NEN Gallery

There is evidence for habitation at Colchester going back 3000 years. Colchester was the capital of the Iron Age tribe the Trinovanti. Its Celtic name was Camulodunon, after Camulos( the Celtic god of war). After conquering Southern Britain in AD43, the Romans established a legionary fortress here, which was soon defortified and used as a colonia, or colony, for veterans of the Roman army. It was known as Colonia Victricensis (City of Victory). In the year 60 or 61 it was destroyed by Boudica, Queen of the Iceni. It was rebuilt and the colonia and the surrounding area became known as Camulodunum and eventually Colchester.