Colchester Council to protect the town's social history

Its castle, its Roman chariot circus, its medieval Abbey gateway are all jewels in the heritage crown.

But dig a little deeper and there is also a host of other buildings which tell tales of Colchester’s past.

Now Colchester Council is looking to protect buildings which are part of the town’s social history.

The Colchester Local List is a register of heritage assets which although not suitable to be called a listed building, are considered historically or architecturally important locally.

Some 742 buildings are currently on the list including dozens of buildings on Colchester High Street, Abbey Field Sports Pavilion, the Garrison Cavalry Barracks and The Spinnaker Inn pub on the Hythe.

The council is now asking for nominations about buildings to add and remove from the Local List.

Any individual or group can nominate buildings or structures to the council’s spatial policy team and all submissions must be received by Thursday February 11.

Any proposed changes will be rubber stamped by the council’s Local Plan committee at their meeting in April.

Some of the most prominent buildings on the list include:

The Mercury Theatre on Balkerne Passage

The theatre was first opened in 1972 following a successful fundraising campaign by the Colchester New Theatre Trust which was aided by Colchester Council.

Originally it was structurally identical to the Salisbury Playhouse but the Wiltshire theatre was later expanded.

Plans have just been announced for an £8.8 million rebuild which will include entirely replacing the front of house area and extending it, introducing an all-day café bar and creating a learning and participation centre to help extend its educational and community work.

Williams and Griffins, High Street

The shop was built in 1927 following a major fire which had damaged surrounding buildings and was designed to fit in with the 18th century frontages in the High Street.

Half of the store had originally been built for Jacklins, a tobacconist and confectioner, while the other was offices and a showroom for ironmonger and agricultural machinery business HE Williams.

Williams & Griffins first appeared in Colchester High Street when Williams merged his business with linen merchants H L Griffin & Co.

Known now affectionately as Willy Gees, in 2008 the store was bought by retail giants Fenwick who launched £30 million redevelopment plans which are now well underway.

Such is the scale of the work, the whole High Street has been shut to traffic on occasion to allow massive cranes to be brought in and out and a change of name is on the verge of occurring.

The iconic department store was on the verge of being removed from Colchester Council’s local list last year because of the huge renovations taking place.

But changes were made to redesign the art deco façade of the shop frontage, rather than destroy it which meant the council’s local plan committee decided to keep it in.

The Old Odeon, Crouch Street

The former cinema was first built in 1931 known as The Regal having been designed by acclaimed cinema and theatre designer Cecil Masey.

The first film shown was Vagabond King starring Dennis King and Jeanette Macdonald.

The building features a Spanish gabled-style front and originally included a café, Wurlitzer organ and full stage facilities.

In 1974, it was taken over by the Odeon and converted to three screens which eventually made way for a multiplex with six different theatres.

It closed as a cinema in 2002 when Odeon moved to Head Street and has remained derelict ever since despite several ambitious plans for redevelopment including for apartments, shops and a nightclub.

* For a full list of buildings visit colchesterhistoricbuildingsforum.org.uk/drupal