People have been living in the place on the river Colne where Colchester now stands, since the Stone Age, but it was the Romans who really put the town on the map. It quickly grew, in the years after the Roman invasion around 40 B.C. to become an important garrison. They built a large temple within the town walls, which was destroyed by the Queen of the Iceni tribe, Boadecia. The next invaders the Normans arrived in 1066 and soon afterwards built a large castle using the Roman temple ruins as a foundation. It remains today, and is now the town's Museum, which is well worth a visit. During the Civil War of the early 17th century, the town was beseiged by the Roundheads (Parliamentarians), and when the seige was raised, the Royalist commanders were shot to death in the Castle Park.
Colchester is renowned for it's oysters, and every year at the start of the Harvest, there is an Oyster Feast, held in the Moot Hall in the High Street.