The Colchester  Roman Circus

The Colchester Roman Circus is a unique archaeological monument. It is the only place in the country where there is excavated and convincing evidence for a Circus.

The arena, including a racing track and tiered seating known as a Cavea, would have provided up to six tiers of seating for around 8,000 people. It was probably constructed on the orders of the Emperor Hadrian who was in Britain at that time.

At one end of the track there was a row of eight starting gates and at the other, a sharp 180-degree turn. The two long straight sections were separated by a barrier which supported a series of decorative columns and other features, including lap counters and pressurised water features.

Built in the second century AD and probably used until the late third century, the Circus would have measured 450 metres in length and 74 metres in width. It was built specifically for chariot racing and would have attracted a large number of visitors. 

Chariot racing was the oldest and most popular sport in the Roman world.  Each chariot race would have been around 2.5 miles. The Circus building itself would also have been used for other spectator sports, such as boxing and gladiatorial fights.

The buried remains were identified during archaeological investigations at the former Colchester Garrison in 2004, although the site was first discovered in 2000. Further excavations have revealed the extent of the Circus but unfortunately there are no upstanding walls or earthworks left remaining now.  Only the Roman wall foundations survived and these can be viewed at the Roman Circus Visitor Centre.  Most of the original structure was removed in the medieval period and reused as building materials elsewhere.