Colchester is the oldest known Roman town and is undoubtedly one of the oldest settlements in Britain, with some historians believing it to date as far back as AD77. Today, it's a thriving Essex market town with a population of around 105,000 people. Colchester's medieval heritage can still be clearly seen in the ruins of its castle and Augustine Priory - known as St Botolph's Priory. The town has been a major army garrison since the Roman era and remains home to several units of the British Army today.

Attractions for visitors to Colchester include Colchester Castle, which has its own museum showing how life might have been in Roman Colchester. Colchester Zoo - located on the outskirts of the town - is also popular, as is the East Anglian Railway Museum, located a few miles away at Chappel and Wakes Colnes Railway Station.

The area around Colchester is also noted for its historic and scenic beauty - many of the villages painted by John Constable were located in the nearby Dedham Vale, leading to the nickname 'Constable Country'.

As befits such a large, busy town, van hire is readily available in Colchester. Local van rental companies provide a comprehensive range of hire vans covering all popular types of van:

• Medium / short wheelbase vans - e.g. Ford Transit, Vauxhall Vivaro, Renault Trafic, Volkswagen Transporter
• Small vans - e.g. Vauxhall Combo, Ford Transit Connect, VW Caddy
• Large / long wheelbase vans - e.g. Mercedes Sprinter XLWB, Ford Transit LWB, Renault Master, LDV Maxus
• Luton vans & box vans (3.5 tonne / 3.5t).