In 1884 the town suffered significant damage when it lay close to the epicentre of one of the most destructive UK earthquakes of all time – the 1884 Colchester earthquake . In 1890 , there was a population of about 2,000 mostly engaged in fishing for oysters and sprats and in ship and yacht building . A dry dock was built in 1889 and extended in 1904 , making it one of the largest on the East Coast ; it was demolished in the mid-1960s . In the 1960s , Wivenhoe Park was chosen as the location for the University of Essex
1884 Colchester earthquake
1884 Colchester earthquake
Wivenhoe