Colchester Museums
LightNews LightNews
banner
colmuseums.bsky.social
Colchester Museums
@colmuseums.bsky.social
15K followers 970 following 3K posts
We're renowned for Romans, cuckoo about clocks and wild for animals! Custodians of Colchester Castle, Hollytrees Museum and Colchester's Natural History Museum.
Posts Replies Media Videos
colmuseums.bsky.social
New at Colchester Castle: a poppy display sharing how Madame Anna Guérin helped make the poppy a symbol of remembrance. Limited signed copies of The Poppy Lady by Heather Anne Johnson are available in the Castle gift shop. Visit and pick one up: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/visit/colche...
Book cover titled “The Poppy Lady: The Story of Madame Anna Guérin and the Remembrance Poppy” by Heather Anne Johnson. The design features bold red and gold text on a textured background, with several vivid red poppies arranged across the cover. One poppy includes a black centre stamped with lettering, and another is attached to a green tag reading “Armistice Day 1921.” A vintage card partially visible beneath the flowers reinforces the historical theme. The overall composition highlights the origins of the remembrance poppy tradition and its connection to Anna Guérin. The image shows a person seated at a wooden table in front of a whitewashed stone wall, signing a book with a blue pen. The individual is wearing a bright red jacket and a scarf patterned with red poppies, with a red poppy pin visible on the lapel. On the table are two neat stacks of hardcover books titled “The Poppy Lady”, featuring a cover design with red poppies and a monochrome portrait. Behind the person, framed images of poppies and a historic black-and-white photograph with a poppy badge are displayed on the wall. A bold red banner across the top reads: “LIMITED SIGNED BOOKS AVAILABLE IN THE CASTLE GIFT SHOP.” The setting suggests a commemorative book signing event linked to remembrance themes.
November 18, 2025 at 8:00 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
Tom’s final closing call. He’s off to dazzle another heritage site, but for tonight he had the honour of telling everyone to go home one last time. Best of luck! #BehindTheScenes #MuseumFamily #LastCallAtTheCastle
November 17, 2025 at 6:19 PM
colmuseums.bsky.social
Got a preschooler who loves exploring the world around them? Mini Museum Explorers returns on Tuesday, 25 November, and this month we’re playing with light and shadow.
A smiling toddler in a purple top stacks colourful wooden blocks with help from an adult wearing glasses. Text reads: “Mini Museum Explorers, 25 November” and “Create memories together” with the Natural History Museum logo.
November 17, 2025 at 8:01 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
Ever spotted the royal coat of arms above Colchester Castle’s entrance? Our colleague John explains how to read it and how we likely ended up with it. Come see it yourself: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/visit/colche...
November 16, 2025 at 8:02 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
Reading along changes the visit.

Our Castle guides have completed Deaf Awareness training with StageTEXT and we’re developing a live captioned tour.
StageTEXT Captioning Awareness Week 2025 banner over a photo of a costumed castle guide in a top hat speaking in a vaulted stone chamber. Visitors stand in the foreground. A narrow spiral stair and arched alcove with shields and props are visible, showing the uneven floors and tight spaces inside Colchester Castle.
November 15, 2025 at 8:00 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
🎄 Most people keep their Christmas decorations in the loft. Ours are just up a slightly more dramatic staircase…

Planning a trip to see Father Christmas? Book your museum event now before dates disappear: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/
November 14, 2025 at 8:00 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
Today’s #ThrowbackThursday photograph is Colchester’s High Street at the corner with George Street, pictured after a 1923 fire at Paull’s shop. Stand in the same spot today and the rhythms are familiar, but the facades, signage and street furniture have shifted with the century.
Contemporary view from the same street corner, with intact shopfronts, updated signage, modern street furniture and pedestrians, matching the angle of the earlier photograph for comparison.
November 13, 2025 at 12:00 PM
colmuseums.bsky.social
If shopfronts could talk, what stories would these scorch marks tell? Our #ThrowbackThursday shows a busy street paused in 1923 as onlookers fill the frame, and a once bright window is now a blackened mouth.

