June 13, 2013 5.40 pm This story is over 129 months old

First tour on Lincoln Castle south curtain wall

First look: Visitors to Lincoln Castle will be able to go onto the newly-completed south curtain wall from the end of June, where there has never been access before.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Visitors to Lincoln Castle will be able to go onto the newly completed south curtain wall from the end of June, where there has never been access before.

The first phase of the £22 million regeneration project at Lincoln Castle sees the south curtain wall tour completed, and people can get on tours during the 1,000 Years of Traditional Crafts event on June 22 and 23. People will be able to take a complete tour of the walls once all work is completed in 2014.

During the works at the castle, archeologists also found the remains of a Saxon church within, so there will also be tours with the archaeologist and a display of the finds. The Victorian male prison which closes for restoration in mid July will also be open, as will the new Heritage Skills Centre.

Mary Powell, Tourism Development Manager at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “This is very exciting, as we never had access to this side of the wall before. After the 1,000 Years of Traditional Crafts event we’ll be doing guided tours only, as it is a very constrained site with all the work here, and we want visitors to be safe.”

Richard Carlton, the Site Manager from Robert Woodhead Limited, said: “This was phase one of the project. We brought back Lucy Tower to its former glory, all the stone work has been replaced. There will also be a lift shaft near the east gate, built out of Corten steel, which looks like rust, but it’s not obviously. It’s a nine-metre tower with a spiral staircase and there will also be a walkway overlooking the Cathedral.”

The Lincolnite went on a preview tour of the new wall tour on June 13: