Robin Hood castle to pull up its drawbridge after rows over prices
NOTTINGHAM Castle has long traded on its links to Robin Hood and his Merry Men but the attraction has had to close after 150 years as a public museum following a row over prices being too high.
The site once beset by besieging armies has been embroiled in a string of disputes since reopening in 2021 following a £30million refurbishment to make it a “world-class” draw for tourism, and faced claims tickets were too expensive for local people.
Nottingham Castle has been forced to close after its governing trust went into liquidation, with its board blaming visitor numbers being “significantly below forecasts”.
The museum, first opened to the public in 1878, has been handed back to the direct control of Nottingham City Council, which described the liquidation as “a matter of huge disappointment” and pledged to “safeguard the site and its collections”.
The castle began as a Norman stronghold in the 11th century before becoming central to the legend of Robin Hood after it was seized from Richard the Lionheart by supporters of his brother John.
The fortifications were razed to ground in the Civil War, and the new mansion which replaced it was wrecked by rioters in 1831, but in 1878 the castle complex was opened as a public museum that was operated by Nottingham City Council.
This museum was handed over to the Nottingham Castle Trust, which oversaw a £30million refurbishment from 2018 to 2021 that would allow it to “rival places like York and Warwick”, but the Trust has been embroiled in a series of rows about tickets, and allegations of bullying and racism.
After the reopening of the castle last year residents complained that they were being priced out of visiting by the £13 entry fee, plus add-ons for other parts of the site, and the Trust was forced to review its prices.
Andrew Rule, a Conservative Nottingham city councillor, raised concerns at the time that the castle was attracting negative publicity for “pricing out” local families, stating that it should “ensure residents have the opportunity to visit on an affordable basis”.
While the Trust had set a target of 300,000 visitors each year, its first seven months since reopening saw only 100,000 people turn up as the governing Trust dealt with a series of disputes.
Sara Blair-manning, a former chief executive, left her post a month after the reopening and soon made allegations of bullying against the board. These claims are contested.