Colchester Museums Closed during Coronavirus Outbreak

The Essex Society for Archaeology and History has received public notice of the closure of Colchester Castle Museum of Hollytrees "for the duration" of the Covid-19 outbreak.  This means that access to our Storeroom will not be possible in the usual way.

Closure of Colchester Borough Council Buildings and delivery of council services.
Following the Government’s advice on helping to stop the spread of COVID-19 we have taken the decision to close our buildings to the public from the end of today (Wednesday 18 March).
However, while our buildings are closed to the public, all other services, including the Community Hub and Waste and Recycling Service, are operating as usual. Our parks, public spaces and public toilets are also open.

The buildings that will close to the public include: All Leisure World sites (including Aqua Springs) Charter Hall Town Hall Colchester Castle Museum Hollytrees Museum (including the Visitor Information Centre) The Natural History Museum High Woods Country Park Visitor Centre Colchester Borough Homes Greenstead Housing Office

It is anticipated that these buildings will be closed for the foreseeable future. However this will be reviewed on at least a weekly basis.

We would like to reassure the public that anyone who has purchased a ticket or place for any of our classes, events or shows at any of these venues will be contacted over the next few days and offered a refund or the opportunity to attend any events or shows being rescheduled. Leisure World - Membership charges for Leisure World will be frozen during this period. colchesterleisureworld.co.uk/ Colchester Museums - While Colchester Castle and the museums will be closed to the general public, they will still accommodate any planned educational visits behind closed doors while the schools remain open. cimuseums.org.uk/ The Visitor Information Centre - (based in Hollytrees Museum) will continue to operate through its website visitcolchester.com and its social media channels providing advice for locals and visitors alike, with updates on venues and attractions during this time. visitcolchester.com/ Colchester Borough Homes - Tenants will continue to be able to contact Colchester Borough Homes by telephone on 01206 282514 or email info@cbhomes.org.uk for advice and assistance. cbhomes.org.uk/ Residents needing to contact the council during this period can access the council’s service’s digitally through our website and details of how to contact services can be found at  colchester.gov.uk/contact/ or by calling 01206 282222. The Community Hub at Colchester Library remains open as usual, with opening hours of 9am-5pm.  Waste and recycling collections remain in place and are being maintained.