Norwich Castle’s 900-year-old medieval keep is fully reopening tomorrow (13 August) following a five-year, multimillion-pound redevelopment.
The Grade I-listed keep at the centre of the castle has been renovated to transport visitors back 900 years in time to Norman England.
The £27.5 million project included reinstating and furnishing the original medieval floors and rooms, introducing new audiovisual (AV), immersive and interactive elements, and creating the new Gallery of Medieval Life in partnership with the British Museum.
In addition, the project included upgraded visitor facilities, such as a new shop, café and learning space, which opened in 2024.
Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum, said in a statement: “Norwich Castle keep was one of the most spectacular medieval palaces in Europe, so I can think of no more fitting place for the British Museum’s first medieval partnership gallery to be hosted.
“We are really proud to be part of this transformative project, which restores the keep to its former glory.”
UK’s most accessible castle reopens
After the redevelopment, Norwich Castle is now the UK’s most accessible castle, providing new lifts to transport guests to all five floors, from the basement to the rooftop battlements.
Additionally, multi-sensory elements allow visitors to interact with every space in the keep, while a tactile map supports guests with visual impairments.
Norwich Castle’s stone keep was completed by King Henry I, William the Conqueror’s son, in 1121. Over the years, it has served as a Victorian prison and a museum.
The castle site now contains the keep and a museum and art gallery, housed in the converted buildings of the Georgian-era prison.
Councillor Kay Mason-Billig, leader of Norfolk County Council, said: “Anyone who has visited the keep at Norwich Castle previously and now comes to see this wonderful redevelopment will be amazed.
“It now looks and feels like the medieval castle it once was following a painstaking and authentic redevelopment.”
Images courtesy of Norfolk Museums Service
