great news for the Roman circus centre!

The Trust is delighted to announce that, on Friday (21st November), we received a very generous grant from the Essex Heritage Trust. We have already been given a generous grant by the Hervey Benham Trust and, on Friday, with the news of the grant from the Essex Heritage Trust, we now have the full amount of money that we need to construct the circus walkway in front of Roman Circus House.

The Trust was enabled to buy Roman Circus House in 2012 because of the donations provided by groups and private individuals to help us set up the circus centre and provide public access to the site of the circus in our garden and in the adjacent garden of the former Sergeants’ Mess. Both the Hervey Benham Trust and the Essex Heritage Trust generously donated funds towards the purchase of Roman Circus House. Roman Circus House and the circus centre are being renovated by a team of volunteers.

The circus walkway is our exciting new project at the Roman circus centre. We would like to keep some of the exposed remains of the circus permanently open for viewing by visitors, and protected by windows. We plan to present these windows – and the remains – in a superstructure built of timber decking. This will stand on top of the site of the circus and form a walkway which is a flat representation of the circus seating-stand. Visitors will be able to walk in to the circus centre along the walkway, along part of the site of the circus, and view the actual remains.

The Trust is extremely grateful to the Hervey Benham Trust and to the Essex Heritage Trust for responding to our applications and awarding us the two grants. Both charities are based in Essex; the Hervey Benham Trust in Colchester and the Essex Heritage Trust at Cressing Temple near Braintree. The Hervey Benham Trust was founded by Hervey Benham, an author and the editor of the Essex County Standard in Colchester from 1943 to 1965.

The Essex Heritage Trust was formed in 1990, after Essex Heritage Year in 1989. Their brochure says: ‘… It became evident that much more help was needed towards saving our rich and diverse heritage, to make it accessible and for the benefit and enjoyment of the people of Essex and our many visitors. – We fund individuals or bodies who are preserving or restoring any aspect of our Essex Heritage … We have already helped hundreds of projects including the restoration of buildings, publication of books and purchase of items for public galleries and museums …  The Trust is funded by private and corporate donations …’. If you would like to become a Friend of the Essex Heritage Trust and directly contribute to your heritage, then please contact them (details on web-site). Their Friends receive regular newsletters and can attend their Annual Meeting.

Visit the web-site of the Essex Heritage Trust at www.essexheritagetrust.org.uk/ .

The image shows a 3d-modelled image of our planned walkway at the circus centre, in front of Roman Circus House, and how it relates to the reconstructed stumps of the circus starting-gates in the adjacent garden. (Image created by Roger Massey Ryan.)

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