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A appeal to raise £200-thousand pounds to save the Town's Roman Circus has been a success.
Campaigners started their quest to raise the money in December. They needed the cash to buy an old sergeant's mess building which stands next to the ancient site so that it can be turned into a visitor's centre.
It's hoped by developing the area around the Circus it can become more of an established tourist attraction.
Colchester’s Roman circus is the only known Roman chariot racing track found in the UK, and this reflects Colchester’s status as the Roman capital of Britain. In Roman times, chariot racing was an incredibly popular sport, much like football is today, in fact the circus is actually bigger in terms of capacity than the Weston Homes Stadium!
The Save the Roman Circus Appeal was an initiative of destination Colchester, a community interest company, together with Colchester Archaeology Trust.
Working with local councils and county councils, the aim is to transform the majority of the circus site into an archaeological park. Where possible, earth mounds will be built to show its great size and provide a view not seen in Britain for at least 1,600 years.
It's hoped the project will not only further cement and celebrate Colchester's Roman history but also encourage visitors from around the world to come to Colchester.