Summer Review: Nottingham Castle Visit
By Natasha Clegg.
At the end of June I visited the newly reopened Nottingham Castle. After a few years of seeing it under scaffolding and under development, I was excited to walk back through its doors.
I last visited the Castle on its final day of being open in 2018, so the old exhibitions were relatively fresh in my mind. Three years on and lots of media hype later, I returned to see what the £30m refurbishment project had achieved. Here are my main takeaways from the visit:
● The Castle is now a go-to tourist destination in Nottingham. With a high-tech Robin Hood exhibition, two cafes and a large temporary exhibition space, the Castle seems geared towards entertainment. With many museums struggling to compete against other leisure time activities, I was pleased to see the Castle busy with people enjoying not only the objects and displays, but also the park, refreshments, and the outdoor events space.
● The project team have clearly given thought about creating multiple points of engagement with the objects and stories associated with Nottingham. For example, the story of the English Civil War and its history in Nottingham can be accessed through videos lining the walls, interactive screens, timelines and traditional text panels. People with different abilities, ages and learning styles can all find a way to enjoy Nottingham’s history.
● During my visit, I saw people from all walks of life enjoying the museum. I would be interested to see audience demographic data as, at first glance, the Castle appears to have achieved what so many museums strive for: reflecting the local community in its visitor profile. If this is the case, it would be great to hear about what approach the team took to attract such a diverse audience through its doors.
● The visitor experience was positive, largely thanks to the friendly team of Front of House staff. From the entrance gate, to the temporary exhibition gallery attendants and beyond, the Castle had brilliant customer service.
● The temporary exhibition space was vast. It currently holds a Paul Smith exhibition, which is not only a visual treat but also full of interesting content. One particular curatorial touch that I enjoyed was that the object labels were handwritten by Paul himself. I look forward to seeing what exhibitions this space will hold in the future.
Ultimately, Nottingham Castle was a good day out. It is very much geared towards entertainment, which is perhaps why it attracted such a wide range of visitors. It is likely that they would gain repeat visitors thanks to the attractive cafes and the large temporary exhibition space. I look forward to seeing how the redevelopment of the Castle ‘ages’ over time and how they will continue to attract visitors in the years to come.
Natasha Clegg is Culture Syndicates acting Head of Projects.
Find out more visit: https://www.nottinghamcastle.org.uk/
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