Colchester in Essex, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)
The Colchester Southway Subway Murals
Henry and Joyce Collins
Photographed by Ray Gurganus, April 17, 2026
1. The Colchester Southway Subway Murals Marker
The Artists
The husband and wife team of Henry Collins (1910-94) and Joyce Pallot (1912-2003) lived and worked in Colchester. They used innovative techniques to work with concrete and mosaic, and were commissioned to make murals in public spaces across the UK. The Southway Murals are important examples of their early work.
Colonia
This Roman Centurion is Marcus Favonius Facilis, a centurion of the 20th Legion which was based at Colchester from AD 43 to 49. He died a few years after the invasion of Britain and was buried in a cemetery located alongside the main road to London. His tombstone can now be seen in Colchester Castle Museum.
Henry Collins and Joyce Pallot in 1969 with Sainsbury's Mural PHOTO KEITH MRAMS A series of roundels and coins marking significant points in Colchester's history were designed for use in all the subways.
Those used here are:
• An ear of corn from a coin minted by King Cunobelin who made Colchester (Camulodunum) his capital in the late Iron Age
• Head of the Roman Emperor Claudius
this page online
• A Roman galley with an oyster which was a popular food in Roman times
The Restoration
The murals were restored in 2017 through a collaborative project between Colchester Civic Society and Colchester in Bloom using the expertise of specialists Orbis Conservation.
There are murals across the Southway subways. For further information and a location map please visit: www.henryandjoycecollins.co.uk
Erected by Colchester Civic Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music.
Location. 51° 53.192′ N, 0° 53.975′ E. Marker is in Colchester, England, in Essex. It can be reached from the intersection of St. John’s Walk and Abbeygate Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Colchester, England CO2 7HA, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Greater South East. Globally, it is on the Atlantic Ocean, in the North Atlantic Region, in Europe, in Atlantic Europe, on one of the British Isles, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically,
Photographed by Ray Gurganus, April 17, 2026
2. The Colchester Southway Subway Murals
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: St John's Abbey Gatehouse (about 150 meters away, measured in a direct line); St Botolph's Churchyard (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); St Botolph's Priory (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); a different marker also named St Botolph's Priory (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Priory Street Bastion 5 (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Catherine Marsh (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Forebuilding and Chapel (approx. half a kilometer away); Main Entrance (approx. half a kilometer away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Colchester.
Photographed by Ray Gurganus, April 17, 2026
3. The Colchester Southway Subway Murals
Credits. This page was last revised on November 3, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2026, by Ray Gurganus of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 18, 2026, by Ray Gurganus of Washington, District of Columbia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
