Historic castle closed for repairs to Great Hall

Oakham Castle dates back to 1180 and was originally built as a manor house

Oakham Castle has closed for more than three weeks while essential maintenance and repairs are carried out.

Work to the interior of the Great Hall will shut the 12th Century castle, in Rutland, from Monday until 16 October.

Dating back to 1180, the castle was originally built as a manor house and was later heavily fortified with walls, a moat and a drawbridge.

Rutland County Council said the works, funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, would help preserve the castle for future generations.

Grounds remain open

The works will include replacing lime plaster and weatherproofing walls inside the Great Hall.

The castle is home to a collection of more than 200 commemorative horseshoes donated by monarchs and peers. Some of the horseshoes will be removed and rehung after the work is completed.

It closed between September 2015 and May 2016 for a £2.1m restoration project.

The closure allowed for the restoration of the Great Hall, improvements to the castle's heating and electrical systems, new footpaths and a new toilet block.

During the upcoming works, the grounds will remain open to visitors, but parking and public vehicle access will be unavailable.

Rutland County Council said the cafe closed at the end of business on Saturday and would reopen on 30 September.

The closure is necessary for health and safety reasons, it added.