COLCHESTER'S former Essex County Hospital served the community for more than 200 years.

Based in Lexden Road, it opened in 1820 and was described as "an integral part of the town".

However, it finally closed to patients in September 2018, when services moved to Colchester General Hospital.

It was the end of an era for a site that must hold so many memories, both for staff and patients alike.

The only saving grace is that much of its history, recollections and artifacts were preserved.

The Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust and University of Essex worked together for several months to keep memories alive as part of their 'Essex County Hospital Remembered' project.

Students built a website, complete with hundreds of photographs and newspaper cuttings, covering every aspect of hospital life, from staff and the equipment they used, to plans of the buildings, patients and special events.

They also arranged a successful open day.

Dr Alix Green, from the department of history, supervised the students and said: “The hospital was an integral part of the town and most people living and working in Colchester will have been there at some point in their lives."

To see more pictures, head to www.flickr.com/photos/echheritage_/albums/

The oral histories recorded at the open day were deposited with Colchester Recalled and can be listened to via www.colchesterrecalled.co.uk/index.html

Did you work at the hospital or do you have a story to tell about spending time there as a patient.

If so, we'd love to hear from you. Drop us a line using the contact details below.