Crane at Norwich Castle being dismantled after four years

Now work has begun to dismantle the crane which has towered over the historic site during that time.

A second, even taller crane, was moved into position at the base of the castle mound on Thursday (November 28) for the work.

The gib of the crane was removed and placed down in Castle Gardens (Image: Dan Grimmer)

Morgan Sindall, the contractors working on behalf of Norfolk County Council have begun the task of taking the huge crane to pieces.

A workman gets the crane ready for dismantling (Image: Denise Bradley)

At just before 2pm they hoisted down the jib of the huge crane, to lay down and dismantle in the Castle Gardens.

The dismantling process will continue into tomorrow.

The jib of the crane was laid down in Castle Gardens to be dismantled (Image: Dan Grimmer)

The £136ft crane, which was installed on the castle mound in September 2020, has been used to carry material in and out of Norwich Castle during its multi-million revamp.

The £27.5m Norwich Castle: Royal Palace Reborn project is recreating the Norman layout of the castle's keep, which will mean visitors can experience the building as it was in its medieval heyday.

Workmen on the crane as it is dismantled from the Castle Museum site (Image: Denise Bradley)

The National Lottery-funded project has been hit with complications, including the coronavirus pandemic and a shortage of 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.

The mobile crane is set up to help dismantle the crane from the Castle Museum site (Image: Denise Bradley)

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.

The rest of the museum has remained open during the work.

Earlier this summer, a new entrance hall, cafe and shop were opened, with new views of the wall of the keep opened up.

Council bosses hope the keep will reopen in spring next year.

Museum bosses hope, once the work is finished, the castle will attract 300,000 visitors every year, compared to 200,000 previously.

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.