Nottingham Castle to reopen with £1 tickets as Robin Hood storms the gates

Robin Hood is set to storm the gates of Nottingham Castle to celebrate the official reopening this month.

The historic attraction has been largely shut to the public since November 2022 when Nottingham Castle Trust, which ran the site, went into liquidation.

Visitors can join the fabled outlaw and his merry band when the castle gates swing open once again on Monday June 26.

Special £1 tickets will be available for the reopening or visitors can buy a new £12 annual ticket that allows unlimited admission for a year.

Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis, Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for leisure, culture and planning, 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.”

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.

Many visitors had previously criticised the attraction as poor value for money when it reopened after a £31m redevelopment in 2021 with a new visitor centre, adventure playground and café.

Nottingham Castle will relaunch a new temporary gallery and experiences, not yet seen by visitors within the site since its redevelopment.

It includes the newly reinvigorated Brewhouse Yard that showcases the life of Nottingham through the ages from the 1500s to 1900s.

As part of the 75^th 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 will be available until the end of October.

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 reopening can pre-book a £1 ticket in advance via the castle’s website on a first-come, first-served basis. Visitors will need to enter the castle grounds between 1am and 12pm and can then enjoy the site for the rest of the day.

Peter Knott, Midlands Area Director for Arts Council England, said: “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.”

Children under 15-years-old can enter for free when accompanied by a paying adult.

The new admission scheme will include access to the castle grounds and museum, Brewhouse Yard Cottages, Robin Hood Adventures and the Rebellion Galleries, the council said.

Cave tours of Mortimer’s Hole and King David’s Dungeon will be available at a further £5 per person and the council says it will continue to develop a programme of events and exhibitions throughout the year.