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Colchester's shiny, curved, glass-and-copper arts centre is as striking inside as out: installations flow seamlessly into one another amid a wealth of space and light. Temporary art displays are cunningly juxtaposed with historical works; the one permanent exhibition is the magnificent Berryfield Mosaic – a Roman artefact found here in 1923, and now under glass in the centre of the gallery space.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Hollytrees Museum

0.09 MILES

In this Georgian town house, toys, costumes, watches and clocks form reminders of the domestic life of the wealthy owners and their servants. Quirky…

2. Colchester Castle

0.14 MILES

Built in 1076 on the foundations of the Roman Temple of Claudius, England’s largest surviving Norman keep is bigger than that of the Tower of London. Over…

3. Dutch Quarter

0.33 MILES

The best of the city's half-timbered houses and rickety roof lines are clustered together in this Tudor enclave just a short stroll north of High St. The…

4. Flatford Mill

6.91 MILES

Constable fans will recognise red-brick Flatford Mill immediately, as it appears in many of his canvases and still looks idyllic today. It was once owned…

5. Flatford

6.91 MILES

Set right beside Flatford Mill – a feature of several Constable paintings – thatched Bridge Cottage has an exhibition that provides a fine introduction to…

6. Gainsborough's House

12.79 MILES

Thomas Gainsborough's atmospheric birthplace is now home to the world's largest collection of his work. The 16th-century house and gardens feature a…

7. Melford Hall

15.49 MILES

From outside, the romantic Elizabethan mansion of Melford Hall seems little changed since it entertained Queen Elizabeth I in 1578. Inside, there's a…

8. St Peter & St Paul

15.8 MILES

This late-Perpendicular structure seems to lift into the sky, with its beautifully proportioned windows, soaring flint tower and gargoyle waterspouts…