| Colchester | |
|---|---|
| City | |
  Colchester Location within Essex | |
| Population | 130,245 (2021 Census)[1] |
| Founded | 1st century BC |
| OS grid reference | TL998254 |
| • London | 56 mi (90 km) SW |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | COLCHESTER |
| Postcode district | CO1–4 |
| Dialling code | 01206 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | colchester |
.jpg)
.jpg)
Colchester (/ˈkɒltʃɛstərˌ ˈkoʊl-ˌ -tʃɪst-ˌ -tʃəst-/ KOL-chest-ər, KOHL-, -chist-, -chəst-)[2][3][4][5] is a city[a] in northeastern Essex, England.[6][7][b] It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 Census.[1] The demonym is Colcestrian.[8]
Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colchester therefore claims to be Britain's first city.[9][10] It has been an important military base since the Roman era, with Colchester Garrison currently housing the 16th Air Assault Brigade.
On the River Colne,[11] Colchester is 50 miles (80 kilometres) northeast of London. It is connected to London by the A12 road and the Great Eastern Main Line railway.[12] Colchester is less than 30 miles (50 km) from London Stansted Airport and 20 miles (30 km) from the port of Harwich.
Attractions in and around the city include St Botolph's Priory, Colchester Zoo, and several art galleries. Colchester Castle was constructed in the eleventh century on earlier Roman foundations; it now contains a museum. The main campus of the University of Essex is located between Colchester and Wivenhoe. Local government is the responsibility of the City of Colchester and Essex County Council.
- ^ a b "Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales: Census 2021 - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
- ^ "CUBE pronunciation dictionary". Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ "Colchester". Oxford English Dictionary Gateway. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
- ^ "Colchester". Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ Wells, John C. (2000). "Colchester". Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (2nd ed.). Longman. ISBN 0-582-36467-1.
- ^ "Crown Office - The Gazette". 29 September 2022.
The Late QUEEN was pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 5 September 2022 to ordain that the Borough of Colchester shall have the status of a City.
- ^ "UK's oldest town officially becomes newest city". BBC News. 23 November 2022This citation, although from a source that is usually reliable, contains a material error of fact in its claim that "Colchester was named one of eight towns to be made cities to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee". That status was awarded to eight local authority areas, none of which was a town.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ^ "Search Results". Essexcountystandard.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
- ^ "Welcome to Colchester". Visit Colchester.
- ^ Colchester Tourist Board (2011). "Colchester – Britain's Oldest Recorded Town". visitcolchester.com. Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
- ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 660–661.
- ^ Prophet, Sheila (12 October 2006). "King Commute: the best new property deals within an hour of central London". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 April 2014.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).