Nottingham Castle has been at the heart of a scandal, after it finally lowered its drawbridge in June 2021 despite three years of pain-staking work and huge governmental investment. It closed its gates to visitors after the trust that ran it went into liquidation — just 18 months after reopening following a £30 million revamp. In a statement, Nottingham Castle Trust said that it was ‘saddened and hugely disappointed’ to be closing.
The castle had an ambitious goal: to become a ‘world-class’ heritage site to rival the likes of York and Warwick. The castle, where according to folklore Robin Hood fought a final duel with the evil sheriff, was intended to have, among other things, a new ‘family friendly’ attraction devoted to the heroic outlaw.
Nottingham castle museum on castle rock
eye35 / Alamy Stock Photo
In reality, however, the grand reopening was marred by a spate of staff resignations and investigations. All attempts to rejuvenate the castle have failed, and the business has been left in financial turmoil, after wildly optimistic figures and general mismanagement.
Mortimer’s Hole, Nottingham Castle, Brewhouse Yard, Nottingham, England, U.K.
Mark Richardson / Alamy Stock Photo
The trust’s business plan was based on attracting 300,000 visitors a year. To put that in context, in 2021 — the year the castle reopened — even Westminster Abbey attracted only 163,000 visitors. Alongside this, the castle saw two chief executives exit in quick succession (one of whom has taken the trust to an employment tribunal, claiming unfair dismissal), as well as accusations from former employees of ‘an environment of fear’; a long-festering argument about an alleged racist incident in the castle’s grounds; and claims that the trustees lacked experience and expertise. The £13 entry fee was pitched, according to locals, much too high for a far-from-affluent city.
