Colchester

Colchester is an historic town in the north of the English county of Essex, with a population of about 160,000. It is the main town in the borough of Colchester, is one of the towns which claim to be Britain's oldest town (but is the oldest recorded Roman town).

Siege of Colchester

In 1648, Colchester was thrown into the thick of the English Civil War when a large Royalist army (led by Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle) entered the largely parliamentarian town. They were hotly pursued from Kent by a Roundhead army led by Sir Thomas Fairfax who besieged the town for eleven and a half weeks. By that time, many of the town's most ancient monuments like St. Mary's Church and the Gate of St. John's Abbey were partially destroyed and the inhabitants were reduced to eating candles and boots. When the Royalists surrendered in the late summer, Lucas and Lisle were shot in the grounds of Colchester Castle. The spot is marked by an obelisk today and there is a myth that no grass will grow in this area (it has since been covered with tarmac to make sure.)

Related Topics:
1648 - English Civil War - Royalist - Parliamentarian - Kent - Roundhead - Sir Thomas Fairfax - St. John's Abbey - Royalists - Colchester Castle

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