A group of children and adults stand in a field outside a village. One adult is using as Magnetometry machine to take readings.

Colchester YAC

Colchester YAC is open to everyone aged 8–16 years. YAC clubs get involved in all sorts of activities, including visiting and investigating archaeological sites and historic places, trying out traditional crafts, taking part in excavations, and lots more.

Colchester YAC usually meets at Roman Circus House from October to April and organises site visits during the summer months and sometimes September.

Contact: Sara Prince

Tel: 07941755185

Address: Roman Circus House, Roman Circus Walk, Colchester CO2 7BJ

Email: yac@catuk.org

Web: www.catuk.org/yac/

A team of volunteers runs the club: if you want to know more about how we recruit YAC volunteers and make sure children at YAC clubs are well looked after, check out our FAQs.

If you’d like to get involved with Colchester YAC, get in touch with the team using the details above.

Our meetings at Roman Circus House include finds which members have brought in to show us, which are identified and handled if appropriate. We then have a short visual presentation on a theme, for instance comparing the Egyptian civilisation with life in Britain for our “Human Life” timeline project. This is followed with a craft session, or if preferred board games. Aquila, which was devised by a local historian from a game found in the “druid’s” grave in Stanway, is particularly popular.

A group of young people kneel down in a field whilst another group of young people stand and talk to an adult with a metal detector.
Colchester YAC learn metal detecting techniques at Fordham with a volunteer from Colchester Archaeological Group.
Young people sat at a table drawing handprints onto black paper using colourful crayons to imitate cave art.
Colchester Young Archaeologists’ Club create cave paintings after watching a visual presentation of examples.
Young people sat around a table play the Roman boardgame 'Aquila' on wooden boards with blue and white counters.
Colchester YAC members play their favourite strategy game of Aquila.
A group of young people gather around a long table on which are washing up bowls of water. They use toothbrushes to wash archaeological objects such as tiles and bricks.
Find washing at Fordham – there is always a substantial amount of Roman brick and tile discovered on sites in and around Colchester.
A tray of archaeological objects including shells, bones, stones and a horseshoe.
A tray of objects brought in by members to be identified and handled.
A group of children and adults on a beach at low-tide. Some are looking down at the wet sand whereas others are pointing up at high sandstone cliffs behind them.
Colchester YAC go beach combing and fossil hunting at Walton-on-the-Naze.
Some old red and grey tiles, some with gold-coloured designs, are visible on the ground through some grass. A young person's feet and legs can be seen next to the tiles and their hand points to them.
A member of Colchester YAC identifies medieval tiles by a ruined column in St Botolph’s Priory church.