Capital escapes

Just a short distance from London, an array of bustling towns and grand historic cities are waiting to be explored. Here’s our pick of the best day-trips

LAURA SILVERMAN

COLCHESTER For hundreds of years, Colchester was Britain’s oldest recorded town – Roman writer Pliny the Elder mentioned it around AD77. Technically, it is now a city – a status conferred by the late Queen Elizabeth II – but it still has an exalted historical status. About two thirds of its Roman wall remains, with a marked walking route taking in the Balkerne Gate, the earliest and most complete Roman gateway in the UK. The former town even boasts the remnants of the only Roman chariot racing track in the country. Colchester Castle, Europe’s largest Norman keep, houses a museum exploring the area’s 2,000-year history, while the Dutch Quarter, so-called because of the many Flemish weavers who came here in the 16th century, retains buildings from Tudor times. Collections on…

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Britain (Digital) - 1 Issue, London 2024

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