A plan to reopen Nottingham Castle in June has been given the go-ahead by councillors, it has been announced, and locals will be able to visit the site even sooner.

The castle was put back into the hands of the City Council after Nottingham Castle Trust went into liquidation, forcing the site to close in November 2022, less than two years after a £30m refit.

A decision was taken by the Council’s Executive Board on March 21 to work towards reopening the whole site in June as part of its Museums and Galleries service. Plans put to councillors included mothballing the site, and the now confirmed reopening plan.

Nottingham Castle closes as trust goes into liquidation

Following the decision, details of some preview events in May have been revealed, beginning with a weekend marking the King’s Coronation.

The Government has confirmed Nottingham will be one of a number of places around the country to host screenings of the Coronation and the Coronation Concert. The City Council now plans a Coronation Day Picnic and Celebration Concert events within the grounds over the weekend of May 6 and 7 2023.

The Coronation will be broadcast on a large screen within the castle grounds, where visitors will be invited to bring a blanket and have a picnic, and the grounds will be open again for the screening of the Coronation Concert.

Free Open Days are also planned in May, alongside the launch of the historic Brewhouse Yard cottages, open for the first time since before the castle’s redevelopment.

Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture & Planning, Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis, said: “This is a site which belongs to the whole of Nottingham and I’m hopeful that our approach, which draws on our successful experience of running Wollaton and Newstead, will first and foremost meet with local approval.

“I have no doubt that Nottingham Castle can also become a destination of national and international importance, just as we had envisaged when the £31m of improvements were completed.”

Robyn Llewellyn, Director, England, Midlands & East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, added: “We are glad to hear of the council’s plans to hold preview events from May ahead of the full re-opening, and are heartened that visitors can enjoy this important beacon of the region’s rich cultural heritage once more.”

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