AMBITIOUS plans have been unveiled to reconstruct the Roman circus gates in Abbey Field, with a renowned architect saying they could become “a status symbol” for the city.
Francis Terry is looking to mastermind a project which could result in the structure being rebuilt at a cost of £1.4million, a sum which would have to be raised through donations and sponsorship.
It is thought Colchester houses Britain’s only Roman circus, which was discovered 20 years ago and had arches five metres in height when it was first built in around 125AD.
Plan - the high point of the structure would be nine metres, the same as the original structure (Image: Francis Terry & Associates)
The remains of the nine arches now only stand a few feet tall but Mr Terry, 55, has hopes for restoring the structure into one which could draw international attention.
He said: “At the moment, I just feel there’s nothing to see.
“If tourists want to go and see the Roman circus, they go there and they find a road where there are some quite nice buildings and quite nasty buildings – there is nothing to see of the roman circus.”
Ambitious - Francis Terry believes the project could be good for Colchester (Image: Francis Terry & Associates)
Mr Terry, who is from Dedham, said there are other historical structures which have been rebuilt and become culturally significant.
“The Globe is not even in the right site, but it’s still a great historical asset – the building is based on the original design, but nothing else," he said.
If the project were to go ahead – and it would be dependent on planning permission and the success of a huge fundraising operation – the Roman circus would be rebuilt using the same materials and techniques used to build the original structure nearly 2,000 years ago.
“The starting guides would be that we could use locally sourced bricks and the same clay as the Roman’s used – it would be loadbearing masonry," said Mr Terry.
He continued by saying the money would have to be raised via crowdfunding.
Today - the former pillars are currently only a few feet in height (Image: Newsquest)
He said: “I think there is a real appetite for something like this.
“People are very proud of Colchester’s Roman heritage – I would very much like to see something for people to rally around rather than an architect imposing this on the town.
“I would absolutely want the consent from the people of Colchester that this is what people would want to do.”
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