Country parks and local nature reserves

The archaeological park has been described as one of Britain's premier Iron Age and Roman monuments and (with adjacent sites) was designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument in 1988. 

Gosbeck’s Archaeological Park covers 65 hectares and is mainly flat grassland and farmland. It is popular with walkers, horse riders and cyclists. 

How to get there

The site falls within the boundaries made up of Maldon Road, Cunobelin Way and Layer Road, with the Roman River Valley and farmland on its southwest border. 

By foot: There are numerous pedestrian entrances across the site, including public rights of way and bridleways (see map above).

By bike: Colchester by bike map  

By road: A car park is located off Maldon Road. The nearest postcode is CO3 4RN. 

Opening times

All day, every day. 

Facilities and access 

• Public and permissive bridleways: horse riders are required to keep to the bridleway and permissive marked routes. 
• Occasional guided walks and events.
• It also has excellent links with the wider public rights of way system, the National Cycle Network and open country of the nearby Roman River Valley. 
• Dog walkers are welcomed at Gosbeck’s, but we do ask that you are considerate of other park users and always keep dogs under close control.   
• No friends’ groups are associated with the site. 
• Public information and interpretation are sited at entrances and near to the main archaeological features. 
• There is open public access throughout the site by means of a network of mown paths and grazed land though, in practice, this can be limited in the summer by the farming operations in the area east of Olivers Lane. Cattle are on site throughout the summer from April through to October. 
• A public right of way and a marked horse ride run along the site's western boundary.
• There is a surfaced car park off the Maldon Road.
• We ask all visitors to keep to mown paths on the west field throughout spring to autumn when ground nesting birds are present. Cyclists to keep to the marked bridleways on site. 

History, vegetation and wildlife 

Gosbecks lays at the heart of pre-Roman Camulodunum when it was the pre-eminent tribal capital of south-eastern Britain. It continued to be important in Roman times with a temple and theatre being added to the existing Iron Age features. Gosbeck’s was mentioned in the Domesday Book as an area of heathland.

During much of the 19th and 20th centuries its light and well drained soils were used as grazing pasture and more recently it supported arable crops. The site was acquired by the council in 1995, along with a commuted sum, as a result of the housing development between Cunobelin Way and Gosbeck’s Road. 

The site is split in half by Olivers Lane with the two halves managed in different ways. Spring to autumn cattle are grazed on the stock fenced fields between Olivers Lane and Layer Road on the east side, access is still allowed to these fields, but dog walkers are instructed to keep their dog under close control. 

The landscape can appear to be quite barren, the main reason being the lack of trees and scrubs within the pastures; however, there are a large number of coarse grasses and flowering species across the site. 

Two small, fenced plantations were established in the early 1990's, these areas contain a mixture of oak, ash, cherry and hedgerow type trees. Additional hedgerows have been planted along Olivers Lane and Cunobelin Way from 2000 to 2008 with a mixture of hawthorn, blackthorn, field maple, spindle, hazel, dogwood and other hedgerow plants (all native English species and sourced locally). 

The wooded areas and hedgerows provide ideal habitat for birds but also cover for lizards which were relocated to Gosbeck’s in 2002 from the site of the former Myland Hospital (to the east of Colchester). 

There is a small reservoir to the south next to Soddam’s Wood (not owned by the council), this was previously a farm reservoir and has a number of willow species growing on its banks. Due to the steep sites and concrete shelf, it is fenced off and there is no public access. 

Casual records and sightings indicate that many Skylarks nest on all parts of the site, Corn bunting also breed in very small numbers. Other species that can be seen on site are Meadow pipit, Stonechat, White throat, Black cap. Corvids species in larger numbers include Rook and Jackdaws, both nesting nearby. 

In the summer months Hirundine and Swifts can be seen feeding across the site with numbers building in late summer, often seen over the reservoir feeding on insects above the trees.  In winter, Common gull can be seen feeding on the grazing fields in fluctuating numbers.

Flowering plants attract many butterfly species, with Small heath and Meadow brown being the most common on site. The east side is favoured by the Garden bumblebee for nesting, with numerous other bee, fly, beetle and ordonata species feeding within the grassland fields.  

Our work 

This predominately grassland area is managed through a mixture of hay cutting and grazing.

The pastures are managed on an agreed cutting regime with the tenant farmer, and in the areas grazed by cattle a hay crop is removed every year. In the section to the west of Olivers Lane approximately 50% of the grassland is cut each year, this is done in late summer to allow the flowers to seed and invertebrates to complete their breeding cycles, all the arisings are removed. 

Each year Ragwort is controlled through a mixture of pulling and spraying. Woodland work is carried out when required in the plantations, to replicate historic management practices to benefit wildlife. We deliver work with the help of volunteers and agricultural contractors, agreed with Natural England.   

Colchester Natural History Society lead events here with the countryside ranger team. From moth evenings to bat walks and more general wildlife events, they guide walks across the city. More information on their events can be found through their website.