COLCHESTER’S hidden Roman heritage will be unveiled to the public for the first time as part of plans to re-shape Queen Street.

Colchester Council plans to turn the existing First bus depot into the Wonderhouse.

The council bought the depot in December and design work has already started to turn it into a state-of the-art museum.

The Gazette has been given exclusive access to the depot – which was built in the Thirties – and the land to the east of it, which includes a hidden section of the Roman Wall and a medieval bastion, both of which can only be seen from Priory Street car park.

Tom Hodgson, Colchester Museum manager, said: “This will open up what has actually gone unseen in recent years. The Roman Wall, from the depot side, and the bastion will be opened up to people really for the first time. The people who work here will walk past it every day, but perhaps won’t know its significance.”

Mr Hodgson said the medieval bastion was built in about 1300, but has been blocked by an industrial fuel tank, rendering it virtually unseen for decades.

As part of the plans, both will be exposed for the first time and will form part of the ground floor of the new building, which will also have space for six shops and a cafe, with outdoor seating.

The museum will be mainly based on the first floor and will become home to hundreds of artefacts which are not on show in Colchester Castle, including artwork and Roman and medieval items.

Tim Young, Colchester councillor responsible for culture, said: “This is Colchester’s heritage and it should be open to everyone.

“This will create a tourist route from the town train station, through St Botolph’s Priory, to the Wonderhouse and then up to the castle. What we will be saying to people is ‘this is what we have to offer’ and I’m excited about that.”

Mr Hodgson also said although hundreds of items will be on show, they will “just be the tip of the iceberg” as there are thousands of items stored at the Museum Resource Centre, in Ryegate Road.

Anne Turrell, Colchester councillor responsible for regeneration, warned the project would not be completed quickly.

She said: “This is not something which will happen overnight – far from it – we could be dead by the time it is finished.

But it is something for the town.

This is Colchester’s heritage and it belongs to everyone.” The Wonderhouse is part of wider regeneration plans for the area, which also include a boutique cinema, bars, restaurants and cafes, a hotel and homes.

The council is seeking grant funding from a number of sources, including the Heritage Lottery Fund, which partly paid for the £4.2million refurbishment of Colchester Castle.