The Roman Church / Mithraeum, Colchester, Przewodnik dla zwiedzających i co robić w okolicy

The Roman Church, also labelled the Mithraeum, is a set of ruined late Roman foundations on Southway in Colchester, Essex. It is believed to be a building from the fourth century, and archaeologists have long debated whether it was an early Christian church or a temple of the god Mithras. Either way it is a rare reminder that Colchester was Britain's first Roman capital.

The story behind it

The building was found in an area that also held a large Roman burial ground, with around seven hundred graves in the surrounding land. Its most telling feature is a semi-circular end, an apse, which is why many people read it as a church. Dating is not settled: the usual estimate puts it in the early to middle fourth century, roughly between 320 and 340 CE, which would make it one of the first Christian churches in Britain.

The alternative idea is that it was a Mithraeum, a temple of Mithras. Mithras was an Iranian god of light and justice, and his cult was popular with Roman soldiers, who were stationed in Colchester. Followers are said to have sworn an oath of secrecy, so very few accounts of their rituals survive. That silence is a big part of why the mystery has never been fully closed.

What to look for

• The curved, apse-shaped end of the foundations, the detail that first led people to think of a church.
• The low outline of the walls, which shows how modest the building was compared with the great Roman monuments elsewhere in town.
• The surrounding streets and open ground, where you can picture the cemetery that once spread around the building.
• Any information boards at the site, which set out the church and Mithras theories side by side so you can judge for yourself.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 10 to 15 minutes at the site itself. It is a small ruin, so it works best as one stop on a longer walk.
• Daylight is best, so you can read the layout of the foundations and any signs clearly.
• Check current access and what is visible on the day before you go, as arrangements at small heritage sites can change.
• Pair it with other Roman sites in Colchester, such as the town walls and the castle, to understand the setting of the town in Roman times.

See it on a quest

The ruins are easy to walk past without knowing what they are, which is where a quest helps. Exodus Hinge & Colchester’s Lost Centurion: Roman Britain Walking Tour & Escape Game takes you on foot through Roman Colchester. You reach this place as one stop on the route, the app tells you about it as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

Historic Colchester: The Roman Visitor Walking Tour & Escape Game is another way to take in the area, with a Roman theme. You walk between the sights at your own pace, hear the story of each place when you get there, and work out a puzzle from what is in front of you. It is also paid, and one ticket covers the whole group.