Via Purcell
After a turbulent few years and an extensive renovation, England’s Nottingham Castle has announced it’s closing its doors for good.
Despite spending £33m on a revamp of the site led by Purcell Architects– which included a new visitor centre, play area, and updated galleries – just 18 months ago, the castle‘s trust announced on 21 November 2022 that it’s entering liquidation after visitor numbers failed to reach hoped-for levels with a notice on its website.
Nottingham Castle, which occupies the Castle Rock promontory in the centre of the city, dates back 1,000 years. Not much of the original Norman castle survives, however, sections of the mediaeval remnants can be seen in the Victorian reconstruction of the current building. The man-made caves, which date back hundreds of years and run beneath the castle and city centre, were also made accessible as part of the award-winning revamp by Purcell Architects.
It’s unclear what will happen to the site, which is home to a significant art collection including pieces by Laura Knight, Richard Parkes Bonington, Grayson Perry and Yinka Shonibare. However, the city council has vowed the castle will open its doors again. Watch this space.
