September 23, 2014 3.37 pm
This story is over 93 months old
Lincoln Castle to close for three months ahead of big reveal
Six months to go: The £22 million project to restore Lincoln Castle is in its final phase and staff are preparing to close the attraction for four months ahead of the big reveal.
The £22 million project to restore Lincoln Castle is in its final phase and staff are preparing to close the attraction for three months ahead of the big reveal.
Heritage developers are preparing to bow out after their part, as the project comes to a close in December.
From January to March 2015, staff will close the castle gates in order to make final preparations for the 2015 celebrations.
With six months to go before the April launch, Lincoln businesses are also preparing for a tourism boost.
Through the dedication of what developers have described as “a cast of hundreds”, the building is reaching the end of a 4-year makeover, complete with new modern facilities and educational installations.
Independent businesses from B&Bs to restaurants, and prominent project figures were invited to the Epic Centre at the Lincolnshire Showground on Tuesday, September 23, to learn about the project to date.
Approximately 150,000 people visit Lincoln Castle every year. An independent assessment concluded that the wider Lincoln Castle Revealed project could lead to a 29-55% increase in the overall value of Lincoln tourism.
This translates to a £36-68 million boost for the local economy and around 600-1,100 new jobs.
The renovations to the historic site include completion of the complete circuit castle walls (£4.9m), refurbishment of Lincoln Castle Prison and the new Magna Carta vault (£5.4m) and the The Heritage Skills Centre, which sustains traditional crafts (£1.5m).
The conference marked a poignant moment for construction company Woodhead Heritage, who are set to conclude works in time for Christmas 2014.
Simon Butler, Conservation Manager for Woodhead Heritage, said: “The Christmas completion date that we are looking at is seeming really soon. It’s going to be weird for me and the team as it’s been such a big part of our lives for so long.
“This is a historic building and an impressive monument. There was always going to be complications, the archeology is a great example.
“We were putting in the foundations for the lift tower when we started to find bone and then a Saxon Sarcophagus and a Saxon church that we never even knew was there.
“They are really great and interesting problems to have, but we did have to work out how to build around that issue.
“I look forward to returning as a visitor and experiencing the great attraction for myself.”
Tourism Development Manager at Lincolnshire County Council, Mary Powell, said: “Setting that six-month countdown is a very exciting thing to be able to do.
“We’ve invited business and tourism representatives to the conference today so that they get to grips with the scale of the project and what we have managed to achieve.
“I think that businesses should be preparing for a tourism boost when 2015 comes around. We saw Lincoln Castle as a catalyst for tourism and I think it’s important that people make the most of it.
“When I called the project Lincoln Castle Revealed I didn’t realise the significance of the word ‘revealed’.
“It becomes more and more evident that we are opening up buildings that have never been seen by the public before, we are revealing sections of the wall that people have never been able to walk along before, but also we are revealing fascinating discoveries that we have found throughout the archeology.
“Of course when we discovered the Saxon skeletons under the castle foundations that was an extremely important moment. We are still waiting on DNA results from the tests we carried out.
“We have had a facial reconstruction done of one of the Saxons which was fascinating. There was even a member of the team who had a PHD in noses behind that particular project.”
Architects behind the project have undertaken late design changes in order to dedicate three rooms to exhibit the discoveries made during the project.
The exhibition will be found within the female ward of the refurbished Victorian prison.
As part of the 2015 tourism preparations, Destination Management Organisations Visit Lincoln and Visit East Lincolnshire announced they will work with over 1,000 members of staff in the nationally-recognised Worldhost Customer Service qualification.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
We are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a collision caused serious injuries to a 23-year-old man.
Just before 3.30pm yesterday (2 July), we received reports of a collision on Barholm Road in Tallington. It involved a grey BMW 335D estate, a blue BMW 116D and an orange KTM motorcycle.
The motorcycle rider, a 23-year-old man, sustained serious injuries during the collision and was taken to hospital.
If you witnessed the incident and are yet to get in touch with us, please do so. If you have any other information or dashcam footage available that may have captured the road along the A1175 at the time of the collision, get in touch.
By calling 101 quoting incident 282 of 2 July.
By emailing [email protected] quoting incident 282 of 2 July in the subject line.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report via the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
The 2022 Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Awards are open for applications, and Destination Lincolnshire giving you the rare chance to co-create your application with Nell Barrington, a tourism awards veteran, who has helped hundreds of businesses write winning applications over the last 15 years – including national VisitEngland winners.
The Tourism Awards Masterclass is taking place on Tuesday 12 July at 11am for one-hour online. Laura Freer, Head of Marketing at Destination Lincolnshire said: “This is a golden opportunity, after years of hard work and heartache, to get your business and team recognised and rewarded.
“A well written application is key to achieving a coveted place on this year’s shortlist, and I’d encourage all tourism and visitor economy businesses who are thinking of entering – whether they are seasoned at writing award applications or not – to join us for this exclusive masterclass.
“Nell Barrington has worked with us and VisitEngland on the founding application processes of these awards, and she is perfectly placed to assist in co-creating applications that you can be proud of. This is a great opportunity for business development too – whether you are shortlisted for an award or not – discovering how to effectively apply for awards and talk up your business adds another string to your bow.
“Booking is essential and places are limited to just 35 – so be quick! This year we’ve made our masterclass available to partners and also to those who we are yet to work with for free. Call it an added bonus, after two years away from the awards circuit.
The awards masterclass is focussed on the application process, and it will spell out what the judges are looking for. You’ll learn how to make your application stand out from the local competition, helping your chances of going through to the national VisitEngland Awards in 2023.”
There are fifteen categories open for nominations from visitors attraction, accommodation providers, hospitality businesses and many more.
The deadline for nominations is July 29, with online judging starting on July 30 and mystery shopping from August 13. Finalists will be announced on Monday, August 15.
The awards ceremony will be held at the Engine Shed on October 21, and will be hosted by Lincs FM presenter, John Marshall.
The event is organised by Stonebow Media, publishers of The Lincolnite, to celebrate the best businesses in Greater Lincolnshire, alongside headline sponsors Lincoln College and Destination Lincolnshire.
We would also like to thank our other sponsors Visit Lincolnshire, Heart of Lincs, Duncan and Toplis and LNER, insight6 and EV Camel.
Whatsapp
