Visitors invited to join his merry band and gain £1 entry to official reopening
Robin Hood is set to storm the gates of Nottingham Castle on Monday 26 June to reopen the site to the people of Nottingham and visitors from near and far.
And visitors can join his merry band to be part of the historic moment when the gates once again swing open as part of the official reopening. Visitors are welcomed and encouraged to join ahead of this with a special one-off ticket of £1, or using their ‘pay once, visit all year round’ ticket, which is valid from Monday 26 June.
Robin Hood will lead children from a local school in Nottingham through the gates shortly before 10am, with the Sheriff of Nottingham and city representatives in attendance. Visitors will be among the first to step inside Nottingham Castle’s Museum & Galleries this year.
On this day, visitors will discover all that Nottingham Castle has to offer for everyone. Following the site’s £31m redevelopment, with its new visitor centre and café at the entrance, a Hood’s Hideout adventure playground in the dry moat, as well as interpretative signage around the grounds to discover the site of the lost medieval castle. Inside the Museum & Galleries, the galleries offer modern, interactive experiences, including the Robin Hood Adventures and Rebellion Galleries and redesigned galleries for permanent collections of local art, crafts, and collections, alongside temporary or touring exhibitions.
Bringing new things to Nottingham from day one, Nottingham Castle will launch a new temporary gallery and experiences, not yet seen by visitors within the Nottingham Castle site since its redevelopment. It includes the newly reinvigorated Brewhouse Yard that showcases life of Nottingham through the ages from the 1500s to 1900s, and as part of the 75th anniversary of Windrush Day, the launch of ‘70 Objeks & Tings,’ brought to one of the Museum’s temporary galleries by Museumand (The National Caribbean Heritage Museum) working with Nottingham City Museums that will be available to the end of October too. There will also be a series of artist commissions and interventions on display around the museum, by Jemisha Maadhavji and Tim Fowler.
Visitors joining Nottingham Castle for its official opening on Monday 26 June will be eligible to pre-book a £1 ticket in advance, in a similar format to its recently sold-out grounds only preview days, on a first-come, first-served basis. Visitors will need to use their ticket to enter Nottingham Castle between 10am and 12pm and then are welcome to enjoy the Castle & Grounds all day. Booking in advance is available here: www.nottinghamcastle.org.uk/official-reopening
Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for leisure, culture and planning, Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis, said: “It’s fantastic that the day is coming soon for the castle gates to reopen to the public. It took a lot of effort, but we are proud to have delivered on our promise to reopen in June. I am delighted that the people of Nottingham will have the opportunity to access the whole castle site including Brewhouse Yard for just £1 as part of its opening.
“We have had great feedback from visitors so far that are excited about the breadth of the site available as part of the all-year-round standard admission ticket, which I believe offers exceptional value for visitors, near and far.”
Peter Knott, Midlands Area Director for Arts Council England, said: “We’re pleased that Nottingham Castle will soon be reopening its doors to visitors – it’s a great asset to the city and a place for people to celebrate the rich history and creativity of Nottingham.
“This much-loved visitor attraction is home to important museum collections, great art and unique historic buildings, and we look forward to it reopening with Nottingham City Council at the helm.”
Robyn Llewellyn, Director, England, Midlands & East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “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. We are heartened that visitors can enjoy this important beacon of the region’s rich cultural heritage once more.”
Advance bookings for the Standard Admission can also be made via the new Nottingham Castle website www.nottinghamcastle.org.uk/admission. The new admission arrangement will include access to the grounds, Brewhouse Yard Cottages, Robin Hood Adventures and Rebellion Galleries and the castle museum. Nottingham Castle continues to host the Museum of the Mercian Regiment, a regimental museum hosted on the site in a relationship dating back some 50 years, which celebrates the ancestor regiment raised at the Castle in the 18th C. Adults pay £12 once and visit all year, while accompanied children 15 years old and under go free with each paying adult (up to 3 children) – making it a great, affordable family-friendly day out.
The council will continue offering two fascinating cave tours – Mortimer’s Hole and King David’s Dungeon – at £5 per person – due to be available throughout the summer. The new Land Train will operate at weekends and during the peak holiday season. The council will develop a programme of events, exhibitions, gallery talks and school visits, and offer the site for events such as weddings and corporate functions.