Summary (by AI): I was disappointed by the historically significant Balkerne Gate in Colchester because, despite its importance as the oldest remaining Roman gate, it looked rundown and was poorly situated next to a dual carriageway.
Blog: The Balkerne Gate in Colchester is the oldest remaining Roman gate in the whole of England. It’s a particularly special site because, while only two carriageway portals remain today, it apparently used to have four. That distinction made it the only gateway in all of Roman Britain to ever feature four portals. You can still find a couple of examples of that architecture left in Europe—down in France and places like that.
Given all the pomp, ceremony, and history associated with it, I expected something truly spectacular. However, the reality was a bit disappointing. It’s tucked away next to a dual carriageway rather than being in the main town centre. If I’m being brutally honest, it looked less like a monument of massive historical importance and more like a rundown old stone wall that had been left to go to rack and ruin.
It didn’t help that it was situated right next to a pub called The Hole in the Wall, which I already had my eye on. In fact, like the rest of Colchester, I was starting to think the area was just a little bit rubbish. I certainly didn’t go into the pub; it looked awful. I had a quick whizz around the Balkerne Gate, which didn’t take very long as there wasn't much more to see, and then I headed back to have a cuzza.
The Map: