Norwich Castle revamp hits milestone as new entrance opens

From Monday, visitors will be able to use the newly revamped route into the museum, revealing views of the building concealed for years.

The completed atrium entrance at Norwich Castle (Image: Denise Bradley)

The £18m Royal Palace Reborn project is returning the castle's keep to how it would have looked in 1121 when King Henry I may have stayed there.

And, as part of that National Lottery-funded project, the entrance area has been remodelled into a light-filled atrium, with a glass roof.

Previously hidden views of Norwich Castle's keep have been opened up (Image: Denise Bradley)

Through the glass, visitors can enjoy new views of the Norman keep and the Bigod Tower - the original entrance to the keep.

The ticket counter in the atrium at the new entrance to Norwich Castle (Image: Denise Bradley)

The new entrance, designed by architects Feilden + Mawson, is where visitors will buy tickets.

It also includes a new shop and a 60-seat restaurant - where visitors can tuck into food including the much-loved Castle Quiche - which all open on Monday.

The Castle quiche in the cafe at Norwich Castle (Image: Denise Bradley)

Work on the revamp began in the summer of 2020. Since it reopened following the Covid pandemic, visitors have had to go through a side entrance.

Museums catering manager Deirdre Baldry in the new cafe at Norwich Castle (Image: Denise Bradley)

Dr Robin Hanley, project director, said: "It's a really significant milestone which will transform the visitor offer here at Norwich Castle.

"Before this project, we had visitors come in who had a wonderful time in the museum, but never actually made their way into the castle keep itself.

The ticket counter, shop and cafe in the atrium at the new entrance to Norwich Castle (Image: Denise Bradley)

"This new entrance puts the keep front and centre and we think it will be a real 'wow' moment when they come in."

How the old entrance to Norwich Castle looked (Image: David Kirkham (Norfolk Museums Service))

The revamp includes restoring the original floor levels in the keep, with a recreated Great Hall and royal apartments of the Norman kings.

Work continues on the keep at Norwich Castle (Image: Denise Bradley)

Replica furniture is being made, while volunteers are hard at work on a tapestry which will adorn the King's chamber.

How the revamped Great Hall will look (Image: Haley Sharpe Design)

Two new lifts and a bridge will make the battlements fully accessible to all visitors, while a new medieval gallery will feature world-class objects loaned from the British Museum.

A Victorian-era staircase, from when Edward Boardman turned the building from a prison into a museum, has been turned around, to recreate the original way visitors would have entered the keep.

And a new glass bridge has been constructed, which will provide access to the keep for all, including wheelchair users.

The glass bridge for wheelchairs to access the upper level of the Norwich Castle (Image: Denise Bradley)

The completion of the revamp, being carried out by Morgan Sindall Construction, had been held up by the Covid pandemic and difficulties obtaining steel because of the war in Ukraine.

New discoveries during the work - including the remains of buildings from when it was a Georgian prison and previously concealed Norman features - caused further delays.

Because the building is Grade I-listed and Scheduled Ancient Monument, special permission has to be obtained before any work affecting the original fabric of the building can take place.

But museum bosses hope the construction work in the keep, which has seen a colossal 104ft crane on the castle mound for the past four years, will come to an end later this year.

Dr Robin Hanley (Image: Denise Bradley)

After that the keep will reopen and Dr Hanley hopes the castle will attract 300,000 visitors every year, compared to 200,000 previously.

He also hopes the new education centre will help the number of schoolchildren visiting go up from 20,000 to 30,000 a year.

The new entrance opens just in time for start of the school holidays.

Kay Mason Billig, leader of Norfolk County Council, celebrates the completion of the new entrance to Norwich Castle (Image: Denise Bradley)

Kay Mason Billig, leader of Norfolk County Council, said: "This is an important milestone in the Norwich Castle: Royal Palace Reborn project.

"The new entrance is not only a beautiful space which lifts the spirits as soon as you enter but is also a crucial upgrade to our facilities as we prepare to welcome more visitors than ever before in the castle’s history.

The new cafe at Norwich Castle (Image: Denise Bradley)

"It will play an important role in our ambition to establish Norwich Castle as a must-visit destination regionally, nationally and internationally."