Coronation events announced as first step towards reopening Nottingham Castle

Nottingham City Councillors have given the go-ahead for Nottingham Castle to reopen its gates to the public in June. The plans include a weekend marking the King’s Coronation which will allow people to return to the site for the first time since last November.

The Government 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 announced that Coronation Day Picnic and Celebration Concert events will take place in the grounds of Nottingham Castle on Saturday, May 6 and Sunday, May 7.

The Coronation of King Charles III will be broadcast on a giant screen in the castle grounds on the Saturday, where visitors will be invited to have a picnic. The grounds will be open on Sunday for the screening of the Coronation Concert which will be broadcast live from the grounds of Windsor Castle and featuring top international acts.

There will be free open days taking place in May with dates to be confirmed. The events will take place along with the reopening of the castle grounds and Brewhouse Yard cottages. The Brewhouse Yard cottages have not been open to the public since the castle redevelopment.

The days will have medieval re-enactments, archery and storytelling below the castle from those who lived in the cottages. Visitors will be able to book cave tours and this will be a chance to enjoy the grounds for free. There will be more information available online about what the plans will look like along with volunteering and job opportunities.

Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture & Planning, Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis, said: “It’s great to be able to announce that Nottingham Castle will open again very soon and I’m really excited to see it once again play an important part in the life of the city and be a focal point for celebrations.

“The events we have lined up ahead of the full reopening are a great chance for people to reconnect with the site. 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.”

Peter Knott, Midlands Area Director for Arts Council England, said: “We’re pleased to hear 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 welcome the news that Nottingham City Council have announced that gates to Nottingham Castle will re-open in June. 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.”

The castle closed in November last year after the castle trust announced it was to be placed into liquidation just 18 months after it reopened following a £30m revamp. In a statement, they said it was “saddened and hugely disappointed” to be closing. It was proposed that lessons would need to be learned concerning the castle’s rapid reclosure to avoid the same mistakes happening again.