Taphophile Tours. Colchester – Part Two

The second part of the taphofiles’ guide to tomb hunting in Britain’s oldest recorded town. Having explored the smaller burial sites around the town centre in part one this instalment looks at the larger depositories of death in the former Roman capital of England.

St Martin’s Church

A wonderful example of recycling through the centuries as this medieval church has been restored using Roman era bricks after destruction during – yup you guessed it – the civil war. By the 1950’s people were fed up of telling God how great he is in this building and it fell into serious disrepair. English Heritage restored it just over a decade ago. The identifiable graves range as far back as the 17^th century while many other headstone inscriptions have long since found themselves rendered blank

St. Peter’s Church

Sitting proudly atop North hill St. Peter’s would have had a stunning view of rolling hills and luscious Essex countryside when it was remodelled during the Georgian period. Now you can see a train station and an Asda. Tiptoeing around the hidden back end of the churchyard is a spooky experience. Not because of the threat of a celestial attack but the very real possibility of a junkie leaping out of the bushes and spitting hepatitis at you. Discarded syringes, burnt table spoons and soggy cardboard mattresses let you know that it’s not just the dead who frequent this site. Wear thick soled boots. Don’t touch anything.

Colchester Cemetery

By the 1850’s all the churchyards around town were full and closed for funerary business. At this time Colchester cemetery opened just outside of town to accommodate for citizens who just won’t give up this nasty habit they all have of eventually dying. The cemetery is a sprawling space with patches of decaying sparseness surrounding the main entrance which merge into sections of tightly packed crowdedness towards the back. You are greeted with long the abandoned crumbled tombs of the early 20th century however as you venture to the rear it is clear that this is very much a working cemetery with an abundance of very recent additions. The glistening new headstones a stark contrast to the dull and worn monuments just a few yards away. Due to the town’s close ties with the army you’ll find lots of military graves dotted around, particularly from the first world war. Despite being scattered around individually they all share the same design giving the impression of a permanent uniform.

If you didn’t catch part one click here.

Esteban