Nottingham Castle reopens: A 1000 year history of battle and conflict
ITV News Central correspondent Peter Bearne looks back at the history of Nottingham Castle.
Nottingham Castle has reopened to the public today, after five years of turbulent events which forced it to close.
It has a history of conflict and has been the site of many battles over the last 1000 years.
It's also fought its own battles more recently, with a multi-million pound renovation in 2018 taking three years - shortly followed by the liquidation of the trust responsible for running it and inevitably its complete closure.
Here's everything you need to know about the history of Nottingham Castle - it's downfalls and uprising, to the present day.
When was it built?
The castle we see over Nottingham today is not the original. The first Norman castle was built on the same site - 'Castle Rock' - in 1068 and it was made of wood. Construction started two years after the Battle of Hastings on the orders of William the Conqueror.
The wooden structure was replaced by a far more defensible stone castle during the reign of King Henry II.
The 'Ducal Mansion' was built on the site on the castle in 1660 but was burned down during riots in 1831.
The mansion was restored in 1835 and became a museum and art gallery - featuring a top-lit picture gallery modelled after the Grand Gallery of the Louvre in Paris.
Who lived at Nottingham Castle?
Nottingham Castle served as one of the most important in England for nobles and royalty for centuries.
Edward III used the castle as a residence and held parliaments. In 1365, he improved the castle with a new tower on the west side of the Middle Bailey and a new prison under the High Tower - where King David II of Scotland was held prisoner.
From 1403 until 1437 it was the main residence of Henry IV's queen, Joan. After the residence of Joan maintenance was reduced. Only upon the Wars of the Roses did Nottingham Castle begin to be used again as a military stronghold.
Edward IV proclaimed himself king in Nottingham, and in 1476 he ordered the construction of a new tower and Royal Apartments.
During the reign of Henry VII, the castle remained a royal fortress. Henry VIII ordered new tapestries from Cornelius van der Strete for the castle before he visited Nottingham in August 1511.
By 1536 Henry had the castle reinforced and its garrison increased from a few dozen men to a few hundred.
The castle ceased to be a royal residence by 1600 and was largely rendered obsolete in the 17th century by artillery.
A short time following the outbreak of the English Civil War, the castle was already in a semi-ruined state after a number of skirmishes took place.
What does Robin Hood have to do with Nottingham Castle?
Nottingham's legendary outlaw, Robin Hood, battled with the Sheriff of Nottingham among the ancient oaks of Sherwood Forest which eventually led him to Nottingham Castle.
While King Richard I - "Richard the Lionheart" - was away on the Third Crusade, Nottingham Castle was occupied by supporters of Prince John, including the Sheriff of Nottingham.
In the legends of Robin Hood, Nottingham Castle is the scene of the final showdown between the sheriff and the heroic outlaw.
Why did Nottingham Castle close in 2018?
Nottingham Castle and its grounds closed to the public in 2018, for £30million worth of renovations which took three years to complete.
A new visitor centre was created together with exhibition galleries, interactive displays, a children's adventure area in the old castle moat themed on Robin Hood's era and a showcase of local industries including Nottingham Lace.
On 1 June 2021, Nottingham City Council handed over responsibility for running the castle to the independent, charitable Nottingham Castle Trust. The castle reopened on 21 June 2021.
What happened before Nottingham Castle went into liquidation and closed again?
After reopening, Nottingham Castle Trust received a backlash over the £13 adult entrance charge being too high.
The trust was also criticised for the way it handled an alleged racist incident in the grounds and staff published an open letter alleging a "toxic culture" and being "gaslit" around concerns about racism and misogyny.
Two trustees stepped down in September 2022 after pressure from external groups over their handling of the racist incident and other governance issues at the castle.
On 21 November 2022, the Castle Trust announced that it was in the process of appointing liquidators and that the castle grounds and exhibitions would be closed to visitors until further notice.
The site was returned to the council, which announced it would reopen it as soon as possible.
The trust said that the failure was due to the covid pandemic in the UK from 2020, the later financial crisis, and the tripling of energy costs going into the quietest trading period of the year.
What's new at Nottingham Castle now it has reopened?
The attraction now offers a "pay once, visit all year" ticket.
The castle will be run as part of the council's museums service and will be open from 10:00 to 17:00 from February to October and from 11:00 to 16:00 from November to January.
Among the new features at the relaunch will be a new temporary gallery, a revamped Brewhouse Yard showcasing Nottingham from the 1500s to 1900s and displays to mark the 75th anniversary of Windrush Day.