MIDDLEBOROUGH has seen some dramatic changes in the last 40 years.

At the centre of it all stands the Octagon building, which was originally known as Royal London House.

Building work began on Royal London House in 1978 on the site of the former cattle market.

Architects came up with the eight-sided design and turrets as they modelled the office building on a ruined castle, based on Colchester’s heritage.

The building was named after the insurance company which built it for its headquarters, until the site was renamed the Octagon in 2003 and it was divided into office space for different businesses.

Heritage also came to the fore when a Roman mosaic - now known as the Middleborough Mosaic - was uncovered during early construction work, which was put on display at Colchester Castle.

The art work, which dates back to AD 175, is one of the finest Roman mosaics ever found.

With its intricate detail showing sea beasts and birds, it was a status
symbol of its time and would originally have been a focal piece in a large Roman house.

For years, Middleborough was home to a bustling cattle market, which flourished thanks to the close proximity of the railway. It was also home to an auction market, which was set up close to the river in North Station Road.

In 1981, the auction market closed.

Run by Watson’s auctioneers, it was the last reminder of the hectic Saturday mornings in the Middleborough area, before the main cattle market moved to its site in Severalls Lane.

Middleborough continues to be a thriving area of town, with hundreds of office workers based at Hiscox and the Octagon, and a new restaurant called Pavilion planned for the former River Lodge site.