Thread by @VisitColchester, Over the coming weeks, let us take you on an #AtoZofLockdownColchester. Discover [...]

Over the coming weeks, let us take you on an #AtoZofLockdownColchester. Discover places and activities that remain open for locals to explore during #Lockdown2 - and the best part is, they'll all still be here to visit if you're planning a visit in 2021!

A is for #Abberton, and the @EssexWildlife reserve at the Reservoir. The visitor centre and facilities are closed but the reserve and hides remain open Thurs to Mon. International travel bans don't apply to migrating birds! #AtoZofLockdownColchester

https://visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/abberton-reservoir-nature-reserve-p1190521

A is also for #AncientColchester. Download the app for a virtual tour of historic Colchester from the comfort of your own home, or take it with you when exploring the town to add an extra dimension to your heritage hunting. #AtoZofLockdownColchester

https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/ancient-colchester-app-p1228851

B is for the #BourneValley. Discover this picturesque local nature reserve and make sure you download the audio trail to enhance your visit and uncover its history. #AtoZofLockdownColchester

https://visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/bourne-valley-audio-trail-p1229071

C is for #CudmoreGrove. A wonderfully wild coastal nature reserve on Mersea Island's Eastern point. The sea breeze is perfect for blowing thoughts of the pandemic away. #AtoZofLockdownColchester

https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/cudmore-grove-country-park-p1190661

C is also for #ConstableCountry. Spectacular scenery, riverside rambles and artistic inspiration await! It can get busy though, so please respect the area and local residents. #AtoZofLockdownColchester

https://visitcolchester.com/explore/the-beautiful-borough/dedham-vale

One last C in our #AtoZofLockdownColchester, and it's for #CymbelineMeadows. Something of a hidden treasure, just north of the town centre and brimming with nature in its woodland, riverbanks & meadows.

The @Cymbeline_Colne twitter account is a joy too.

https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/cymbeline-meadow-p1191131

D is for #DutchQuarter. If you want to stay close to the town centre whilst you grab some exercise you can't go wrong with exploring the Dutch Quarter. There's thousands of years of history to discover, and occasional friendly feline residents too.

https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/dutch-quarter-p1189981

D is also for #Dragons. Buckle up your suit of armour (optional) and head for the hills to uncover local legends and medieval tales in 'dragon country'. #AtoZofLockdownColchester

https://www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Dragon-Walk.pdf

E is for #Elephants in our #AtoZofLockdownColchester. From Roman war-elephants to our historic water tower Jumbo, elephants have left their mark on Colchester.

Today you can follow a trail of elephants from Colchester Station to the town centre.

https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/fixing-the-link-p1249271

Oh, and as a bit of bonus content we should also mention this elephant shaped running route around Castle Park, for you keen joggers. #AtoZofLockdownColchester https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/18119459.runners-make-elephant-route-around-colchesters-castle-park/

Father and daughter create elephant running route around Colchester

TWO runners have created a route around Colchester in the shape of an iconic elephant.

https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/18119459.runners-make-elephant-route-around-colchesters-castle-park/

E is also for the #EssexWay. A large section of this 82 mile-long footpath runs through the north of Colchester's Beautiful Borough, from Dedham to Great Tey. Has anyone reading walked the whole thing? #AtoZofLockdownColchester

https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/the-essex-way-p1230551

#F is for Fingringhoe. This Essex Wildlife Trust reserve is open for visitors, but the visitor centre & facilities are currently closed. Some wonderful walks here and unique habitats for wildlife. #AtoZofLockdownColchester
https://www.visitcolchester.com/.../fingringhoe-wick...

