Cannon fire during a 1648 civil war siege scarred the flint decoration of this medieval gatehouse, all that remains of St John's Abbey in Colchester
Open accessfree to visit at any reasonable time
Substantial ruinsruined, but plenty survives above ground
Flushwork — flint and stone set flush with the wall in a decorative pattern typical of medieval East Anglia — faces the gatehouse, the only part still standing of a wealthy Benedictine abbey founded just outside Colchester’s walls in 1095. It went up around 1400, partly to shore up the abbey’s defences after the unrest of the Peasants’ Revolt. During the Civil War siege of Colchester in 1648, Parliamentary troops battered and stormed the gate, and the scars from that fighting are still visible in the stonework. The gatehouse is free to view, and you can look at the outside whenever you like, though the interior only opens occasionally. Colchester Castle is a short walk away.