Give us your guess and check back this afternoon for the reveal.
Black-and-white street scene showing a busy street corner after a shop fire, with fire hoses on the ground, a fire engine, ladders against a soot-stained shopfront, broken windows and a crowd of onlookers lining the pavement.
November 13, 2025 at 8:00 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
Legend has it that an ogre who terrorised Ipswich made a deal with building townsfolk: leave his image on a house and he’d let them build. Look up Eagle Street.

Learn more about the folklore near you at Mythical Creatures, Colchester Castle: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/mythical-creatures
A young girl stands between two women, likely family members, as they engage with an interactive display at Colchester Castle. The girl wears a white top with a floral collar, while one woman wears a light hoodie and the other a white blouse embroidered with red and blue flowers. Behind them, a blurred mythical creature illustration adds to the exhibit’s atmosphere. A blue banner at the top right reads: “Mythical Creatures, 26 Jul 2025 – 22 Feb 2026.” The Colchester Castle logo is at the bottom left, with photo credit to “Tom Archer Photography” in the upper right corner.
November 12, 2025 at 8:01 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
On Armistice Day we pause together, remembering service and sacrifice.

These photographs come from our archive, selected by participants in the Colchester Then & Now project. They capture quiet moments of remembrance and everyday lives touched by war.
Historic black-and-white photograph showing a formal group gathered around a large war memorial. The monument features a bronze soldier in uniform at its base and a dramatic winged figure holding a sword aloft at the top. The memorial stands on a stepped stone plinth with inscribed panels. The group includes men and women in early 20th-century attire, some wearing coats and hats, and one person holding a wreath. Behind the scene are period buildings with pitched roofs and chimneys, and a tall church spire rising in the background. Historic black-and-white photograph of a munitions factory interior during wartime. The scene shows a large group of workers standing at long workbenches, handling artillery shells arranged in rows. Overhead, a network of beams, pulleys, and suspended tanks dominates the industrial setting, with ropes and cables hanging down to support machinery. The factory has high windows allowing natural light to filter in, illuminating the busy workspace. Workers wear protective aprons and caps, and the overall atmosphere conveys mass production and coordinated effort typical of early 20th-century wartime industry. Historic newspaper clipping featuring a black-and-white photograph of two uniformed tram workers standing beside a tramcar. The person on the left wears a long dark coat, wide-brimmed hat, and a cross-body strap, holding a ticket punch and papers, while the person on the right is dressed in a double-breasted uniform coat and cap. Visible text below the image reads: “Colchester’s first lady tram conductor – a photo taken in 1915. Lady drivers were the next step.” The surrounding article text discusses wartime roles and contributions, indicating the image documents an early milestone in women’s employment during World War I. Historic black-and-white photograph showing a line of uniformed soldiers standing in formation along a cobblestone street. Each soldier carries a rifle slung over the shoulder and wears a peaked cap, tunic, and puttees typical of early 20th-century military attire. Behind them, several civilians observe from the pavement near the entrance of a stone-fronted building with large windows and signage reading “Westminster” at the top. To the right, another sign above a doorway reads “Printing.”
November 11, 2025 at 8:01 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
Today we’re marking #OddSocksDay at the Castle. Mismatched, loud, subtle or silly, it’s a simple way to say everyone belongs. Show us your socks with a reply, and pass the kindness on.
November 10, 2025 at 8:00 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
Today we pause for Remembrance Sunday. This year our Then & Now displays include a small tribute to Anna Guérin, sometimes called the "Poppy Lady of France". After the First World War she championed an Inter Allied Poppy Day and helped set Britain’s first Poppy Day in 1921.
Black-and-white photograph of a person wearing a military-style uniform with a high-collared jacket and decorative ribbons pinned to the chest. The individual also wears a peaked cap with a soft crown. In the lower left corner, a photographer’s studio mark reads “Lumi Smith, Jackson, Miss.” Overlaid on the image is a bright red fabric poppy with a green stem and a yellow tag that reads: “DECORATION DAY 1921 POPPY LAST FROM FRANCE.” The composition combines historical portraiture with a commemorative symbol, referencing early remembrance traditions following World War I.
November 9, 2025 at 8:00 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
Cosy season sorted. From apple-scented candles and a book of witchy cocktails to warm socks, a very friendly dragon, or history mugs, the Castle gift shop is full of little comforts for dark evenings.

