The UK is old. Like, really old. So old in fact that we still have buildings that were around nearly 1000 years ago, and we’re still working to this day to keep these buildings around for another millennium. One such example is the 900-year-old Norwich Castle, which is just about to reopen after five years of renovation works.
The castle, which was built around a medieval keep, has had various uses throughout its long life. Originally a place for Norman-era royaly, it became a jail in the fourteenth century and remained that way until Victorian times when it was upgraded into a more secure, more modern prison. Since 1894 it’s been a museum, and throughout all that, the original keep remains.
That keep, however, has been shut since 2020 due to ongoing renovation works. It was originally due to reopen in 2023, but, like so many other projects which began just before the lockdown, it faced a few setbacks. Other than the year-long national shutdown, work had to be paused when Victorian and Norman features were discovered, and a leaky roof needed to be repaired.
View this post on Instagram
The refurbishment was funded by a £13 million National Lottery Heritage Fund grant and, according to Norwich Castle, will give visitors the chance to ‘explore Henry I’s royal apartments, lavishly decorated with period-accurate furniture and textiles’ and enjoy ‘spectacular immersive audio-visual projections’ inside the Great Hall. The roof battlements and basement have also been made accessible with a new lift, meaning more people can enjoy the castle than ever before.
To top it all off, the museum will be home to over 900 artefacts in the new ‘Gallery of Medieval Life’, which is being set up in partnership with the British Museum and will be their only medieval collection outside of London.
A spokesperson for Norfolk Museums said that the group is ‘incredibly excited’ to welcome the public back to its ramparts, adding that ‘the keep has been completely reimagined as part of the project, bringing Norman England vividly back to life’.
All of this will open back up in just over a month’s time on August 7 2025, and those with museum passes will have access to priority booking from July 17. The rest of us will be able to book our tickets from July 24, and you can plan your visit here.
Makeovers and renovations across the UK
Norwich Castle isn’t the only attraction getting a little bit of TLC at the moment. The SS Great Britain in Bristol is also about to get a £1 million revamp, and these old pubs have been regenerated and named amongst the most gorgeous pubs in the country. This old mill at John O’Groats, the northernmost point in the country, also recently gotten a serious makeover.
Have a look at the bonkers northern cathedral that was just awarded Grade I listed status.
Plus: The northern attraction crowned the UK’s museum of the year 2025.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.