Norwich Castle revival talk comes as our Castle rebuilds footfall
A Nottingham talk on the transformation of Norwich Castle comes as Nottingham Castle continues rebuilding confidence after its troubled reopening and council takeover, with visitor numbers now beginning to recover.
Morning briefing Nottingham
Temperature
5° to 14°C
Rain
Dry today
Wind
Gusts 35 mph
Sunset
20:50
Ride details Mixed conditions - strong winds
Recommended gear
- Windproof
- Gloves
- Light layers
Best times to ride
Very windy today
- 06 5°
- 09 8°
- 12 13°
- 15 14°
- 18 11°
- 21 10°
A talk in Nottingham today looks at the rebirth of Norwich Castle Keep, giving the city a chance to reflect on a castle revival story while its own Nottingham Castle continues rebuilding trust after troubled years.
Dr Tim Pestell, Senior Curator of Archaeology at Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery, will speak about the Norman keep’s £27m transformation. The project has recreated original rooms, fittings, and furnishings, and introduced a new Gallery of Medieval Life, developed with the British Museum.
The talk also comes shortly after Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery was shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026. Nottingham’s own castle story has been more complicated. Nottingham Castle reopened in 2021 after a £31m transformation, but closed again in 2022 after the trust running it went into liquidation. It reopened under council control in June 2023.
Since then, Nottingham City Council has been trying to rebuild the attraction through repeat-visit tickets, exhibitions, events, and a wider heritage offer. Council performance reporting says the Castle’s business plan remains on track, with 138,500 visitors recorded between April and November 2025.
The council has also started selling a Rover Ticket across Nottingham Castle, Wollaton Hall, and Newstead Abbey, turning the city’s heritage sites into more of a combined year-round offer. Councillor Sam Lux said in March that the pricing, including the new Rover Ticket, “offers excellent value for money and, importantly, helps protect our important Heritage.”
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Norwich Castle is currently in the awards-shortlist phase of its revival. Nottingham Castle is in a different phase: rebuilding confidence after a troubled reopening and proving that a major heritage attraction can work as a sustainable part of the city’s cultural life.
The Archaeology NOW Talk takes place at Djanogly Theatre today at 1pm. Tickets are £3.50, with free concessions, and the running time is one hour.
