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Museum Mosey on a rainy day

In the north of the county we have two great museums to entertain when the weather makes you want to head indoors. 

Morning - Start your rainy day in Britian's first recorded town, Colchester, where the stunning Norman keep of Colchester Castle is tucked away at the bottom of the high street in beautiful landscaped parkland.  This fascinating museum collection contains relics from thousands of years ago as well as interactive displays and touch-free audio visuals about the town's most famous rebel, Queen Boudicca.  Mathew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General, conducted witch trials in Colchester Castle and those terrible tales are told here in all their gory detail.  Browse their lovely gift shop before heading into the nearby high street for some lunch.  

Afternoon - Next you can mosey on down to the deligtful village of Chappel & Wakes Colne, a few miles up the road, where the East Anglian Railway Museum is set in the nostalgic surroundings of a Victorian village station.  Steam trains only run here on event days but you can still step back in time and marvel at the steam locomotives, carriages and wagons on display, have a go at operating the vintage signal box and wander around the Heritage Centre to discover more about the history of railway in the Eastern Region.  Fans of model railway will love the displays here and don't forget to leave some time for afternoon tea in the Platform 2 Cafe, set in a sumptious railway carriage. 

Remember to check out the enormous Chappel Viaduct before leaving the village.  This is the second largest brick-built building in England (Battersea Power Station is the first) and an impressive feat of engineering!