F is also for #FridayWood, an army training wood that offers fantastic walks (don't forget your wellies) and occasional surprises if your visit coincides with a training day. Great fun. #AtoZofLockdownColchester

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visi.../woods/friday-woods/

Another F! For #FamilyHeritageTrail. A treasure hunt through town that's perfect for adults and children alike. We originally ran this in 2019, but 99% of the trail is still accessible in lockdown. #AtoZofLockdownColchester

Download here: https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/family-heritage-treasure-trail-p1232011

And whilst we're on the subject of family history trails, here's another you can check out too! https://twitter.com/yourcolchester/status/1327918025937399808

https://twitter.com/yourcolchester/status/1327918025937399808

A new week and our #AtoZofLockdownColchester continues with G for Green Island Gardens. Located out at Ardleigh these beautiful grounds remain open for #Lockdown2, but the tea room is closed.

Photos by @greenislandgdn

https://visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/green-island-gardens-p1191021

G is for Gosbecks. A large open space to the west of town, hugely popular with dog walkers. So much so, the car park was full when we went to take some photos so instead here's @ColMuseums manager Frank, w/ a history of the site. #AtoZofLockdownColchester

https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/gosbecks-archaeological-park-p1191171

Seeing as it's #TakeAHikeDay H is for Hiking! All the great walks we've featured so far on our #AtoZofLockdownColchester can be found on our website here: https://www.visitcolchester.com/walks

H is also for the very accurately named #HillyFields. It's got hills! It's got fields! It's got very nice walks actually, with some great views of the town skyline. Check it out! #AtoZofLockdownColchester

https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/hilly-fields-p1190251

H is for #HighWoodsCountryPark too. A wide range of accessible walks to explore & other activities too from an adventure playground to fishing facilities & the big community garden. The visitor centre is closed during #Lockdown2. #AtoZofLockdownColchester

https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/high-woods-country-park-p1190771

In case you missed it, I is for #IceRink! (but you have to wait until after lockdown for this one) #AtoZofLockdownColchester https://twitter.com/VisitColchester/status/1329029824728489985

https://twitter.com/VisitColchester/status/1329029824728489985

And I is also for #IronLatchNatureReserve. Can we tell you a secret? We didn't know this was here! But we went to explore and take photos and we'll definitely be back for more! Who can tell us more about this place?

https://www.essexwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/iron-latch

J is for.... Jumbo Water Tower! #AtoZofLockdownColchester

Built in 1883, it once provided clean water to Colchester Town Centre. Today it stands empty and is no longer open to the public, but it still a great source of civic pride to local residents.

https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/jumbo-water-tower-p1248031

K is for Keep! Britain’s largest Norman Keep (AKA Colchester Castle) is closed as a museum right now BUT you can still get up close to it for free whenever the park is open. You certainly can’t say that about all castles!

#AtoZofLockdownColchester

L brings us to Lexden in our #AtoZofLockdownColchester. Take your pick from Lexden Park or Lexden Springs! Two local Nature Reserves with walks, woodland and wildlife!

Download a map here: https://bit.ly/3nO5Xzx

It's another new week and M is for #Mersea in our #AtoZofLockdownColchester. We've got a West Mersea walking guide available for download on our site. 7 short walks to help you explore the island.

https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/mersea-island-walking-map-p1254051

M is also for #MarksHall and we'll let their twitter account do the talking as we won't be able to take better photos than these

. Highly recommended! #AtoZofLockdownColchester https://twitter.com/markshallestate/status/1328633682177953792

https://twitter.com/markshallestate/status/1328633682177953792

N is for Normans. The Castle remains the Normans' biggest footprint on present day Colchester, but did you know St Botolph's Abbey was also built by them? The ruins are available to explore during daylight hours in #Lockdown2.

#AtoZofLockdownColchester | https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/st-botolphs-priory-colchester-p1190481

O is for #Orbital. The Colchester Orbital is a 15 mile circular route around the edge of town. First time walkers on this route will be surprised by the paths and trails & can discover a new side to town away from busy roads.

