LIKE any town, Colchester’s Town Hall has been the centre of civil life for hundreds of years.
It has been on the same site since the 12th century.
Whilst the building has changed over the years, its function has remained largely the same.
Scroll down to see more pictures of this historic building.
The original town hall building was built in 1824 and pulled down in the 1840s. The building was called ‘Moot Hall’ (from the Saxon mot-heal for council house). The building served as both a court and a space for council meetings.
The new, and current, town hall was built in from 1898. It was opened by Prime Minister Lord Rosebery in 1902.
In 1973, an extension was proposed to the town hall. This would include shops and offices. It replaced the Cups Hotel and Corn Exchange that had been built in 1892.
The clock tower is a grand 162 feet high and is topped by a figure of St Helena who is the patron saint of the city.
One of the concrete pillars that stands outside the town hall was hit by a wing mirror of a lorry in April 1990.
History repeated itself when in October 2014 a lorry knocked down the concrete post and smashed the glass lamp on top.
Read more local history stories in our new Lifestyle section.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel