Castle given a lifeline from the Government to help it open again
POPULAR WEDDINGS, PRIVATE FUNCTIONS AND TOURS VENUE TO GET A £30,000 HAND-OUT
TUTBURY Castle has been given a major boost in its bid to reopen and recover from the Covid crisis.
The historic tourist attraction – where Mary Queen of Scots was once imprisoned – has been hit hard by three lockdowns during the pandemic.
But now it has received nearly £30,000 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.
The grant will help the destination in Tutbury – which runs weddings, private functions and school tours – to reopen on April 12.
Gareth Williams, director of Tutbury Castle, said: “The support from the Culture Recovery Funds has been crucial in enabling us to reopen for a new season.
“Like so many businesses and heritage attractions, we have been largely unable to trade for large parts of the last year, and it will be a gradual process to reopen fully.
“This grant means that we are in a position to start welcoming visitors back to the Castle from April 12. We will initially be opening the grounds only, with outside refreshments, and an outside bar in the evenings.
“We look forward to opening more of the castle gradually, as restrictions continue to be lifted.
“The Covid difficulties have helped to build a stronger sense of a shared community and we hope that visitors returning to Tutbury Castle will also provide a much-needed boost to other businesses in the area.”
The castle’s heyday came under the Lancastrian kings from Henry IV (13991413) to Henry VI (1422-61 and 147071), and most of the surviving structures on the site date from this time. The castle continued to receive some attention in the late 15th century, but despite a visit from Henry VIII in 1511, it largely fell into disrepair.
Mary Queen of Scots had fled to England in 1568, facing accusations of adultery and the murder of her former husband. She was seen as a threat to the throne of Elizabeth I and spent the rest of her life confined to castles. On February 4, 1569, Mary and sixty attendants, arrived at Tutbury, which she loathed. Not only because of what it represented, but also because it was cold, draughty and extremely damp – threatening her already delicate health.
She wrote of its miseries in winter that caused the wind to whistle through her chamber.