Find something special this November. We’re open daily 10–5. What would you take home?
November 8, 2025 at 8:01 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
Step back into Roman Colchester! Colchester was Britain’s first city and the capital of Roman Britain. Known as Camulodunum, it was a thriving hub of trade, culture, and innovation. Every object in this display tells a piece of that story.
classicalalan.bsky.social Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 11d
A wonderful selection of ancient Roman finds from the city of Colchester in Essex, known in ancient times as Camulodunum, including jewellery, coin hoards, pottery and fresco fragments. Now on display at Colchester Castle. @colmuseums.bsky.social #FindsFriday
A display case at Colchester Castle filled with jewellery, coin hoards, pottery and fresco fragments from the late Roman period.
November 7, 2025 at 12:07 PM
colmuseums.bsky.social
Saint George towers over a tiny dragon on this medieval carved bone lid, symbolising good’s triumph over evil. Not quite medieval fantasy, and yet…

See how art and myth collide in Mythical Creatures at Colchester Castle: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/mythical-creatures
A carved bone relief depicts a mounted warrior slaying a dragon with a spear. The figure is enclosed within a circular border and surrounded by decorative foliage motifs. The weathered surface suggests historical age. A blue banner at the bottom reads: “Mythical Creatures, 26 Jul 2025 – 22 Feb 2026.” The Colchester Castle logo is displayed in the lower left corner.
November 7, 2025 at 8:01 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
Did you guess our #ThrowbackThursday? It’s West Stockwell Street! The photo from 1940 shows a jettied, timber‑framed house with small leaded windows and steep gables.
Black-and-white street view with a timber-framed house jutting over the pavement. The upper floor overhangs on carved beams, with small leaded windows and steep gables; a quiet, narrow roadway in front.
November 6, 2025 at 12:02 PM
colmuseums.bsky.social
It’s #ThrowbackThursday and we have a quiet corner with a timber frame, an upper floor that seems to float above the pavement, and small leaded panes catching the light. Where do you think this is?

Have a guess and come back for the reveal after lunch.
Black-and-white street view with a timber-framed house jutting over the pavement. The upper floor overhangs on carved beams, with small leaded windows and steep gables; a quiet, narrow roadway in front.
November 6, 2025 at 8:01 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
Before fireworks, there was the hearth. Families worried about sparks and strange luck, so they hid shoes and clothes in chimneys, walls and under stairs. Clothing was thought to keep a person’s imprint and to stand guard for the household.
Short brown wool coat or doublet fragment with a single purple velvet cuff, high round neck and small buttons, laid flat to show worn lining and stitching. Half of a small brown wool boy’s coat with many rough patches and visible linen lining at the shoulder, laid flat to show repairs and age. Pair of small black leather children’s shoes with single lace ties and worn soles, photographed side by side to show age and hand stitching. Cream coloured 18th‑century child’s bodice lining with short sleeves and low neckline, flattened to show fragile fabric and faint brown striped remnants.
November 5, 2025 at 8:00 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
Bonfire Night is made of the small rituals that keep us together: extra scarf, shared torchlight, a quick check on a neighbour. If you’re out tomorrow, a warm museum wander first makes a fine prelude!
November 4, 2025 at 8:01 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
The unicorn’s power is in the story: wild and untameable, gentle only in a maiden’s presence, carried across Europe by books and tapestries. Come trace the legend in Mythical Creatures at Colchester Castle. Plan your visit: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/mythi...
November 3, 2025 at 10:33 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
Black Shuck, the spectral dog of East Anglia, prowled churches in 1577. Could a big rogue pet or escaped zoo animal explain it? You decide.

