roman empire from 1800 years ago. Interesting.

M. O.

Really interesting, we were at the young archaeologists of Colchester meeting.

R. B.

Hidden away in the old barracks at Colchester. A must to visit and walk around the full Circus that's been mapped out on the new housing development

S. C.

Intetesting, but only for an hour or so. A guided tour may be better.

J. S.

Love the place. Very interesting facts on the roman Times.

T. C.

Simply fascinating!so interesting and on the doorstep

D. K.

Interesting update oc the finds at the county hozpital site

H. J.

This is an information centre with a cafe - promoting a very important and significant Roman Circus (chariot racing circuit). The only known one in the UK and one of a handful known in the world!! A model of the structure sits in the cafe (very reasonably priced), along with a short video showing beside it. There is a small exhibition area in the centre too. There is evidence of the remains of the Circus outside to see, along with a replica chariot and mosaic floor. Centre is only open 11am-4pm April to end of Sept ... check the website or Facebook page before going. Considering its importance, the Centre is under-funded and the Circus only promoted because of local enthusiasts :-(

D. W.

Hidden gem of colchester. Lots of history. Take a guided tour

T. D.

Well worth a visit, and a lovely little cafe with good appetizing food to enjoy.

G. K.

Lovely quite and surounded by beautiful trees and ancient sites a great find as there is nothing around that area ....friendly helpful staff ..

N. P.

Spicy artifacts and fun people what more could you need

J. N.

The Roman circus centre is a very interesting place

N. C.

Informative displays showing Britians only Roman Circus. Lovely cafe, snacks and drinks.

S. S. “. M. P. P.

Very much worth a visit

D. R.

Very interesting to see what part of our town was many years ago and "Jack's" project.

P. B.

Nice little place, good displays, nice cafe too. Needs to be better known

S. P.

Very informative for all ages.

K. J.

Excellent visitor centre

G. E.

Well worth a visit.

M. G.

Hiden gem. Simple and great value. Love it ❤

A. W.

Colchester's hidden history: a huge Roman stadium!

G. W.

Really informative!

D. B.

Fascinating history and enthusiastic volunteers

k. L.

Must visit in Colchester!

J. R.

Wonderful hidden treasure!

S. C.

Very interesting

Z. C.

Under Colchester is the site of Britain’s only known Roman chariot race track, just like the one you’ve seen in the film Ben Hur. There was an open day so I cycled up to have a look. Obviously no original surface features survive but the replica gates and props showing where the seats and central barrier were along with the model, historical artifacts and information makes it worth a visit. Watch the site for open days, I had a ride on a scaled down penny farthing and played the creator of the board game Aquila an interpretation of an ancient British version of the Roman board game of Latrunculi which was discovered set up ready to play in excavations at Stanway The café is clean comfortable tea served in a proper teapot, the sandwich was served with crispy fresh salad garnish. The site is a little hard to find at the moment but I was told new signage is going to put up soon.

B. A.

Only remains of chariot racing circuit in UK

D. U.

Very interesting, very relaxing

m. M.

Love the tea room

M. P.

Very interesting.

R.

Don't remember being here but it looks nice

G. F.

Hidden gem.

B. G.

Information good

S. W.

Brilliant..

P. M.

10/10

J. S.

(Translated) It's the only known Roman circus in Britain and worth a visit for that alone. It was a huge structure that could seat up to 8,000 spectators, but little of it remains today. The circus was built in the early 2nd century AD and was in use for approximately 150 years. There is an exhibition about that time in the visitor center there and this is also illustrated outside by installations and diagrams. The best place to park is on Butt Road in the car park. I can only recommend paying for a parking ticket, as the car was checked when we returned. There are only a small number of visitor and disabled parking spaces directly on site. (Original) Es ist der einzige bekannte römische Zirkus in Großbritannien und allein deshalb einen Besuch wert. Es handelte sich um ein riesiges Bauwerk, das bis zu 8 000 Zuschauern Platz bot, von dem heute allerdings nur noch wenig zu sehen ist. Der Zirkus wurde im frühen 2. Jahrhundert n. Chr. erbaut und wurde ca. etwa 150 Jahre lang genutzt. Es gibt im dortigen Besucherzentrum eine Ausstellung über die damalige Zeit und außen wird durch Installationen und Schaubilder dies ebenso veranschaulicht. Am besten parkt man in der Butt Road auf dem Parkplatz. Ich kann nur empfehlen ein Parkticket zu bezahlen, da bei unser Rückkehr zum Auto kontrolliert wurde. Direkt vor Ort gibt es nur eine geringe Zahl an Besucher- und Behindertenparkplätzen.

F. C.

(Translated) You can see some remnants of the ancient Roman hippodrome and visit the museum that reconstructs the appearance and history. Some artifacts found on site are also on display. (Original) È possibile vedere qualche resto dell' antico ippodromo romano e visitare il museo che ricostruisce l'aspetto e la storia. Sono inoltre esposti alcuni reperti rinvenuti in loco.

S. V.

(Translated) An interesting place with its history (Original) Interesanta vieta ar savu vēsturi

R. M.

L. G.

T. C.

A.

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