Nottingham Castle: When you can visit, Coronation events, and history

Nottingham Castle will reopen its gates to the public later this year, city councillors revealed earlier this week. This guide breaks down visitor information, Coronation events, the history of the castle and more.

The castle will reopen its gates to the public in May and plans include a weekend to mark the King’s Coronation. After having closed its doors since November last year, Nottingham Castle has big plans to celebrate the occasion, which ties in with its reopening.

Back in November, Nottingham Castle shut its doors after its trust fell into liquidation. This happened a year after a £33 million makeover failed to increase the number of visitors.

A Nottingham Castle Trust spokesperson said visitors were “significantly below” the projected 300,000 a year, following the three-year renovation. Here’s a breakdown of when you can visit Nottingham Castle when it reopens.

Coronation 2023

Nottingham Castle will host several events to mark the Coronation of King Charles III in May. The events will take place from Saturday, May 6 to Sunday, May 7.

Coronation Day Picnic

On Saturday May 6, Nottingham Castle will invite people to have a picnic in celebration of the Coronation. It will see people return to the Castle for the first time since its doors were shut in November.

Coronation broadcast

The Coronation of King Charles III will then be broadcast on the big screen in Nottingham Castle on the big day. To celebrate, there will also be a screening of the Coronation Concert live from the grounds of Windsor Castle, which features top international acts on the Sunday.

Visiting Nottingham Castle

If you want to visit Nottingham Castle when it reopens, there will be an opportunity to do so before the official reopening. There are several free open days scheduled to take place in May, however, exact dates are to be confirmed.

These events form part of the reopening of the castle grounds as well as Brewhouse Yard cottages. Mediaeval re-enactments, archery and storytelling will tell the history of the castle and those who lived in the cottages.

Although exact details have yet to be confirmed, the open days will take place on the Coronation weekend. Visitors will be able to book cave tours and enjoy the grounds for free.

Nottingham Castle facts

Why was Nottingham Castle destroyed?

While the history of Nottingham Castle is strongly associated with Robin Hood, there’s more history to it. This includes the day Nottingham Castle was almost destroyed by a fire on October 12, 1831.

An angry mob stormed through Nottingham Castle and burned it to the ground. This became known as the Riot of 1831, sparked after the House of Lords rejected the Reform Bill.

The Reform Bill would have given people more voting rights. When it was rejected, riots took place across the country – and Nottingham Castle became one of many casualties in the riots.

Who owned Nottingham Castle?

Before it was destroyed, Nottingham Castle was a key stronghold for Kings and Queens. First built in 1069 shortly after the invasion of William the Conqueror, its wooden structure was rebuilt three years later with stone.

The monarchy, including Henry II, owned the castle, though he was shortly followed by Richard I, also known as Richard the Lionheart. The Robin Hood legend was born from this time.

In 1194, Richard successfully reclaimed the castle after his brother, John, took it from him when Richard had left to fight the crusades. This marked the only time the castle fell to an attacking army.

Later on, James I sold the castle to the Earl of Rutland. Under his son Charles I’s ruling, the part of history that led to the Reform Bill started.