Castle Park is a fairly large park in the grounds of Colchester castle. A number of events are held there annually, including cricket matches There is a cricket week every year when Essex C.C. play visiting counties, music festivals and a fireworks display in November.
Colchester Zoo, (http://www.colchester-zoo...). Makes an interesting day out for the family. With some of the best cat and primate collections in Europe, and recent winner of the 'Large Visitor Attraction of the Year' Award, it's well worth a visit.
Museums - Colchester is home to 3 museums, each one housed in a different beautiful old building and offering a different insight into the history behind Colchester:
The Castle Museum
(http://www.cimuseums.org....)The Hollytrees Museum
(http://www.cimuseums.org....)The Natural History Museum
(http://www.cimuseums.org....)firstsite, (http://www.firstsite.uk.net/) Contemporary visual arts centre with exhibitions and workshops located in a new building. Also a restaurant. (http://www.musa-firstsite...)
Mersea IslandA small island located on the estuary of the River Blackwater. The northern end of the island is mostly made up of marshland but there are three settlements on the southern half - Barrow Hill which consists of several houses along a road, East Mersea a small collection of farms, a post office, a pub, a couple of tacky holiday parks and an outdoor youth centre and West Mersea, a small fishing town most notable for it's seafood, fish and chips, countless pubs, a few small independent shops and a Co-op supermarket. It is quite a pleasant place to wander around with many miles of beaches. The island can be reached by car along the B1025 from Colchester approx 9 miles and crossing the Strood causeway originally built by the Romans onto the island - note that during high tides the causeway is likely to flood which effectively cuts off the island from the rest of society as it is the only road access. Bus service 67 runs every 30 minutes from Colchester Bus Station to West Mersea High Street some peak hour services also pick up/drop off at Colchester North rail station, although unfortunately as it is the only public transport option the fare is very high roughly £4 single, £6 return, meaning that it is actually cheaper to travel to Chelmsford from Colchester by bus, which is roughly 3 times as far. Journey time is roughly 30-40 minutes depending on the route taken and the time of day. There are no buses to East Mersea other than school services. During the summer there is a ferry service from East Mersea to Point Clear and Brightlingsea on the Tendring peninsular.
WivenhoeOnce a small fishing town on the River Colne to the south of Colchester, Wivenhoe is now a suburb separated from the rest of the town by the University of Essex. It has grown considerably over the last few years as it has become a popular place for London commuters to live because of the good rail links. However, the waterfront area and the High Street are still very traditional with lots of small independent shops, restaurants, pubs, a fish and chip shop and a Co-op supermarket. Wivenhoe can be reached in about 20 minutes by car by taking the A133 out of town past the university and then taking the Wivenhoe exit. There is free parking just off of the High Street and outside the Co-op supermarket, as well as long-stay Pay and Display parking at the train station. Note that cars cannot use Boundary Road at the University as a shortcut as barriers restrict access to buses and university traffic. Trains run every 30 minutes from Colchester North to Wivenhoe, and every hour from Colchester Town. Buses 61 and 62 run every 10 minutes from Colchester High Street to Wivenhoe - note that service 61 takes a very indirect route. Wivenhoe can also be easily reached by foot or cycle along the Wivenhoe Cycle Trail which starts from Colchester Castle Park, runs through the Hythe and along the river, ending up at Wivenhoe Station.
