Firstsite, Colchester

Name: Firstsite
Address: High Street, Colchester, CO1 1JH, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 1206 713700

#10 among attractions in Colchester

Museum, Art gallery, Shopping, Art museum

Gallery (2)

Map

Map

Gallery

Facts and practical information

Firstsite is a visual arts organisation based in Colchester, Essex, which opened in 2011. It was the national Art Fund's Museum of the Year in 2021. The building Firstsite occupy as tenants was designed by Rafael Viñoly and the freehold is retained by Colchester Council. The building is situated in Colchester's "Cultural Quarter" near The Minories, Colchester, fifteen Queen Street, the Norman Colchester Castle, the Natural History Museum, Hollytrees Museum and Colchester's Roman Wall. ()

Established: 2011 (13 years ago)Coordinates: 51°53'20"N, 0°54'22"E

Address

High StreetColchester CO1 1JH United Kingdom

Contact

+44 1206 713700

Website

Social media

Twitter

Colchester

Day trips

Firstsite – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: Colchester Castle, Hollytrees Museum, Temple of Claudius, Colchester Town Hall.

~920 ftNW
Museum, Forts and castles, History museum
Colchester Castle, Colchester
5 min walk • Colchester Castle is a prominent historical fortress in the town of Colchester, England, and is an essential visit for anyone interested in Britain's rich past. Constructed on the foundations of a Roman temple, the castle dates back to the Norman Conquest of England...
~580 ftNW
Museum, Specialty museum, History museum
Hollytrees Museum, Colchester
3 min walk • Hollytrees Museum is a free to visit, publicly owned museum in the centre of Colchester and close to Colchester Castle. It is situated in an eighteenth-century house, which was used as a private residence until 1929, when it became a museum.
~910 ftNW
Temple
Temple of Claudius, Colchester
5 min walk • The Temple of Claudius or Temple of the Deified Claudius was a large octastyle temple built in Camulodunum, the modern Colchester in Essex. The main building was constructed between 49 and 60 CE, although additions were built throughout the Roman-era. Today it forms the base of the Norman Colchester Castle.
~1650 ftW
City hall
Colchester Town Hall, Colchester
8 min walk • Colchester Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street in Colchester, Essex, England. The town hall, which is the headquarters of Colchester Borough Council, is a Grade I listed building.
0.5 miNW
Town, Archaeological site
Camulodunum, Colchester
14 min walk • Camulodunum, the Ancient Roman name for what is now Colchester in Essex, was an important city in Roman Britain, and the first capital of the province.
~1640 ftSW
Monastery
St. John's Abbey, Colchester
8 min walk • St John's Abbey, also called Colchester Abbey, was a Benedictine monastic institution in Colchester, Essex, founded in 1095. It was dissolved in 1539.
0.5 miW
Tower
Jumbo Water Tower, Colchester
13 min walk • Jumbo Water Tower is a water tower at the Balkerne Gate in Colchester, Essex. The tower was nicknamed ’Jumbo’ after the London Zoo elephant as a term of derision in 1882 by Reverend John Irvine who was annoyed that the tower dwarfed his nearby rectory at St.
~390 ftNW
Museum, Art gallery, Shopping
The Minories, Colchester
2 min walk • The Minories is a Grade II listed building and gardens situated at the east end of High Street in Colchester, Essex, England, near Hollytrees, Gate House and Colchester Castle. It currently houses The Minories Galleries which are run by Colchester School of Art, part of Colchester Institute.
0.5 miW
Arch
Balkerne Gate, Colchester
14 min walk • Balkerne Gate is a Roman gateway in Colchester. It is the largest surviving gateway in Roman Britain and was built where the Roman road from Londinium intersected the town wall of Camulodunum. It is a Grade I listed building.
~400 ftNE
Church
St James the Great, Colchester
2 min walk • The Church of St James the Great is a Church of England parish church in Colchester, Essex. The church is a grade II* listed building.
0.6 miN
Park
Bull Meadow, Colchester
15 min walk • Bull Neadow is a 1.4 hectare Local Nature Reserve in Colchester in Essex, owned and managed by Colchester Borough Council. The meadow is unimproved damp grassland on the bank of the River Colne, with plants such as purple loosestrife and amphibious bistort.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When is Firstsite open?

Firstsite is open:

Monday 10 am - 5 pm
Tuesday 10 am - 5 pm
Wednesday 10 am - 5 pm
Thursday 10 am - 5 pm
Friday 10 am - 5 pm
Saturday 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday 10 am - 5 pm

Which popular attractions are close to Firstsite?

Nearby attractions include Colchester Art Society, Colchester (2 min walk), The Minories, Colchester (2 min walk), St James the Great, Colchester (2 min walk), St James the Less and St Helen Church, Colchester (3 min walk).

How to get to Firstsite by public transport?

The nearest stations to Firstsite:

Bus

Coach Stop • Lines: 74B (2 min walk)
Greyfriars • Lines: 1, 102, 103, 104, 105, 107, 1A, 2, 2A, 62, 74B, 76 (2 min walk)

Train

Colchester Town (5 min walk)
Hythe (24 min walk)