#AtoZofLockdownColchester https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/colchester-orbital-p1258631

P is for #Park - or Castle Park to be exact. There's so much to explore it won't fit in one tweet! Head to our website for trails, activities and walks (or tweet us back with your fave things to do in the park!) #AtoZofLockdownColchester

https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/castle-park-p1190651

P is for #Plaques too! Three cheers for @ColCivicSociety who have put together a series of Colchester Plaque trails so you can discover historic sites, homes and historic locations on foot. #AtoZofLockdownColchester

https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/colchester-plaque-trails-p1228901

Q is for Quayside in our #AtoZofLockdownColchester

Enjoy the Quayside either side of the River Colne as #Wivenhoe looks over #Rowhedge and vice versa. Both destinations offer great walks. Which is your favourite?

I suppose Hythe Quayside should get a mention too. We love the TS Colne Light!

R is for #Romans of course! The great thing about Roman ruins is that lots of them are just sitting there, completely free to see!

Read our blog about walking in Roman footsteps to discover what you can find in Colchester. #AtoZofLockdownColchester

https://www.visitcolchester.com/blog/read/2020/11/walking-in-roman-footsteps-b39

S is for #StourValleyPath. Another long-distance walking route (60 miles this time) with a section in Constable Country to Colchester's north.

Download the route, or buy a copy from our shop from Wednesday when we re-open (yay!) #AtoZofLockdownColchester

https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/the-stour-valley-path-p1230561

S is also for #SalaryBrook. Another fantastic local nature reserve to explore, including fishing ponds, meadows, and a childrens play area. #AtoZofLockdownColchester

Thanks to @vteamessex for the photos!

https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/salary-brook-local-nature-reserve-p1190851

In today's #AtoZofLockdownColchester it's the turn of the letter T, and T is for... Tiptree! A contender for the title of 'largest village in England' Tiptree sits to the west of Colchester & is best known for it's jam making, home of Wilkin & Sons Ltd...

https://www.visitcolchester.com/explore/the-beautiful-borough/tiptree

To the south of the village lies Tiptree Heath, the largest surviving heathland in Essex and a site of special scientific interest (and wonderful Autumnal Walks)
#AtoZofLockdownColchester

https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/tiptree-heath-p1190751

U is for #Underpass in our #AtoZofLockdownColchester

#Colchester's Underpasses are adorned with concrete murals celebrating the town's history. These artworks by Joyce Pallott and Henry Collins can be located using a map downloadable from our website: https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/pallot-and-collins-family-trail-p1231371

This tweet arrives just in time for the letter U in our #AtoZofLockdownColchester. Get yourself down to the beautiful #University grounds for some outdoor exercise and arboreal discovery! https://twitter.com/UoE_Sus/status/1333365443428544515

https://twitter.com/UoE_Sus/status/1333365443428544515

V is for #Viaduct. Traversing the Colne Valley, The Chappel Viaduct is a spectacular sight. There's plenty of nearby walking routes in a variety of different lengths too!

#AtoZofLockdownColchester
https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/chappel-viaduct-p1250211

W is for Walls - Colchester's 2000 year old Roman Walls have plenty of stories to tell #AtoZofLockdownColchester

Put on your walking shoes and download the guide to 'A Walking Tour of the Roman and Medieval Gates' from our website:
https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/a-walking-tour-of-the-roman-and-medieval-gates-p1228921

W is also for #Wivenhoe and the #WivenhoeTrail - one of the area's most popular walking routes. Follow the river Colne from Colchester Town Centre to the historic town of Wivenhoe - or vice versa. #AtoZofLockdownColchester

https://www.visitcolchester.com/things-to-do/the-wivenhoe-trail-p1250381

We're out of lockdown! So a quick rattle through X, Y, and Z to bring our #AtoZofLockdownColchester to a close.

X is for Xmas! Now you can enjoy the lights in town, and crack on with some xmas shopping!

https://www.visitcolchester.com/whats-on/christmas-in-colchester

Y is for @yourcolchester! Now we're out of lockdown we'll be back encouraging people to visit Colchester and tweeting a bit less local information, so if you're a Colchester resident make sure you're following our colleages for all the local news.

And finally, Z is for Zoo! It's back!

#AtoZofLockdownColchester https://twitter.com/ColchesterZoo/status/1334071095981449217

https://twitter.com/ColchesterZoo/status/1334071095981449217

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