Balkerne Gate, Colchester, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Balkerne Gate in Colchester is the largest surviving Roman gateway in Britain. It stood on the western edge of Roman Camulodunum, the first Roman colony in Britain, and its weathered remains show how the town was guarded and how it grew.

The story behind it

Before the gate was a gate, it was a statement. The first structure here is generally understood to have been a monumental arch honouring the Emperor Claudius, set at the main western approach to the new colony. At that stage Colchester had no defensive walls, which left it badly exposed when Boudicca and her followers attacked and destroyed the town around AD 60 or 61.

After the revolt the Romans rebuilt and fortified the town. A circuit of walls went up and the arch was absorbed into a proper defended gateway with passages for traffic and for people on foot. What survives today is the stump of that rebuilt entrance, which is why it feels more like a piece of military engineering than a ceremonial monument.

What to look for

• The surviving pedestrian passageway, where you can stand in the same narrow opening that travellers once funnelled through.
• The thick Roman masonry and layered brick courses, which show how solid the rebuilt defences were.
• The line of the old town wall running away from the gate, which helps you picture the edge of the Roman town.
• The Victorian water tower known as Jumbo, which rises close by and makes a striking contrast with the Roman stonework.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 15 to 20 minutes for the gate itself, longer if you follow the line of the Roman wall nearby.
• It is an outdoor site beside a public footpath, so it is easy to see at any daylight hour. Morning or late afternoon light is kind to the stone.
• The Mercury Theatre is next door, and Colchester Castle and its museum are a short walk along the High Street. Check current opening hours for both.
• Wear comfortable shoes, as the approach involves a slope and uneven ground in places.

See it on a quest

Exodus Hinge & Colchester’s Lost Centurion: Roman Britain Walking Tour & Escape Game reaches Balkerne Gate on foot as one stop of a longer route through Roman Colchester. The app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Historic Colchester: The Roman Visitor Walking Tour & Escape Game is a good fit if you want the Roman story told place by place. You walk to the gate, hear about it from the app and work out a puzzle from what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Colchester takes a different angle on the same streets. You get to the gate on foot as part of a wider route through the town, with the app telling you about each place and a puzzle to solve there. One ticket covers the whole group.