The Colchester Gnome Trail is now live! Explore Colchester City Centre to find all 30 gnomes dotted around in different businesses. Take photos of your favourite and share them with us at @InColchester! 🎨
Garden Festival Gnome Hunt
We've compiled a list of Gnome details for you to read through below. Use this guide to learn more about each Gnome and their varied backgrounds! Included below is;
- Gnome Name
- Gnome Bio
- Gnome Location
You can also find the Gnome Trail worksheet below! This has a map to help you explore Colchester, an area to design your own gnome, and solve the puzzle to find the secret word!
Download the Worksheet here
Large Gnomes
Good Vibes
By Chloe Good
Living his best life and maintaining good vibes no matter what! From chilling by the pond to planting carrots in his veg patch, there's no stress and everything cool when he's around.
Find me at Castle Inn Pub (Once I'm back off of my holiday!)
Frostbite Fred
By Mercury Theatre
Fred is one of the few gnomes that tour as a penguin! He performs on stage as a penguin throughout the year, but is super busy around Christmas time. He's recently been in the Blizzard of Oz, Phantom of the Flippers, Blithe Penguin, Beak Expectations, and Lord of the Wings. He's looking forward to playing Polo the Penguin in this year's Mercury Pants, Sleeping Beauty!
Find me at Bill and Berts
Sunny the Bee
By Jess Walker
Sunny loves buzzing around gardens finding beautiful bright flowers. They love all of the floral displays in the City Centre at the moment. Do you have flowers in your garden Sunny could visit?
Find me at Bills
Wilber
by Darren Lingley
Wilber is fully aware he has fallen out of favour with humans, but know they still need him and his knowledge of nature and all things grow, creep, crawl and zip through the sky.
Find me at Red Lion Books
Jerome
by Chloe Bain
Jerome is in a Beatles cover band, embracing the spirit of the 60's, spreading peace, love and rock'n'roll wherever he goes.
Find me at Office
Heath
By Sophie Mann
The 'wallflower' & master of disguise. Heath loves all of the beautiful flowers that grow in his cottage garden, he is however a little shy so he came up with a plan to paint himself into floral camouflage to blend in with his favourite home grown. The problem is the bumble bees are now often bumping into him!
Find me at Tymperleys
Apollo Gnomicus
by Juliet Townsend
Apollo is a distant relative of the Ancient Greek Sun God of the same name. He likes to recite gnomic poetry as he struts around Castle Park, and he is a bit of a show off!
Find me at Waterstones
Gnomi Campbell
By The Outhouse Craft
Strutting their way through the trail, Gnome Campbell is here to bring some ferocity to the Garden Festival. Believing you should live life with as much colour as a beautiful garden, they believe and encourage everyone to be themselves... gnome matter what!
Find me at Level Best
Splat
by Lee Connelly
In the village of Messybrook, there was a paint shop run by a charming, slightly messy gnome called Splat. His paint-streaked overalls and colourful splatters added to the shop's unique charm. Despite the chaos, customers adore Splat's warm spirit and the magical masterpieces he creates.
Find me at Caffe Med
Bernard the Troublesome
by Grant Owens & John Mansell
Bernard is the troublesome gnome. He's always covered in paint because he is always getting into trouble!
Find me at Best Days Vintage
Small Gnomes
Tim
By Carnell (8)
Tim lives in the garden outside the timber shed. But one day he got taken by a little boy and got lost in a huge park near a river. Tim has now got a long journey to find his way back home. Lot's of adventures on the way back, what will they be?
Find me at Robert Dyas
Unknown Gnome
By Mystery Painter (?)
Not much is known about the Unknown Gnome, but legend says that they are super rare! Try to find the Unknown Gnome and study their behaviour - are they mischievous or behaving themselves? What can you learn about this Unknown Gnome?
Find me at The Works
Gnobbiele
By Abigail (7)
Lost in a paint factory for several years, victims of a paint party, Gnome enjoys finger-painting, snowmen building and fishing. Gnome doesn't have a wheelbarrow but dreams of sitting in a nice garden, maybe a pond.
Find me at Wilko
Willow
By Willow (4)
Willow's favourite holiday is staying in a caravan near the beach. She likes building sand castles. She likes throwing pebbles in the water.
Find me at Lush
Juliana
By Melanie (12)
Juliana grew up in Wales and emigrated here to Colchester with her family pet rhino, Rinne.
Find me at Lush
Peaches
by Fleur (4)
My gnomes likes being in a caravan on holiday. She likes playing with her friends at the disco.
Find me at River Island
Ghost Spider
By Chloe (6)
Ghost Spider is a super gnome who lives at web quarters with her best friend Spidey and Spin.
Find me at Clarks
Geoffrey
by Riley (7)
Geoffrey has been running around causing mischief in Colchester.
Find me at Roots and Grooves
Bella
By Olive (8)
Bella likes going to the park with her friends and riding on horses, and when she is in the mood she will dance in the rain.
Find me at Loofers
Rainbow Nuck
By Freya-Louise (2) & Emily-Rose (4)
Rainbow Gnome is waiting for a picnic with his gnome friends in the forest.
Find me at Pirate and Princess
Dorothy
By Aamina (11)
Dorothy was born in London, she was moved to a little cottage in Colchester where she met her best friend Juliana. She's part Gnome and part Smurf.
Find me at Essex Library
Vanilla
By Felicity (4)
Once upon a time, Vanilla met a fairy and was asked,"Do you want to come to my campsite?". She said,"Yes I do". "And then, after the campsite do you want to go for a sleepover?", said Vanilla. The Fairy said, "Yes Please". Now they are best friends and the next time they had a sleepover at Fairy's house.
Find me at It's all at No.11
Annie
By Yvie (10)
Annie lives in a tree and eats carrots. She has adventures with gardeners and her car is a potato. Annie is adventurous and steals food in the kitchen of random people's houses. Sometimes she gets caught but stays really still so people think she is a statue.
Find me at The Deli
Sterling
By Cameron (8)
Sterling is the best gnome footballer, he scores all the goals. He is a good team player.
Find me at Moors Health & Beauty
Jimmy
By Ronnie (9)
Jimmy loves to play football and loves to live in a caravan.
Find me at The Salvation Army
Daddy
By Emily (4)
Daddy lives on a space station in his spare time. He plays games. His favourite is Roblox. He protects the world from monsters.
Find me at Hollytrees Museum
Bobina
By Arthur (2)
Bobina was feeling lonely and wanted to find some friends. She went on an adventure and covered herself in the brightest colours so you could find her.
Find me at Just Essentials
