Colchester Art Trails

 

Colchester offers many walking and cycling art trails across the district and town centre. Why not discover some of the area's beautiful landscapes whilst you're visiting, or find out more about where you live, with some of our suggestions below?

The Painter's Trail around the Dedham Vale, inspiration for John Constable, takes you through a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and uses a mixture of mainly quiet roads, cycle paths and well-surfaced tracks. The full circuit is about 69 miles and is designed to be completed in two to three days, but there is also plenty of scope for shorter rides. Be sure to take inspiration from the Haywain view at Flatford and fortify yourself with tea and cake in the many tea rooms in ‘Constable Country'.

Alternatively, for a more contemporary approach, discover new vistas and viewpoints via the View Finders Trail by Michael Goodey. This circular 17.5 mile/28km cycle trail leads you from the town centre eastwards, following the River Colne towards Wivenhoe - a hot spot for Colchester's Open Studio trail with a vibrant artist community living and working there. Along the route you'll see 10 artworks that, at first glance, look like street signs, but are in fact hand-painted. Inspired by early 20th Century landscape painter Lucien Pissarro, they weave history and contemporary culture together through the eyes of the artist.

If you want a shorter walk or cycle route then follow the Town to Sea Trail which leads from the town to the historic port of the Hythe through 2 miles/ 3.2km of some lesser known areas of Colchester. Fourteen hand-forged way markers lead the way, each revealing a little about the area and its history. Pop into Visit Colchester Information Centre and pick up a map along with the specially commissioned poem by Martin Newell created for the artworks. If you have a young family with you ask for the activity leaflet as well.

University of Essex Sculpture Trail is situated in the grounds of Wivenhoe Park, and weaving through the University of Essex, is a fascinating sculpture trail that is open for all to explore. Most of the works on this trail are produced by contemporary artists living and working in South America, making it all the more striking how easily these works enter into dialogue with their Essex surroundings once painted by John Constable.

 

For all Colchester trails (taking place all year round) please contact the Colchester Visitor Information Centre or click through to the VisitColchester website. For the University of Essex Sculpture Trail Only please call 01206 873184 or click through to www.essex.ac.uk/artson5/ .

 

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