Nottingham Castle will re-open its doors on June 21 – almost three years since it closed to the public for a £30 million transformation designed to give the city a huge cultural and financial boost.
Nottingham City Council announced the date on Monday (April 19) after months of uncertainty caused by changing Covid-19 restrictions.
The opening date is the same as when ‘step four’ would start in the Government’s plan to ease restrictions – and marks the day all legal social contact rules are lifted.
If both go to plan, Nottingham will re-open its premiere tourist attraction and landmark cultural project on the same day almost all legal Covid-19 restrictions would be removed, including the re-opening of nightclubs.
The renewed castle experience is expected to boost regional, national and international visitor numbers from 222,000 to 400,000 in the first year of opening – with visitors spending a total of over £200 million in Nottingham over the next ten years.
Around 420 extra jobs a year are expected to be created in the city’s tourism and leisure sectors, along with 270 construction jobs and opportunities for 500 volunteers.
Sara Blair-Manning, Chief Executive of Nottingham Castle Trust, said: “Nottingham Castle has been transformed into a world-class heritage site; this is a highly-anticipated moment for fans of the Robin Hood legend, as well as for anyone planning to make the most of time with friends and family this summer.”
The new site includes a brand new visitors’ centre and Robin Hood Gallery – with modern technology including interactive animation telling the story of the outlaw.
Newly-developed grounds, galleries and exhibitions will also tell the story of the city as a place of political rebellion and industrial innovation.
The £30 million project has been funded by a range of sources including the Heritage Lottery Fund and development organisation D2N2.