Heritage Open Days 2017

I managed to visit three venues as part of 2017 Heritage Open Days.

On the Friday I went on a tour of Colchester cemetery which first opened in 1856. The tour was led by the Manager of the Cemetery, who was able to tell us lots of stories about the people who are buried there.

We learnt about Marmalade Emma and Teddy Grimes, two well known tramps in Colchester in the early 20th Century, saw the graves of Belgian soldiers who died during the 1st World War, plus many Commonwealth War Graves from both the First and Second World Wars. We also learnt about the funeral for some residents from Colchester in the Roman period that was held in 2013, and stopped to admire some of the many beautiful, if sad Victorian memorials

My second trip on the Saturday was to the Turret of St. Mary’s School on Lexden Road. It’s a fascinating building on the outside, built by a Colchester Borough Town Clerk as his home in the nineteenth century. There was a good view from the roof, and some of the windows in the classrooms were very Gothic. A great house to grow up in as a child, and to have lessons in at school.

On the Saturday afternoon, I went to Sudbury, for the chance to visit the Town Hall, which was built by Thomas Ginn and opened in 1828. I particularly wanted to go inside so that i could see the wall hangings made from silk woven in Sudbury.

A lovely way to spend a September weekend, I’m already planing for Heritage Open Days in 2018.

Colchester Cemetery

The Turrets

Sudbury