Businesses based near Nottingham Castle say the reopening of the historic site will help them to "show off the city" once again. There are also hopes that a more "sensible" pricing structure will help to increase footfall in the area.
Nottingham Castle has been closed since last November after the trust running it went into liquidation. The grounds have been open for particular events throughout May, but it was recently announced that the attraction would fully reopen to visitors from June 26.
The period of the Castle's closure mostly fell during the time of year when fewer visitors would be expected anyway. Nearby businesses therefore say it has been "difficult to judge" whether the site's closure has affected them.
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But with the peak summer season now approaching, those businesses say the Castle "needs" to be open. Karl Gibson is the general manager of Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, which holds the title of England's oldest inn and lies at the foot of Nottingham Castle.
Mr Gibson said: "The pub has been doing well but it's been about managing people's expectations when they get here, which has probably been a bit more difficult than it needed to be. Some people didn't know it had closed, but we were directing them to the other attractions like the caves, the National Justice Museum and even taking a bus out to Wollaton Hall.
"It needs to be open, because whether you're from the edge of Nottinghamshire or from America, the Castle is something you need to come and see when you are here. It's a good experience to be able to come to the city, go to the pubs and see sites like the Castle.
"We've always wanted to play our part in that, so the reopening of the Castle is about the whole community and the idea is that we help to show off the city as a whole." Businesses situated near Nottingham Castle are mainly hospitality-based, with another well-known venue being Fothergills.
Deputy manager Keri Chapman said: "We're definitely looking forward to the Castle reopening and we do think it will lead to quite a lot more people being in the area, especially children during the summer months. It's been closed during a bit of an odd period because the school holidays in it are not the ones where you would usually see the most visitors to the Castle.
"The test in terms of comparing the Castle being open and the Castle being closed will really be the half term coming up this month." One business which particularly ties in with Nottingham Castle is the Robin Hood Experience, a museum on Friar Lane that is dedicated to the outlaw.
Adam Sinclair-Greenwood, owner and resident Robin Hood at the Robin Hood Experience, said: "We're very pleased indeed that we've now got the details on when the Castle will open. We're hopeful that the much more sensible pricing structure means that footfall will certainly increase. We're also very intrigued to see inside the Castle as we don't know if will be identical inside or whether certain things will have been changed and moved.
"The prices will be particularly helpful for grandparents in the summer who are looking for somewhere interesting to take the grandchildren. It has been difficult to judge whether the Castle's closure has affected us and we are very much our own thing anyway, but no doubt there will be increased footfall and that is definitely a good thing for everyone here."
The new pricing structure at Nottingham Castle means that for a family of five, they will be able to buy an annual pass for £24. This particularly benefits those living in Nottingham given that the pass guarantees free access to the site for 12 months.
Speaking previously about the business impact of Nottingham Castle, Nottingham City Council leader David Mellen said: "Walking past The Castle, Fothergills and The Trip over the last few weeks, they don’t seem to have much problem in getting people to come and sit outside on a sunny evening. But obviously smaller businesses are much more connected to the castle.
“The Crafty Crow is closed and it would be good to see some business move into there. So it is important for business, we know the economy of the city is not just about retail but about people having reasons to come in."
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