HAVE you ever followed signs through Colchester city centre and been confused as to where to go next? 

A new campaign is aiming to make traversing the city a lot easier after a review found it could be confusing to visitors. 

Destination Colchester, which played a major role in the successful city status campaign, has turned its attention to tourism signs and wayfinding throughout the city… and they need your help.

The Colchester Tourism Sign and Wayfinding Project looks at all signs and marked routes throughout the area from the point of view of a visitor to the city, who has no idea of the layout of the area.

The campaign comes as it was found some signs have only covered limited areas or specific routes, which has resulted in a ‘confusing’ mix of different approaches and designs.

Gazette: Totem sign at bottom of Vineyard Steps, damaged and missing its mapTotem sign at bottom of Vineyard Steps, damaged and missing its map (Image: Newsquest)

An example provided by the group includes the Wivenhoe Trail, where there are three separate, fully or partially waymarked routes between the city centre and the Hythe.

An initial survey of existing signs within the city has already revealed major problems, according to the group.

The issue of wayfinding around the city has not been without controversy.

Back in 2020, Colchester Council abandoned plans for the wayfinding statue on the Albert roundabout, as part of the £200,000 Fixing the Link scheme involving Essex County Council and Greater Anglia.

Gazette: Colchester elephant statue planColchester elephant statue plan (Image: Dallas-Pierce-Quintero)

The sculpture works were set to begin in the spring of that year, taking four weeks to finish, but delays plagued the project.

The elephant sculpture, which was expected to cost up to £90,000, was been abandoned.

The £200,000 project had originally included the elephant, new lighting, landscaping and improved CCTV.

A topical example would be a visitor to the forthcoming Gladiator exhibition at the castle arriving from London by car.

A spokesperson for Destination Colchester noted: “Brown traffic tourism signs would direct the visitor into St John's multi-storey car park, but there are no onward signs either in the car park or the shopping centre.

“The city centre map in the window of Poundstretcher does not mark ‘You Are Here’ and the sign at the bottom of Scheregate directs visitors to the museums towards the service access of Lion Walk shopping centre.”

Simon Taylor, who is leading Destination Colchester's management of the project says the example gives a ‘poor’ impression of Colchester, leaving the visitor ‘abandoned’.

Mr Taylor said: “We know that there are other options to find your way about, but these all need to connect with each other and that is not the case at the moment.

Gazette: Totem sign at top of Queen Street, crowded by other street furnitureTotem sign at top of Queen Street, crowded by other street furniture (Image: Newsquest)

“Our survey of the signs installed in 2004 showed that many were illegible, misleading or beyond repair and since then three more have been removed, making the situation even worse.

“A new and comprehensive scheme that works for all users throughout their journey is desperately needed and we are now working alongside the City Council, the Civic Society and others to make this become a reality.”

Local residents and businesses are encouraged to help the project, by sharing their experience of signs and wayfinding around the city.

Willing participants can aid the project by completing an online survey, which can be found at wayfinding.help, where they can also sign up for future news and closer involvement.