Blogs > A snapshot of UK Cities

A snapshot into... Colchester

• July 04, 2022

Colchester’s desirability stems from its location, being only 50 miles from London it benefits from a low cost of living whilst only being a stone’s throw away from the vibrant capital city! Colchester, which is 80 kilometres northeast of London, is situated on the River Colne and is connected to the city via the A12 highway.

Living in Colchester means you can relax undisturbed by the River Colne when at home but travel into London to enjoy everything the capital city has to offer!

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) provide hospital and community health care services for Colchester, Ipswich and local areas. Formed on 1 July 2018, ESNEFT is the largest NHS organisation in the region. This Trust is FANTASTIC for IMG’s as they are usually able to work across the two main sites meaning competencies and exposures for CESR applications can be signed off with ease!

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Facts about Colchester

• Britain’s first city, Colchester, has the oldest town walls in Britain and was built by the Romans; about a mile of the wall is still there.

• Colchester United play their home games at Colchester Community Stadium and has a capacity of 10,105.

• Roman Colchester had the only known Roman Chariot Racing Arena in Britain. 470 metres long and 75 metres wide it housed up to 15,000 spectators. 

• It's home to the 11th best zoo ... in the world!

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Cost of Living in Colchester

Cost of Renting Accommodation per month in Colchester

One-Bedroom Apartment in the City Centre	£650.00
One-Bedroom Apartment outside of the City Centre	£683.00
Three-Bedroom Apartment in the City Centre	£1,150.00
Three-Bedroom Apartment outside of the City Centre	£1,151.67

Transportation

1ltr Petrol	£1.53
One-Way Public Transport Ticket	£2.00
Monthly Public Transport Ticket	£60.00
1km Taxi Journey	£1.34

Entertainment

Meal out for two in a local pub	£16.50
Meal out for two in a mid-range restaurant, 3 courses	£46.50
Cinema tickets for one person	£13.50
One-month gym membership	£28.48
Tennis court rental for 1 hour on the weekend	£20.00
Beer 0.5ltr bottle	£3.70
Coke/Pepsi 0.33ltr bottle	£1.18
Cappuccino	£1.19

Time It Takes to Travel by Train from Colchester to Cities in the UK

City	Time it Takes to Travel
London	1 Hour
Bristol	1 Hours 35 Minutes
Cardiff	1 Hour 48 Minutes
Manchester	3 Hours 49 Minutes
Newcastle	4 Hours 33 Minutes
Birmingham	3 Hours 9 Minutes
Liverpool	4 Hours 5 Minutes
Edinburgh	6 Hours

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Education in Colchester

According to the government website, Colchester has 42 primary schools and 15 Secondary schools. It hosts a variety of schools, from faith schools to schools with high end special needs facilities. To find out more information about term dates, applications, standards, curriculum and general education, visit the gov.uk website.

The University of Essex is a public research university in Essex, England. Established in 1963 and welcomed students in 1964. The Universities two main aims are – excellence in education and excellence in research. This means that whatever you may study you’ll be getting transformational Education through research-led teaching.

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Things to do in Colchester:

Colchester Zoo

Home to around 180 species and set in 60 acres of parkland and lakes, Colchester Zoo hosts many different habitats, from the humid home of our Komodo Dragons to our very own Africa plain, Kingdom of the Wild, home to white rhino, giraffes, ostrich, zebra and kudu.

Colchester Castle Park

Colchester Castle Park is situated to the north east of Colchester Town Centre and is divided into the Upper Park and Lower Park by the Roman Wall that crosses through it east to west. The park spans an area of 11 hectares and is listed Grade II in the English Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Importance.

Electric Gamebox Essex

Experience an immersive and social phenomenon, Electric Gamebox South Bank! Who said screen time always had to be anti-social? With group-gaming it’s a fantastic family activity.

Colchester Castle Museum

At Colchester Castle Museum follow in the footsteps of Roman soldiers. explore over 2000 years of some of the most important events in British history in this magnificent Castle!

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Relocating to Colchester

If you’re an international doctor looking to relocate to Colchester, or another location in the UK, please email your CV to [email protected] and we can support you in securing an NHS post and on your journey to relocate to the UK.

Are you a member of our Facebook group? When you join IMG Advisor, you join a community of doctors all looking to relocate to the UK and join the NHS. We post a series of vlogs and blogs to the group every day. We will also be on hand to answer all of your relocation queries.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel! We have over 60 videos on everything you need to know about relocating to the UK and joining the NHS!

Listen to BDI Resourcing on the go to IMG Advisor the Podcast. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and Buzzsprout. We have a number of episodes with tips and advice on relocating to the UK and the routes you can take to achieve this.