The Nottingham Castle Transformation project took a significant step forward this month with the submission of the round two funding bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
If secured, this funding will play a huge part toward establishing the site as a world-class visitor destination, celebrating its unique and nationally-significant 1,000 year history with tales of power, protest and rebellion across the centuries. It forms a critical part of Nottingham City Council’s plans to develop the city centre.
An economic impact assessment has estimated that the project will generate an additional £90m of visitor spend in the local economy over 10 years, will create and sustain over 3,700 additional jobs through visitor spend, and generate a potential total visitor spend of £202m over a 10 year period.
The Castle site has 9.5 million people living in a 90 minute drive time catchment as well as potential for increased international tourists visiting the city due to the improved transport infrastructure.
A funding decision from the HLF is expected in November this year. Work is anticipated to begin on site in 2017.
(Pictured above - The Castle Transformation Project Team)
Councillor Trimble
Councillor Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture said: “Congratulations to the project team on completing this massive task. I am confident we have created a series of clear, comprehensive and very exciting plans for a project which can potentially bring the site alive, tell the key stories and legends and capture the imagination of many thousands of visitors in the years to come.”
1000 years of history
To celebrate the submission of the bid, the project team gathered figures representing the thousand years of history on the site.
These figures were played by local historical groups – The Household and A Touch of History, Nottingham City Council staff and by the team that has been responsible for compiling and submitting the bid.
Who are the characters we featured?
William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders
William the Conqueror… Ordered
the building of the very first wooden Castle structure in 1067, the year after
the Battle of Hastings
Matilda of Flanders… Wife of William the
Conqueror and, as
such, Queen of
England who bore William
nine or ten children who survived to adulthood, including two kings, William II and Henry I
Robin Hood, the Sheriff of Nottingham and Friar Tuck
Robin Hood… Nottingham’s
heroic outlaw, famous for "robbing from the rich and giving to the
poor"
Sheriff of Nottingham… Always on hand to try and catch Robin Hood
and his band and bring them to justice.
Friar Tuck… Depicted as a
jovial friar and one of Robin's Merry Men. Tuck is found in ballads from as far
back as the 17th century
Sheriff of Nottingham
Sheriff of Nottingham… (Cllr Jackie Morris) An ambassador for Nottingham’s historic
associations and links with the legend of Robin Hood.
The Hutchinsons and the First Duke of Newcastle
Colonel Hutchinson… A
roundhead governor of Nottingham during the English Civil War. In 1649 he
applied to parliament to have the castle demolished to prevent it being used
again in war.
Lucy Hutchinson… Wrote
Memoirs of the Life of Colonel Hutchinson, a biography of her husband.
1st Duke of Newcastle (Left) – William
Henry Cavendish…Who built the present Ducal Mansion between 1674 and 1679. It was
erected on the foundations of the previous building.
Fourth Duke of Newcastle
4th Duke of Newcastle – Henry
Pelham-Clinton – Opposed to electoral reform which led to attacks on his
property during the Reform
Bill Riots of 1831 and Nottingham
Castle being burnt to the ground
William Elliott
William Elliott – first recorded as a stocking trimmer living
at Brewhouse Yard in 1732, the inventor of superior black cloth dye. This gave
him practically all the dyeing business in Nottingham and Leicester and made
him one of the richest men in Nottingham.
George Henry Wallace and family of today
(Left) George Henry Wallace – 1st Museum Director… In
charge on 3 July 1878 when the remodelled Ducal Palace was opened to the public
as a Museum of Fine Art.
Present Day family… The Hallam family - Looking
forward to Nottingham Castle being transformed into a world-class heritage
destination and discovering a thousand years of history