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Colchester Roman Circus is a Roman monument of the 1st century AD located in Colchester, Essex. The circus, designed for chariot racing, represents a significant component of the Roman city of Camulodunum and demonstrates the urban sophistication of Roman Britain during the early Imperial period. Portions of the structure were subsequently incorporated into the Benedictine Abbey of St John the Baptist, founded in the 12th century, which reused Roman masonry and foundations in its construction. The overlaying of medieval religious architecture upon Roman secular remains provides archaeological evidence of continuity and adaptation of the urban landscape across more than a thousand years.
Colchester Roman Circus including sections of the Benedictine Abbey of St John is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1021426. View the official record →
Colchester Roman Circus is a Roman monument of the 1st century AD located in Colchester, Essex. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1021426.
Colchester Roman Circus including sections of the Benedictine Abbey of St John is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1021426.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Berechurch Dyke: part of the Iron Age territorial oppidum and Romano-British town of Camulodunum (3.5 km), Gryme's Dyke at Stanway Green: part of the Iron Age territorial oppidum and Romano-British town of Camulodunum (3.7 km), Gosbecks Iron Age and Romano-British site (4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Colchester Roman Circus including sections of the Benedictine Abbey of St John's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Colchester Roman Circus including sections of the Benedictine Abbey of St John stands on Thames Group, bedrock that formed in the Eocene. The rock here is clay, silt, sand and gravel.