Explore local legend and the hauntingly real in Mythical Creatures at Colchester Castle: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/events/mythical-creatures
A large animal skull, likely from a big cat or canine, is displayed in a glass case on a green surface at Colchester Castle. Its long snout and prominent fangs give it a fearsome appearance. Beside it, a display card titled “A straunge...” recounts a historical sighting of a mysterious creature, hinting at folklore surrounding beasts or mythical predators. Above, a blue banner reads: “Mythical Creatures, 26 Jul 2025 – 22 Feb 2026.” The Colchester Castle logo is shown in the bottom left corner, with photo credit to “Tom Archer Photography” on the right.
November 2, 2025 at 8:00 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
Our 19th-century "Ocean of Love and Land of Matrimony" map turns romance into a voyage, with storms, islands and the occasional rocky shore.

Today at Colchester Castle, young explorers can draw their own worlds at Uncharted Territories: Map Workshop.
A whimsical, antique-style satirical map featuring fictional regions related to romance and marriage. The top section includes “FRIESLAND” with towns like “Trude” and “Singletown,” bordered by capes such as “Cape Fear” and “Cape Flirtation.” The central body of water, labelled “OCEAN OF LOVE,” is dotted with playful places including “Rocks of Jealousy,” “Straits of Repentance,” and “Isle of Joy.” The “Land of Matrimony” spans the right, marked with locations like “Temple of Hymen,” “Terra Incognita,” “Eternal Devotion,” and the “Land of Promise.” Below are the “Enchanted Islands,” including “Isles of Capitulation” and “Divorce I.” A “Scale of Fidelity” and hand-drawn ships enhance the mock-exploratory aesthetic.
November 1, 2025 at 8:01 AM
colmuseums.bsky.social
This silk mourning dress, c.1876, was designed for the strict rituals of Victorian grief. Made of black silk, it has beaded cuffs, tassel trim, and a pleated skirt. Decoration was permitted, but only in black.
Front view of a black Victorian mourning dress with a high collar and long sleeves, fitted closely through the bodice and flaring into a floor-length skirt. The bodice fastens with a row of large, shiny black buttons and features a pointed waistline. Beaded embellishments adorn the sleeve cuffs and the hem of the bodice, from which hang black beaded tassels. The skirt is gathered and full, with a wide pleated section at the hem. Displayed on a mannequin against a grey gradient background, the dress appears to be made of a lustrous fabric, possibly silk or satin.
October 31, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Reposted by Colchester Museums
profaliceroberts.bsky.social
I found the gaol cells in Colchester Castle deeply moving. With the excellent @benpaites.bsky.social as our guide, it’s impossible not to think of the hours, days, weeks of misery spent in that place.
benpaites.bsky.social 🏰 Ben Paites 🏛️ @benpaites.bsky.social · 21d
Tonight at 9pm on Sky History is the final episode of Witches of Essex. I show @profaliceroberts.bsky.social and Rylan Colchester Castle’s surviving Gaol cells as they explore the horrific case of the Manningtree witch trials.

Also available to stream on Now TV and Apple TV.
A man in a white suite and a woman in a long black dress stand in a forest. He has black hair and beard, immaculately cut. She has shoulder length blonde hair and rests her right hand on the man’s shoulder. A wolf lies to the left of them and a crow is on a branch to the right. The title Witches of Essex is to the left of the scene. A man with short hair and beard, stood in front of a wood and metal jail cell. He wears a navy number with a geometric pattern of orange, brown, green and white.
October 28, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Reposted by Colchester Museums
benpaites.bsky.social
They got me on ITV too…
colmuseums.bsky.social Colchester Museums @colmuseums.bsky.social · 20d
ICYMI: Our curator Ben Paites spoke to ITV News about Matthew Hopkins, the so‑called Witchfinder General, and the East Anglian trials.

From Manningtree and Elizabeth Clarke to the cells beneath Colchester Castle. Watch: www.itv.com/watch/news/w...
www.itv.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:15 PM