History Ipswich Road, Colchester

colchester around 1500. ipswich road branches north off harwich road, runs towards northeast.

colchester has been inhabited since pre-roman britain, ancient route ipswich followed different path, leaving duncan s gate , heading east of castle park , crossing river colne, thereby heading northeast meet current road. excavation in 1930 found evidence of road ditches on alignment. in 991 byrhtnoth, ealdorman of east-saxons, decided check danes. had plundered ipswich , sailing south plunder maldon. brihtnoth entered well-defended town of colchester ipswich road on way south, later dying @ battle of maldon. london–ipswich road passing through colchester provided vital economic connection capital, 51 miles (82 km) away, during tudor period. royalist defenders of colchester during english civil war (1642–51) built fort suffolk north of ipswich road, 1 of eleven earthern fieldworks timber palisades.

at edge of greenstead parish boundary rovers tye farm, has been documented being established 1353. new causeway @ location had been built 1429, point ipswich road ran on current route. road turnpiked in 1725, when road predominantly rural in nature. in 1841, prison, known house of correction or county gaol, built on road alleviate pressure on colchester castle, held 25 or 30 prisoners, both male , female, @ 1 time. when war office re-authorized militia in 1845 14th east essex regiment of militia, later became essex rifles militia, given old county gaol headquarters. in 1875, county police station located on ipswich road.

20th – 21st century

looking west down mainline ipswich road bridge

the road bisected first colchester bypass in 1933, unemployment relief project. railway bridge built in great depression of 1930s, using government funding. 7-ton locomotives used bring sand via light railway pit on harwich road form embankment railway bridge. sand topped clay. bridge crossing great eastern main line underwent major reconstruction in 1957.

on 12 november 1940 colchester bombed german air raids, causing damage in vicinity of ipswich road. in hours of 30 april 1944, crew of 7 on board lancaster um-k2 returning bombing raid on karlsruhe, germany, when engines caught fire, causing fatal crash landing @ space makers safestore on ipswich road. in 2015, memorial service held @ site of crash. in december 2014, 24 world war ii bombs weighing approximately 600 lbs in total discovered @ recycling centre on road. after war, there small private developments off mersea road, west of lexden park, north of colchester north railway station, between ipswich road , railway, , north of east hill . st. john s housing estate built in 1960s, , in 1979, kier group began developing 730 acre high woods site west of road. around 4000 houses , shopping centre subsequently built in vicinity.

a plaque commemorating widening of ipswich road bridge in 1931

the toothpaste tube manufacturer betts opened factory @ no. 505 ipswich road in 1953. in 2008, firm decided close factory , moved smaller premises elsewhere in town. in 2014, bellway homes announced convert former ipswich road factory housing estate named avellana place. locals protested against name, spanish hazelnut, saying more appropriate name after 1944 lancaster bomber crash.

the road part of a12 when road numbers first classified in 1922, , remained main route ipswich motor traffic until northern colchester bypass opened in 1974, extended towards harwich in 1982.