List of tallest buildings and structures in Colchester

List of tallest buildings in Colchester ranks the tallest buildings and structures within the English city of Colchester, Essex. The tallest building in the city are the University of Essex North & South Towers, at 141 feet.

One of the earliest tall structures in the area is Layer Marney Tower, built in the early 16th century. Standing at approximately 24 metres (80 feet), this is the tallest Tudor gatehouse in Britain.^[1]

The Jumbo Water Tower, completed in 1883, is one of Colchester’s most recognizable landmarks. Rising to a height of 40.1 metres (131 feet), the red-brick water tower was built to support the town’s growing infrastructure during the Victorian era. Named “Jumbo” due to its elephantine size, the tower played a crucial role in water distribution for many years. Today, it remains an important piece of local heritage, with ongoing discussions about its future use.^[2][3]

The tallest buildings in Colchester today are the North and South Towers at the University of Essex, standing at approximately 43 metres (141 feet) tall. Constructed in the 1960s as part of the university’s expansion, these 14-story towers were designed to accommodate the growing student population.^[4][5]

Rank	Name	Use	Image	Height (m)	Year
1	North & South Towers (University of Essex)	Residential		43	1960
2	Jumbo Water Tower	Water Tower		40.1	1883
3	Layer Marney Tower	Multiple uses		24	1523

1. ^ "Layer Marney Tower". www.visitcolchester.com. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
2. ^ admin (2023-12-05). "The Jumbo Project | Projects". North Essex Heritage. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
3. ^ "Jumbo Water Tower". www.visitcolchester.com. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
4. ^ "University of Essex Towers, Colchester". Stanley Bragg Architects Limited. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
5. ^ https://www.essex.ac.uk/-/media/documents/accommodation/welcome-pack-colchester-north-south-campus.pdf