Colchester Castle, Hollytrees Museum and Colchester's Natural History Museum. This account will no longer be active but remain as an archive. Visit our website!
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ALT A promotional graphic for Colchester Museums. The background shows a blurred stone staircase inside a historic building. White text reads “Did you know? You can follow us on different social media platforms!” Below are icons for Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and Threads, followed by the handle @ColMuseums. The Colchester Museums logo appears in the top-left corner.
ALT Black and white photo of early 20th-century buildings on a busy street corner, with signs for an oyster bar, restaurant, and various small shops. People stand in doorways and advertisements are visible in shop windows.
ALT Modern colour photo of the same street corner, now with a black-and-white timber-framed building, a taxi, pedestrians, and updated signage.
ALT Black and white photo of early 20th-century buildings on a busy street corner, with signs for an oyster bar, restaurant, and various small shops. People stand in doorways and advertisements are visible in shop windows.
ALT A dim stone corridor in the castle prisons, with heavy brick walls, a low arched ceiling and metal-barred doors on either side. The passage is empty and lit by a few warm wall lights, so the far end of the corridor fades into shadow, giving the scene a tense, watchful atmosphere.
ALT A young girl, her mother, and grandmother closely examine a coiled snake skeleton displayed in a glass case at a museum exhibit. The girl looks intrigued, pointing excitedly at the specimen, while the adults engage with her, smiling and discussing the display. In the background, a unicorn illustration and various artefacts hint at the exhibit's fantasy theme. Text in the upper right promotes the "Mythical Creatures" exhibition at Colchester Castle, running from 26 July 2025 to 22 February 2026. The Colchester Castle logo and photo credit to Tom Archer are also included.
ALT Promotional graphic for Colchester Museums’ Teacher Associate Group event. Includes Natural History Museum and Climate Museum UK logos, a sunset over a coastal landscape, and text inviting educators to join a network designing school programs for the redeveloped Natural History Museum. Event details: Thursday 22nd January 2026, 3:45–5:00 pm, Teams meeting. Contact: colchestermuseums.learning@colchester.gov.uk.
ALT Two individuals standing in front of a stone wall inside a museum, each holding small artefacts or cards. A glass display case with objects and red information cards is visible to the right. Text overlay reads: ‘Work Experience – Colchester Museums, 17–21 August 2026. You’ll move between teams at our three museums, getting a taste of visitor services, learning, exhibitions, conservation and more, while building confidence, meeting new people and strengthening your CV.’ Logos and a link for Colchester Museums appear at the bottom.
ALT A worn and stained historical document titled “Pedlar’s Certificate” lies on a wooden surface. The certificate is creased and discolored, with faded handwritten details and printed text referencing the Pedlars Act. Surrounding the document are colorful fabric scraps in various shapes and a metal spoon partially visible at the top.
ALT A damaged and stained 19th-century paper certificate with faded handwriting. It is a pedlar’s licence issued to James Lidman of North Street, Colchester, on 4 August 1886, giving his age as 43 and his height as 5 foot 6 inches. The document is browned and worn with large patches of blue and pink water damage, holes, and torn edges.
ALT Interior view of Colchester Castle museum gallery with Roman stone carvings and artifacts displayed in glass cases along a brick wall. Large white text reads “Sleep inside the Castle,” promoting private group sleepovers for ages 5 from £17.50 per person. Smaller text at the bottom says “After hours at Colchester Castle.”
ALT A close up of a museum doll on display at Hollytrees Museum, with painted eyes, pale skin and neatly styled hair, standing upright in a case and staring slightly past the camera.
ALT Colour photograph taken from the same narrow street, showing a gently curving paved lane between closely packed buildings. The shopfronts include a bar and a pizzeria, painted cream, pink and blue, with barred windows and modern signs. In the distance a small square opens out with taller brick buildings and parked cars, and two people walk away from the camera.
ALT Black and white photograph of a narrow street lined with two and three storey buildings, with a tall Gothic church tower and spire filling the background. A bicycle leans against a brick building on the left and two figures walk along the street towards the camera.
ALT Black and white photograph of a narrow street lined with two and three storey buildings, with a tall Gothic church tower and spire filling the background. A bicycle leans against a brick building on the left and two figures walk along the street towards the camera.
ALT A collage featuring two black-and-white photographs of snow sculptures. The top photo shows a large elephant sculpted from snow, standing outdoors near a wall and some stacked objects. The bottom photo depicts a full-length figure in a long dress, also made of snow, positioned in front of a wooden door. The collage is decorated with beige and white snowflake illustrations and a vintage-style streetlamp graphic at the bottom right.
ALT Black and white photograph taken in deep snow, showing a large snow elephant in a garden. The elephant has a rounded body, trunk and ears carefully shaped from packed snow, with people standing beside it to show the scale. Snow lies thick on the ground and on the surrounding bushes and fences.
ALT Black and white photograph taken in heavy snow, showing a life-sized snowwoman figure standing in a garden. She wears a long Edwardian-style skirt, fitted bodice and wide-brimmed hat picked out in snow, with real objects added for features. A wooden door and snow-covered trees frame the scene.