Reopening of a 900-year-old landmark delayed again

Work on Norwich Castle Keep in Norfolk started in 2020 and was due to be completed in 2023

The reopening of a 900-year-old landmark following a multi-million pound renovation has been delayed again.

Norwich Castle Keep in Norfolk was due to open before the summer following a £15m refurbishment, but the date has now been pushed back to the end of the year according to the Norwich Evening News.

The Grade I listed keep in the centre of the city has been renovated to create an immersive experience of Norman living. Work began in 2020 and included developing a new glass atrium, shop and educational areas.

Robin Hanley, the assistant head of museums at Norfolk Museums Service, said: "We have a real duty of care to ensure... we are making the right decisions."

The Royal Palace Reborn project is a £15m refurbishment to renovate some areas of Norwich Castle, including the Keep, which has been partly supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The museum said the ambition was to see the Keep's renovations completed in 2023, however the Covid pandemic and delays in obtaining materials pushed this date back.

In an interview with Martha Kearney for BBC Radio 4's Today programme on 27 February Dr Tim Pestell, the senior curator of archaeology at Norwich Castle, said rising costs had also added to the delays.

He said that the museum was in touching distance of the finish, "we don't know the exact date but we do know it's the summer".

'Respecting the building'

Robin Hanley, assistant head of museums at the castle, said everyone was "working hard" to complete the project

Mr Hanley, however, described the project as "really challenging".

"Whilst it has been in use for 900 years people haven't been good about recording the changes they have been making.

"We've made discoveries that have then required us to change our approach, because this project is very much around respecting the building and doing anything we can to mitigate impacts."

He added some of the project's set backs have come after workers discovered unrecorded features and concealed areas of historical architecture.

"We are obviously working as hard as we can to get the site opened to our visitors... experience on this project tells us we never quite know what's around the corner."

Whilst the new entrance and glazed atrium is due to open this summer, Mr Hanley said the museum had been "working hard" to complete the rest of the project this year.