Exquisite rooms deliver style and glamour for any occasion

From its prominent town centre location, this magnificent Baroque structure with its Victorian tower and statue of St Helena, Colchester’s patron saint, dominates the town.

Built in 1898, the building epitomises old-fashioned glamour. Its opulent interiors, which are all fully licenced, offer style and grandeur for all occasions. Each outstanding function room is beautifully decorated with ornate and original features such as stained-glass windows, oil paintings and murals, and are still used for mayoral and civic events today.

Colchester Town Hall has a choice of exquisite rooms to hire. The grand Moot Hall is the largest space within the Town Hall and features a high-arched ceiling and wealth of natural light from its stained-glass windows. The Council Chamber, with its painted dome ceiling and unique horseshoe shaped layout, is ideal for business meetings and seminars, as is the smaller North Committee Room. The Grand Jury Room and West Committee Room offer a stylish location for hire separately or in combination. Capacity can be increased further by adding the Mayor’s Parlour to create the Mayoral Suite with its exclusive balcony overlooking the town centre. The beautiful ground floor Community Room operates as Colchester Registry Office.

Steeped in over 2,000 years of history

Built on the foundations of the Roman temple of Claudius, Colchester Castle was built under orders from William the Conqueror in around 1076 when Colchester became the first Roman capital of Britain.

In 1727 it was bought and given to Charles Gray as a wedding gift and, after various restorations, Gray created a private park around the Castle in the 1740s, known today as Castle Park. In 1922, the Castle and the associated parkland were acquired by Colchester Borough Council and are now a public museum and events venue.

Home to The Charles Gray Room, The Chapel and The Scriptorium, Colchester Castle provides a historic and unique venue whether for conferences and lectures, awaydays and workshops, parties and special celebrations.

Colchester’s biggest indoor events venue

At Charter Hall we are proud to present one of the largest venues in Essex, ideally suited to seated shows, standing concerts and festivals.

A popular choice for both national promoters and local event planners, Charter Hall facilitates over 70 events a year.  In 2019, we welcomed over 30,000 visitors to a diversity of top-class entertainment from live music, touring stand-up comedy and indoor sporting events to food and drink festivals and vintage fayres.

This multipurpose premier venue in the heart of Colchester boasts over 950sq/ft of event space with dedicated entrance, customer toilets, box office and fully licensed bar. The expansive central hall accommodates comfortable seating for up to 1200 guests theatre style or 1400 standing, with flexibility to segregate into smaller zones and break out areas.  A large stage, kitchen prep area and ample parking add to the opportunities.

For those seeking an outstanding location, well established to attract large numbers of people from across the region, make Charter Hall your first choice of venue.

Award-winning outdoor spaces that are second to none

Colchester has a landscape heritage like no other, characterised by the quality, quantity and variety of its parks and open spaces.

From the historic well-loved Castle Park, situated in the heart of the town, to the expansive Recreation Ground at Old Heath, Colchester’s outdoor spaces are truly unmissable.

Castle Park is a fully licensed venue for 14,999 people and offers a delightful range of locations to hire to suit any scale or type of event. There are hire opportunities at Lower Castle Park, The Castle Bailey, The Bandstand, Bowls Green, Hollytrees Lawn and Hollytrees Meadow.

The Recreation Ground, the oldest public open space in Colchester, is a popular venue for large productions like fairs and circuses, and also plays host to smaller events like community fetes and children’s activities. Originally the garrison parade ground, it offers a large, open, grassed site of approximately 21 acres and is fully licensed with a capacity of up to 4,999 people.