Let’s get historical for a sec. The castle was built by the Normans to, you know, intimidate the locals. Today, it intimidates you by charging £8 for a small pack of peanuts from the minibar. But here’s a wild one: the castle was also used as a mint to make coins. You are literally sleeping in a room where they minted actual pennies during the reign of Henry III.
Another gem: the castle’s well is 46 meters deep—that’s the length of four double-decker buses stacked on top of each other. They don’t let you see it anymore because some guests tried to throw coins into it for luck, and one guy accidentally dropped his entire suitcase. Security did not find it amusing.
PREMIER INN COLCHESTER TOWN CENTRE, COLCHESTER
Location, Location, Medieval Location
The best part? It’s smack in the middle of Colchester town centre. You can walk out the castle gates and be in a shopping mall within 30 seconds. It’s like entering a time portal between a Boots Pharmacy and a Wetherspoon’s. One minute you’re a medieval lord, the next you’re dodging a rickshaw.
Also, Colchester is Britain’s oldest recorded town. So when you stay here, you’re not just in a castle; you’re in the birthplace of British history. Or, as my mate put it, “the place where the Romans complained about the parking.” They didn’t have park-and-ride. They had park-and-plague.
