Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Colchester – latest information and advice

Planning on visiting Colchester? Colchester is currently under national lockdown restrictions meaning travel to and from the area is not permitted unless necessary. Most attractions and non-essential shops are closed, and those that can open are intended to be used by the local population for excercise. For now, please stay at home! We'll see you all the sooner if the guidelines are followed.

Update: 29th March

From Monday, 29th March, some lockdown restrictions are relaxing. Six people, or two households can now meet up outdoors, and outdoor sports facilities can re-open.

Individual attractions, facilities, parks, gardens and beauty spots in Colchester are responding to this in different ways so whilst several locations, including Beth Chatto Gardens, Marks Hall, Castle Park play area and Essex Wildlife Trust reserves are now open, please check details before visiting - advance booking is required for some locations, numbers may be limited, and a restricted service may still be on offer.

Can I travel to Colchester?

The current government advice is as follows:

You should minimise travel where possible. This means you should:

• avoid making unnecessary trips
• combine trips where possible

You should not stay away from home overnight for a holiday.

For the full list of restrictions please refer to the official government advice. 

For localised advise on COVID-19 including any new restrictions please visit the Borough Council website

Visiting Colchester

The majority of the content on this website was written in a pre COVID-19 world and reflects a time without restrictions and precautions in place to stop the spread of Coronavirus. As everyone works hard to get back to a similar position we will endeavour to update the site as necessary, but for now we would always recommend double checking with attractions and venues before making plans or visiting for any additional measures in place that may affect your visit. You can also get in touch with us directly to query any information on the site.

Guided Tours

Guided walking tours have been temporarily suspended, with no regular walking tours scheduled at the current time. However it is possible to arrange a socially distaced private tour for small groups. Find our more on our Tours & Sightseeing page

We will update this page as more information becomes available

This page was last updated on 30th March 2021