the Roman circus on BBC Radio Essex!

Today (11th April), Dave Monk of BBC Radio Essex interviewed Trust director Philip by ‘phone, and the interview was broadcast live at 11.30am from Roman Circus House! They talked about the garden of the former Sergeants’ Mess, next door to Roman Circus House, which is the site of the starting-gates (carceres) of Colchester’s Roman circus, and where we are just finishing off the stumps of our new ‘Roman’ starting-gates. We are building these with special materials in imitation of the Roman original, ie hydraulic lime mortar, stone from Wiltshire, and hand-made bricks from Bulmer, which are all being shaped and laid by hand. The starting-gates are looking great, today, ahead of the volunteer gardening day which the Trust is hosting tomorrow (Saturday 12th April).

If you would like to come and help tidy up the garden of the former Sergeants’ Mess tomorrow, and get a sneak preview of the stumps of the starting-gates, then please come along and join in between 9.00am and 4.00pm.

When the garden has been tidied up, we will be able to install the two large screens showing how the circus would have looked from the starting-gates. Then we will open the garden to visitors. It will be a lovely, green public space, as well as containing the stumps of the starting-gates and the screens.

The image shows the stumps of the starting-gates and the curved end of one of the seating-stands, and the garden, today.

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