PREPARATIONS have begun for half term at Colchester Castle. 

Children and families will be treated to special activities and the ongoing witchcraft and magic exhibition.

Schools across Essex are due to break up for a week, beginning on Friday, October 21.

The following day, October 22, will see witch trails and Halloween themed exhibits open, such as creepy crafts.

The activities will be available until Sunday, October 30, as pupils return to classes the following day.

Still running over half-term is the Wicked Spirits: Witchcraft and Magic exhibition, which opened at Colchester Castle back in July and explores Colchester’s association with trying suspected witches throughout the 1500s and 1600s.

The exhibition, which came together following £15,000 of donations from the public, will run until January next year, and includes displays, talks, and tours, as it explains how life was in Britain hundreds of years ago, when accusations of witchcraft and sorcery were taken deadly seriously.

The portfolio holder for culture and heritage at Colchester Council, Pam Cox, said of the activities on offer: “Half term is a great moment to visit to the Castle.

“The exhibition although sensitive in nature, has been developed for a family audience.”