Nottingham Castle will reopen under the operation of Nottingham City Council on Monday 26th June, it has announced.
Last year the council took over operations from Nottingham Castle Trust, after the former operator went into liquidation and the site was closed.
The closure came less than two years after the site’s £31m redevelopment, adding a new visitor centre and café at the entrance, an adventure playground, and interpretative signage around the grounds to discover the site of the lost mediaeval castle.
A decision was taken by the Council’s Executive Board in March to work towards reopening the whole site in June, to be managed directly by Nottingham City Council as part of its Museums and Galleries service.
Earlier this year a plan was revealed by the local council for a series of events at the castle ahead of its reopening.
The council has since held Coronation events and a sold-out Eurovision event at the grounds, alongside ‘sneak previews’ of the grounds ahead of a public reopening.
Once reopened to visitors next month, adults will pay £12 for 12 months of unlimited entry, while accompanied children of 15 years old and under go free with each paying adult. The fee is a pound less than the £13 12-month pass offered prior to its closure.
Admission will include access to the grounds, Brewhouse Yard Cottages, Robin Hood Adventures and Rebellion Galleries and the castle museum.
Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for leisure, culture and planning, Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis, said: “Nottingham without its castle is like Robin Hood without his merry men, so it’s going to be fantastic to have it back at the heart of our city’s life.
“We hope this announcement will come as welcome news, as we have endeavoured to listen to what visitors didn’t like about the Trust’s admission arrangements, and I believe the simpler pricing and exceptional value we are announcing will help to encourage visitors, near and far, to come back again and again.”
Robyn Llewellyn, Director, England, Midlands & East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, added: “Having supported the restoration and conservation of this very important historic site, we are looking forward to seeing Nottingham City Council re-open the gates to the Castle in June.
W’e are heartened that visitors can enjoy this important beacon of the region’s rich cultural heritage once more.”
