Google Maps show how Colchester has changed in 10 years

The town is one of the fastest growing in the UK, with hundreds of millions of pounds worth of investment being made over the past decade.

We've taken a trip down memory lane using pictures from Google Street view taken in 2009 and 2019.

Take a scroll through our gallery below to see Colchester as you remember it.

Old bus station, off Queen Street, 2009

The site of the town's old bus station is nothing if not controversial.

In 2009 the facility was fully operational, and the main hub for buses in the town.

The bus station moved to the much-maligned new facility in Osbourne Street in 2011, much to the annoyance of many residents.

There was also the old waiting room, which was later turned into a popular entertainment and gig venue, called simply the Waiting Room, which is much missed by residents.

Old bus station, off Queen Street, 2019

Fast forward a decade and all of the remnants of the old bus station are gone.

The site is fenced off in preparation for redevelopment.

Alumno is set to build 336-student flats, a hotel and retail units on the site in hugely controversial proposals.

However the now world-renowned Firstsite is still at the heart of what is called the town's Cultural Quarter.

Colchester High Street 2009

One of the most famous views of Colchester is that of the town hall from the High Street.

This shot from 2009 shows some of the change which has taken place in the town's traditional shopping street within ten years, although not all that much to be honest.

McDonald's is still prominently situated in the same place but Millets is no longer there.

Colchester High Street 2019

Today Bill's restaurant is located just next to the town hall and Mountain Warehouse, although now closed, replaced Millets in the meantime.

This iconic view of the town has change relatively little in the last decade however.

Colchester Hospital 2014

Some of the biggest changes in Colchester have been seen at Colchester Hospital.

The hospital has been forced to change and grow to keep up with the growth of the town.

This shot from six-years-ago shows the hospital as it was then.

This was also the old bus route into the hospital, which changed recently as part of the total revamp of the hospital's main entrance.

Colchester Hospital 2019

The biggest addition shown in the photo is the Turner Diagnostic Centre, a state-of-the-art imaging centre which opened in 2018.

Just out of shot the new entrance has brought a WH Smith, Costa and M&S to the hospital, where tens of millions has been invested in the past decade.

Nayland Road 2009

We're no stranger to new housing developments in Colchester (cough) with thousands of new homes being built over the last decade.

One of the biggest development in recent years has been the Chesterwell development off Nayland Road, which will be well over 1,000 homes when finished.

This shot from 2009 shows a time before the entrance route to the massive new estate even existed.

Nayland Road 2019

Here you can see the new road into Chesterwell in Mile End.

Hundreds of houses are now complete and have created a huge urban extension to the north part of Colchester.

There have also been huge new developments nearby off Via Urbis Romanae, surrounding the old Severalls Hospital.

Queen Street 2009

Queen Street is known to many as the hub for Colchester's bustling nightlife, with its late night bars staying open, in normal times at least, well past midnight.

But the area is also in the town's cultural quarter and it has undergone huge redevelopment over recent years.

In 2009 the old Keddies department store building was replaced, becoming home to the town's Curzon cinema.

Business units have also been created for creative firms, but some of the properties still sit empty.

Queen Street 2019

Curzon coming to Colchester was something of a coup for the town, but the unit next door does not have a tenant.

Queen Street is set for further redevelopment, with the Alumno scheme at the town's old bus station, set to begin soon.

United Way 2009

The north part of Colchester, around Highwoods and Mile End, has seen a lot of development over the past decade.

This picture from 2009 shows United Way, where Colchester United play their home games, as it was back then.

The football stadium had only opened a year before, with the club moving from its beloved Layer Road ground.

United Way 2019

Look today and you'll see a sign of things to come for the area, with the David Lloyd gym now opposite the stadium.

The state-of-the-art Northern Gateway Sports Park is also just down the road and almost ready to open.

Although it has already changed, the area is set for more redevelopment soon, with a huge leisure complex being built opposite.

The Northern Gateway Leisure Park will have restaurants, a cinema, climbing centre and more and be located a stones throw from the stadium.

Hundreds of new homes are also set to be built at the Colchester Rugby Club's playing fields when the club moves to the new sports park.

Western Approach, Stanway, 2009

You'd be forgiven for not even recognising where in the borough this street view is from.

It is from Western Approach in Stanway, near to the Sainsbury's store.

Stanway has grown perhaps more than any other part of Colchester in the last decade, not least because of the development of the Tollgate area.

It looks like a relatively rural part of the area in this photo, quite a change from today.

Western Aproach, Stanway, 2019

Fast forward to today and you can see how much Stanway has grown.

On the left is the Stane Park Leisure site, which is home to the likes of Nandos and KFC.

On the right is the Sainsbury's, which when built was one of the largest in Britain.

Colchester High Street 2009

Another view of the high street from 2009, this time showing what was then the town's iconic Williams and Griffin department store.

The shop is one of the most famous in Colchester's history and just the name will bring back fond memories for many residents.

It looks a little different today.

Colchester High Street 2019

Fast forward ten years and Williams and Griffin is now Fenwick Colchester.

The store has been completely revamped and undergone a name change to bring it up to date with the times.

Some people probably still call it Williams and Griffin though.