We are delighted that the future of Colchester’s Roman Circus, a unique archaeological monument in Britain, is being considered in Colchester Borough Council’s ‘Roman Circus Management Plan’.
The buried archaeological remains of a Roman Circus (chariot racing track) were identified during archaeological investigations in advance of the redevelopment of the former Colchester Garrison in 2004/5. Chariot racing was the oldest and most popular sport in the Roman world and the Colchester Circus is the only example in the country and it is one of only six locations in the northwest provinces of the Roman Empire where circuses have been securely identified. The Roman Circus was designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument in 2007.The purpose of the Management Plan is to set out an overarching strategy for the management of the Roman Circus and to define the roles and responsibilities of the Council and other stakeholders. The Plan sets out a framework for the conservation, enhancement, interpretation, presentation and celebration of the Colchester Roman Circus for the next five years. The Plan is intended to be a dynamic document and the actions may be adapted in response to changes in management context over the life of the plan. It is proposed that each year an action plan is developed that outlines the actions that are to be delivered over the forthcoming year by the relevant partners. It is intended to adopt the Roman Circus Management Plan as a Supplementary Planning Guidance document.
