Holy Trinity Church, Colchester
architecture
Holy Trinity Church is the oldest surviving building in Colchester. The church is located on Trinity Street opposite the town library. Parts of the church tower are believed to date to around 1050 (the Anglo-Saxon period), pre-dating Colchester Castle (c.1074). In particular, there is a unique pointed Saxon doorway in the West side of the tower. The churchyard contains the burial place of English madrigal composer John Wilbye (d.1638), and William Gilberd (d. 1603) discoverer of electro-magneticism and physician to Queen Elizabeth I.
The church was extended in the 14th century, adorned with dripstone carvings, 17th century hatchments and further extended in the Victorian period. The church was made redundant in 1956 and was converted to a Museum of Rural History in the 1970s. Since 1997, it has been closed to the public but CO1 is working with Colchester Borough Council and English Heritage to restore the Grade 1 listed building as a place of national importance, incorporating a public café, a youth music and arts venue and a place for communities to meet and be supported.
The café is run by employed staff and volunteers, working regularly with organisations such as GO4 Enterprise, whose aims are to provide training, work and ongoing support to young people unable to get employment. CO1 has free Wifi and is a licensed venue for live music.
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Info:
CO1 (Youth Culture Ltd) - Registered Charity 1085944
Visit the café: Mon-Fri 9am-4.30pm
CO1, Holy Trinity Church, Trinity Street, Colchester CO1 1JR
01206 571427
Phil Toms
Phil Toms
1050
English
Sonning Stone Carving
art history
Possible Saxon stone carving contained in refurbished wall/buttress of St Andrew's Church, Sonning near to the banks of the Thames.
Stuart Lee
Bewcastle Cross
art history
Photographed on a cold, sunny March 7th, 2011
Elaine Treharne
Elaine Treharne
All Saints' Church, East Barton
Archaeology
Images of the surviving tenth-century Anglo-Saxon tower from All Saints' Church, East Barton.
Dave Postles
Contributor's own images