Andrew Phillips says goodbye to the Victorian Garrison

"The redevelopment of our garrison is the largest public/private initiative in Britain. Soon 3,000 new dwellings will house 9,000 people overlooking the Abbey Field, forming the Abbey Field urban Village... The challenge to get it right is huge..." This is Colchester historian Andrew Phillips writing in yesterday's edition of the Essex County Standard. His article, which includes the story of the Victorian cavalry barracks, together with some interesting photos, argues that current attention on the St Botolph's Quarter redevelopment could easily obscure what's happening on Abbey Fields from public gaze. Go to the Garrison section of the Renaissance of Colchester website for an outline of the plan. For location of Abbey Fields, see map, waymark 19. See MS Virtual Earth shot of site here (best in Explorer or Firefox).