ACROSS Colchester, residents can get a glimpse at the town’s history by observing a number of special plaques scattered over the town.

Blue plaques are a special way of remembering and commemorating both historic sites and historic individuals associated with the town.

The plaques are the pride and joy of the Colchester Civic Society with the society recently unveiling two new plaques at the former Le Cateau Barracks in Colchester.

A ceremony organised and researched by Paul Knappett, a former Ministry of Defence employee with a keen interest in the history of military barracks and ties to Le Cateau Barracks, was carried out with the help of the Colchester Civic Society and saw the unveiling performed by the Colchester Garrison Commander Lt Col Ed Rankin.

The first blue plaque commemorates the listed building constructed in 1874-75 as the Officers' Quarters of the Royal Artillery Barracks.

In more recent times the building has been known as the Garrison Warrant Officers' and Sergeants' Mess.

The second plaque unveiled is in remembrance of Major Raymond England, Battery Commander 88th Battery, and the men of the 39th, 68th and 88th Batteries XIVth Brigade Royal Field Artillery killed at the Battle of Le Cateau on August 26 in 1914.

In the battle, five Victoria Crosses were awarded, three of which were to the 37th Battery Royal Field Artillery which was the last mounted artillery battery to be stationed in Le Cateau Barracks.

Aside from the two new plaques, there are a number of other plaques located around Colchester.

We have listed some of the most notable plaques below.

John Ball Walk –

The first of our blue plaques is located on John Ball Walk and commemorates the route’s namesake, John Ball.

A priest from Peldon, he preached for social justice, for social equality, and, as a consequence, soon lost his job at St James the Great Church on East Hill.

His later arrest and ex-communication helped spark the Great Revolt which began in 1381 but he was executed; hung, drawn and quartered, in 1351.

A plaque to commemorate John Ball was unveiled in July 2017 by the Right Reverend Roger Morris Bishop of Colchester and Baroness Chakrabarti CBE.

Cambridge Road –

This plaque honoured the pioneering female politician Catherine Buchanan Alderton who became Colchester’s first female mayor in 1923.

This suffragist lived on Cambridge Road and achieved much in her political life.

The Minories, High Street –

This plaques honours Dr Ruth Bensusan Butt, who came to Colchester in 1910.

She lived first on North Hill before moving to the Minories.

Dr Ruth was the first woman doctor in the town.

She was also a Fabian, a member of the Labour Party, a suffragist and did much to improve the lives of people in the town.

Colchester English Study Centre, Lexden Road –

Undoubtedly known to many, there is a blue plaque to Margaret Thatcher at this location.

She became the first female Prime Minister in 1979 with the plaque being erected at her former Colchester home in 2019.

The plaque was unveiled by Will Quince MP for Colchester with the site being one of the three places in Colchester where the former Prime Minister once lived – the other locations being Maldon Road and Cambridge Road.

Arena Place and Mersea Road –

Two plaques were unveiled with the help of Taylor Wimpey House Builders, in January 2018 with both commemorating former military sites.

One honours the Hyderabad and Meeannee Barracks while the other honours the Flagstaff Complex

East Hill –

This plaque honours Frank Daniell and was installed on the front of the house on East Hill, where he lived for much of his life.

Frank was a popular artist and painter with his plaque being unveiled in 2014.

Artillery Street –

Honouring Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a famous Christian, the plaque was erected on the small church in Artillery Street to mark the site of his conversion.

Spurgeon lived on Hythe Hill. One morning in 1850, when he was about 15 years old, he was walking to church when a heavy snowstorm impeded his journey.

He decided to turn to Artillery Street and attend the service at a small Primitive Methodist Church instead.

The rest was history with Charles opening his own tabernacle in London which could seat 5,000 worshipers.

To help budding historians take in the sights, the civic society has a number of plaque trails which residents can walk to see all the Colchetser plaques.

A full reading of each person mentioned above is also available on their website.

To see more, visit https://www.colchestercivicsociety.co.uk/what-we-do/commemorative-plaques/