The historic town of Colchester is based near the coast in the county of Essex. Alongside its fascinating history and beautiful views, it offers a host of things to do and is the ideal destination for students to engage in culture, sports, and learning, with some great food and drink too!
This historic market town is over 2,000 years old, and has some of the best surviving Roman architecture to be found in Britain. It also plays host to both the University Centre Colchester, and one of the largest Universities in the UK, the University of Essex. These two Universities make Colchester one of the busiest student towns in the UK, with students and faculty members visiting from around the world to take part in courses and programmes.
With so much going on, we’ve collated a list of the 13 Best Things to do in Colchester to help new and old students alike find fun ways to fill their time, with the aim of making your stay at either of Colchester’s Universities a fulfilling one!
Things to do in Colchester
1. Colchester Zoo – 4.5 on Tripadvisor
Colchester Zoo offers students and visitors the awe-inspiring experience of seeing some of the most incredible animals from across the world. The Zoo offers the chance for everyone to see the animals being fed or to watch a daily training session, and offer other amazing activities alongside.
Activities
There are a host of activities for visitors to enjoy, like partaking in daily feeding sessions, where you can hand-feed giraffes, goats and lorikeets! During the summer, guests can also join unique evening animal experiences – a time when a lot of the animals will be most active.
The Animals
Of course, the most important thing at the zoo is the animals themselves! Visitors will be able to visit different zones to see different species, like the Edge of Africa, where Cheetahs prowl and the Hyenas holler, or go visit the Dragons of Komodo section, where powerful Komodo Dragons stalk the landscape.
There’s more too, like The Canopy of South America, which plays host to the Golden Lion Tamarins, and the Bears of the Rising Sun area, where the vulnerable and beautiful Malayan Sun Bears make their home.
Something to do all year round
Colchester Zoo offers some of the best experiences in Colchester, with activities available all year round. Be sure to pay them a visit and support their conservation efforts.
2. Colchester Castle Museum – 4.5 on Tripadvisor
The Colchester Castle Museum is a great place to visit with friends and family alike.
This museum is based in Colchester Castle, which is the largest Norman Keep in the entirety of Europe!
Boasting a history that spans millennia, the Colchester Castle Museum has some of the oldest known Roman finds in the UK, and is one of the most important heritage sites across the entirety of England.
Events
Visitors will enjoy informative interactive displays, showcasing the many wonders of the museum, and it also boasts a range of activities like building a Norman archway, or steering a chariot around the Roman Circus!
Year round events include visiting the Roman Vaults and the Castle Roof, and firing a ballista at the castle walls, and exhibitions like Gladiators: A Day at the Roman Games are held at certain points throughout the year for everyone to engage in.
Keep an eye on their Events page to see what other fascinating events are taking place throughout the year.
Colchester Castle Museum Website
4. Castle Park – 4.5 on Tripadvisor
Castle Park is well known in Colchester for its wide open and beautiful green where events take place all year round.
Based in central Colchester, Castle park offers a great space to relax with friends, where you can sit, play games, enjoy a picnic, and much more, all surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers that regularly win the park horticultural awards.
This Victorian era Grade II listed park is a fantastic blend of Colchester’s past and the modern day, with old Roman walls lining the park alongside a stage that hosts regular music and comedy performances, and events that run all year round.
5. The Headgate Theatre – 5 on Tripadvisor
The Headgate theatre provides a space for amateur and professional groups alike to take to the stage and put on all kinds of shows!
In this theatre you’ll find a range of performance types, including:
- Modern drama
- Musical theatre
- Stand-up comedy
- Classic drama
- Classical Music
- Magicians
- School productions
You’ll also find a number of plays each year alongside a pantomime (with open auditions), all performed and/or run by the in-house production group, Headgate Theatre Productions.
The auditorium itself has capacity for 87 people, with a bar as well, so you’re in for a fantastic evening with your Uni friends!
6. High Woods Country Park – 4.5 on Tripadvisor
High Woods Country Park offers one of the best outdoor beauty spots in Colchester.
Based on the outskirts of this historic town, the High Woods Country Park plays host to a range of birds and mammals. Visitors will also be able to enjoy walking around wildflower meadows, a lake, as well as woodlands, scrublands and marshes.
If you’re visiting with your friends or family, make sure to bring a picnic along as well! There are large open green spaces for you to enjoy, with plenty of room for activities.
The park has also been a proud holder of the Green Flag Award since 2004, which is presented to well managed green spaces that set the benchmark for outdoor spaces across the world. Truly an impressive feat!
High Woods Country Park Website
7. Colchester Arts Centre
The Colchester Arts Centre is the ideal place to absorb some culture!
The art centre, based in the beautiful St Mary At The Walls church, has hosted some of the largest names in music and comedy, and Coldplay, Eddie Izzard, Graham Norton, The Killers, and more, and is a great place to find artists that will soon go on to become some of the biggest names in the UK.
Alongside incredible performances, the Colchester Arts Centre also hosts farmers markets, beer festivals, and other food and drink events, making it almost impossible not to find something to do there!
Students living in Colchester should keep an eye on upcoming events being held at the Colchester Arts Centre throughout the year.
Colchester Arts Centre Website
8. Hollytrees Museum – 4.5 on TripAdvisor
The Hollytrees Museum is a fascinating spot dedicated to the history of family life in Colchester.
The stunning Georgian building that hosts the museum provides a range of hands-on exhibits and displays, so you can fully understand how people lived over 300 years ago.
There are some pieces genuinely unique to Colchester’s history here, such as Bernard Mason’s collection of Colchester clocks, and display pieces linked with the British Empire.
The Hollytrees Museum has Free Admission, and is available to visit without forward booking, so be sure to head over and learn more about Colchester’s history!
9. Tours of Colchester – 5 on TripAdvisor
To really get to know Colchester, look no further than Tours of Colchester!
This walking tour is designed to take you around the sites of Colchester, with information on how Colchester changed and adapted to the industrial revolution.
Students on this tour will enjoy learning the histories of popular spots like the Town Hall, ‘Jumbo’, the largest water tower in Britain, and various other sites around the historic town.
The tour is led by a fully accredited Colchester City Tour Guide, with over 30 years of public speaking experience, so you know you’re in for a fun afternoon!
Tours of Colchester (Book through TripAdvisor)
10. Putt in the Park – 4.5 on TripAdvisor
Putt in the Park is a great place to relax after a busy week studying!
The Roman-themed minigolf course plays perfectly into Colchester’s history, and will see players putt their balls across aqueducts and across lush open greens with Roman busts overlooking their play.
Visitors to Putt in the Park will also enjoy a sit down with some great food and drink in the clubhouse or the café. Both locations are ideal for cooling down and discussing your incredible golf skills!
It only costs £10 per adult to buy a ticket to Putt in the Park, so be sure to grab yours and see if you can score a hole in one!
10. Escape Rooms – Doomsday Escape Games (5 on Tripadvisor) and Escape Colchester (5 on Tripadvisor)
Colchester has a number of escape rooms to keep you entertained!
Doomsday Games
Doomsday Games offers some of the most fun to be had in Colchester, with a range of Doomsday themed escape rooms that will keep you coming back for more!
Visitors can enjoy:
Pathogen – A deadly virus is about to bring the world as we know it to an end. Can you solve the puzzle in time to save humanity?
Critical Mass – A meltdown at a nuclear power plant threatens the lives of the surrounding townsfolk. Solve the puzzles and stabilise the nuclear reactor, if you can!
Escape Colchester
Escape Colchester engages in more pop culture escape rooms, all designed to keep you and your friends on your toes!
221b Baker Street – Break into Sherlock Holmes’ safe under orders from Moriarty. Be quick though, Holmes and Dr Watson are onto you!
Witchcraft and Wizardry – Graduate from the school of witchcraft and wizardry by taking part in a number of puzzles, while evading the evil professor!
The Cabin – Perfect for horror lovers, this escape room reveals very little, so you’ll have to pay it a visit to see what happens…
Be sure to check out the Demon Barber, Escape the Seven Seas, and Boudicca’s Uprising too while you visit Escape Colchester!
11. Leisure World
Leisure world offers plenty in the way of exercise for you and your friends, including fun new activities that you might not have tried before!
Be sure to pop on down to take part in:
- Swimming (Including swimming lessons)
- Gym and Gym Classes
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Cricket
- Five-a-side Football
- Futsal
- Netball
- Short Tennis
- Squash
- Table Tennis
- Tennis
- Climbing
- Cycling
Make sure to become a member for easy access to all of these activities.
12. Colchester Shopping
Why not pop out for a spot of shopping on the Colchester High Street and the surrounding area?
Colchester offers a host of big name shops alongside smaller independent businesses, so you’ll always have something new to go and look at!
Alongside regular market days, students will also enjoy a trip to the Lion Walk Shopping Centre, as well as exploring the historic lanes and shopping arcades that provide plenty to be engaged in.
13. Colchester Food and Drink
Colchester is rich with places to eat and drink from day to night. Be sure to view our blogs on The Best Places to Eat in Colchester and the Colchester Nightlife, to see just what culinary delights this historic town has to offer!
What’s on at the Student’s Union?
Keeping an eye on events run by the University of Essex Student Union is one of the best ways to see what’s up and coming in Colchester.
They offer everything from nights out on campus to chilled out craft afternoons, picnics and more.
Beyond the events put on through the Student’s Union, students should also look at joining a society or sports teams, both of which will offer plenty to keep you entertained during your time in Colchester!
Don’t forget the volunteering projects offered by the Students Union too. You could take part in Animal Protection, Community Creative Writing, Clothes Exchanges, or act as a Wellbeing Ambassador. There are many more ways to volunteer through the Students Union, so be sure to take part, help out, and make some new friends along the way!
Getting to Colchester High Street
Colchester is very easy to get around, with a great bus network, regular trains, and gentle walking routes, so whether you’re staying at the University of Essex or private accommodation like Avon Way House, you can rest assured that it is easy to get from A to B.
Below we give a rough guide on how much time it might take for a student to reach Colchester High Street, a great starting point for our things to do list.
Walking to Colchester High Street
Walking from The University of Essex to Colchester High Street is straightforward, and takes approximately 42 minutes. Students walking from Avon Way House will get there slightly faster, with a casual 40 minute walk.
Cycling to Colchester High Street
Cyclists will be able to get to the High Street from the University of Essex in an easy 17 minute cycle, and a 15 minute cycle from Avon Way House.
Taking the Bus
Students can take a number of buses from the University of Essex campus, which will take you directly to the High Street. Keep an eye out for the number 87, 74 Seasider, or the S1 Colchester Shuttles to get you to where you need to be.
From Avon Way House, students can catch the number 1, number 87, or S4 Colchester Shuttle to get to the high street.
All of the above bus journeys take only 20 to 25 minutes to reach their destination.
Choose Beyond The Box for your stay at the University of Essex
The town of Colchester offers so much for students, it’s important that you have easy access to everything that it has to offer!
At Beyond The Box, we design our rooms for the ultimate student experience, so you can focus on making friends and your time at university. Alongside all the exciting activities above, Avon Way House also offers a cinema room, a pool room, gym space, and plenty of other things to do to keep you entertained.
We offer a range of room types, from studio to 2-bed, 3-bed, 4-bed, 5-bed, and 6-bed apartments. This range of spaces allows students staying with us the opportunity to choose the university experience that suits them best.