The University of Essex is a British plate glass university. It received its Royal Charter in 1965. The university's main campus is located at Wivenhoe Park on the outskirts of Colchester (the oldest recorded town in Britain) in the English county of Essex, less than a mile from the town of Wivenhoe. Apart from the Wivenhoe Park campus, there are campuses in Southend and Loughton, home of the East 15 Acting School.