Photographs of Colchester Castle

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Colchester Castle was the first Norman castle ever to be built on English soil and is largely complete. It was the model for the Tower of London and Rochester Castle and is one and a half times the size of the White Tower. The castle is built on the foundations of the earlier Roman temple of Claudius (built in around AD 44). The castle was ordered by William the Conqueror and designed by Siward, Bishop of Rochester. The basic structure consists of a rectangular block with projecting towers at each corner and a semi-circular apse on the south end of the

east elevation. By the 14th century Colchester Castle was obsolete. Since the 16th century, the Castle has been a ruin, a library and a gaol for witches. In about 1720, the castle was restored and the Italianate facade and tower and a red tiled roof were added.