I am pretty sure many individuals who live in the UK must have heard about Colchester, which holds claim to be the oldest recorded town in Britain. I had previously studied there for my Masters degree at the University of Essex for about a year. Many fond memories to reminisce over … So when my friend from Colchester invited me to go up there for a visit, I happily agreed!
The town of Colchester is in the East of England located within the county of Essex. It can be easily reached from London in under an hour by train from Liverpool Street Station or by taking the A12 if driving.
Colchester is relatively small in size however has all the charms you could ever want. Its main landmarks are within easy walking distance from each other, which is very convenient. This revisit after all these years reminded me of the countless great times I had here in the past.
Colchester High Street
Strolling through the high street, I was most impressed by the broad range of independent shops. Nice and different enough so you don’t feel like you are in the usual generic habitat of other town's elsewhere. My friend and I were perusing through a maze of narrow side streets and enjoying checking out the latest fashion trends. Colchester certainly does offer a fantastic shopping experience.
Then out of the blue, I was shocked to see a two meter tall figure of an asian woman walking along one of the streets outside a Fenwicks department store! I soon realised it was actually a statue! My friend told me that this bronze sculpture was designed by Sean Henry. Apparently, it is based on a real person though they wanted to remain anonymous. Apparently, the message behind it sets out to celebrate the unity of humanity!
Looking at the “Walking Woman” more closely, she was dressed in black and confidently striding forwards. Appearing to have a very clear direction in mind! I can see the connection between the overriding message and the artwork very clearly now. It is an absolutely brilliant piece of artwork which added to the colour and vibrant nature of the high street. What a welcome addition to Colchester town centre!
Historical Town
As I mentioned, Colchester has some unique historical attractions scattered throughout the main town centre.
My friend stopped in front of one building in particular, turned to me and asked: “Do you know the ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’ song?” “Of course!” I replied without hesitation as this is probably the best known nursery rhyme in the world! My friend pointed toward the top of the building and told me that the writer Jane Taylor wrote the original version whilst living high up in a loft space up there.
I was really pleased at this new and interesting little fact! After all, we can all recollect singing that song during the early years of our childhood. How very special and sweet!
Colchester is proud of it's cultural heritage. Almost at every turn or corner, you see houses and churches that were well kept but build a few hundred years ago. Simply loved it!
The Colchester Castle Museum
Continuing our enjoyable adventure, we arrived at the famous Colchester Castle. The castle is conveniently located near the town centre within a massive park.
The history of this "Norman" castle can be traced back to the first century AD and is not only the largest castle built in the UK but also in Europe!
Though as I had already taken part in it a couple of years ago, we opted not to go this time. As far as I can recall, you can learn about olden days of Colchester in the museum, how it was ruled during the Roman Empire's reign and how it all fell at a later date. You can also admire people's outfits from the mid-century, such as their "Roman armour. Up on the roof, there is a spectacular view of Colchester. And finally, there are also many interactive activities on-site, providing the perfect learning opportunity for kids. And adult alike!
The Castle Park
Soon after, I went with my friend and her cute little dog to their beautiful local park. The landscape was amazing, definitely not something that you would find in most London parks. The view is really wonderful and I can just imagine how gorgeous the flowers and trees must look here in the spring time.
(To be continued)
居住在英国的人应该都熟悉科尔切斯特镇吧，据说它是英国历史最悠久的城镇。 我以前曾在那里的埃塞克斯大学攻读了一年的硕士学位，留下了 许多美好的回忆。所以当科尔切斯特的朋友邀请我去她那里玩时，我高兴地满口答应了！
科尔切斯特镇位于英格兰东部的埃塞克斯郡内。 从伦敦的利物浦街车站坐火车直达科尔切斯特镇，仅需要一个小时。如果开车的话，走A12高速公路也很方便。
科尔切斯特镇并不大，但很迷人。所有的旅游景点都可以步行到达，非常方便。这么多年以后再回来，让我想起了很多在这里度过的美好时光！
科尔切斯特主街
在镇中心的主街上漫步，淋漓满目的独立商铺很有特色，感觉与其它地方很不一样。我和朋友穿梭在历史小巷里，细细品味着最新的时尚潮流。如果你和我一样喜欢购物，一定也会喜欢这里的，呵呵。
突然间，我惊讶地看到一名亚裔女子在Fenwicks百货公司外面的一条街上走过，她超高的身影很引人注目！但我很快意识到这实际上是一个两米高的雕像！朋友告诉我这个青铜雕塑是由肖恩•亨利设计的。雕像是以真人为模特，这背后的信息是庆祝世界各国人们的统一！
我仔细地观察这位“正在走路的女人”。她穿着黑色服饰，自信地往前走，似乎有一个非常明确的方向！这真是一件很不错的艺术品，增添了科尔切斯特主街的色彩和活力。
历史古镇
正如我前面所说，科尔切斯特的历史景点都在市镇中心附近。朋友突然在一幢建筑物前停了下来，转身问我：“你知道'Twinkle，Twinkle，Little Star'这首歌吗？”我说当然啦，因为这可是世界上最知名的童谣之一哦！ 朋友指着眼前建筑物的阁楼，告诉我写这首歌曲的作家简•泰勒以前就住那儿！
我好兴奋哦， 相信大家都可以回想起我们小时候唱过这首歌吧！想象一下简•泰勒当时在阁楼创作这首歌的时候，会是怎样一个温馨的画面！
科尔切斯特镇的历史文化遗产数不胜数，我 几乎在每一个转角处，都能看到数百年前建造的房屋和教堂，让我印象尤为深刻！
城堡博物馆
不知不觉地我们来到了著名的科尔切斯特城堡。它位于镇中心的一个大型公园里。
这座诺曼式的城堡的历史可以追朔到公元一世纪，是英国历史上修建的最大城堡，也是欧洲保存至今最大的城堡。
由于几年前我已经去过了，所以这次我们就没有进城堡。在这个城堡博物馆里，你可以了解到科尔切斯特镇的起起落落，它如何在罗马统治时期的强大以及后来又是如何衰落。你还可以在两层的博物馆里欣赏中世纪的服饰，罗马盔甲和陶瓷工艺品等。博物馆里还有不少与小孩子们互动的节目，给他们提供了很好的学习机会。在顶层，你还可以欣赏到整个科尔切斯特镇的美丽景色，很值得参观！
城堡公园
我和朋友随后在公园里闲逛顺带遛狗，呵呵。城堡公园的风景如画，视野辽阔，让人心旷神怡。这里地域之广是伦敦大都市公园不能媲美的。如果在春夏花开季节的时候过来，这里应该会更美！
（未完待续）
