Image: Norwich Castle (Norfolk Museums Service)
Medieval Keep at Norwich Castle opens to public in August 2025 after major redevelopment restoring 900-year-old royal palace to former glory
Norwich Castle’s Grade I listed medieval ‘keep’ will reopen to the public next month, marking the end of a £13m project.
Originally commissioned by William the Conqueror, its redevelopment is claimed to be one of largest heritage projects opening in the UK this year, on Thursday 7 August 2025.
Construction on the project began in 2020, but its reopening has seen delays. Norman and Victorian features were discovered during construction, combined with roof complications, which saw the target for public access initially pushed back to the end of 2024.
The restoration project has returned the building to its original function as a royal palace, reversing centuries of alterations that occurred during its time as the county prison and subsequent conversion to a museum in the Victorian era.
The project has reinstated original medieval floors and rooms, which have been furnished to recreate the authentic environment of Norman England when Norwich served as medieval England’s second city.
For the first time in the building’s 900-year history, new lifts will provide access to all five floors, from the basement to the rooftop battlements, making it the UK’s most accessible castle.
A new Gallery of Medieval Life has been created in partnership with the British Museum, displaying nearly 1,000 medieval artefacts and treasures. The exhibition aims to present East Anglia’s medieval history alongside broader historical contexts.
The museum complex includes both the medieval keep and gallery spaces housed in converted Georgian-era prison buildings.
