Tourists from across the UK and overseas are still arriving at Nottingham Castle expecting it to be open, people working nearby have said. The attraction has been closed to the public since last November after the trust which ran it entered liquidation.
The reopening date of the castle, which recently underwent a three-year £33 million renovation, is not yet clear, with Nottingham City Council pushing back an expected announcement. Despite the closure happening more than two months ago, many tourists are said to be turning up hoping to be let inside.
Adam Sinclair-Greenwood, owner and resident Robin Hood at the Robin Hood Experience, feared its closure had not been publicised well enough. “You still get a lot of tourists coming up and looking at it and wanting to go in," he told Nottinghamshire Live.
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"There was an electric sign saying ‘castle not open today’, but not for longer. I don’t think it gives visitors a very positive experience. People must not be looking it up or it doesn’t seem to have been communicated all that well.”
The 42-year-old did admit, however, that this had helped with his business. “It’s helped us as when they can’t get in the castle they come here, it’s actually been quite good for us because people have been still coming up."
Keri Chapman, Deputy manager of Fothergills, a pub opposite the castle, said: “We'll see how much it affects us when it's half term. It’s a shame, it's kind of devastating, we want it open as soon as possible. It's a piece of the city's history and it would be a shame not to share it."
On the delay of the announcement of the castle's reopening, Mr Sinclair-Greenwood added: “It’s not surprising but it’s really starting to frustrate us, people want to know what’s going on. I think if they were transparent about what’s happening it would be better.
"When they do get to a point where they can get it open they will have a hard time finding suppliers and people to work there." Councillor Pavlos Kotsonis, portfolio holder for leisure, culture and planning at the city council, said: "Since the site was handed back to the council from Nottingham Castle Trust's liquidators, our initial focus has been to ensure that the site and the collections are safe, secure and appropriately managed.
"We have also been reviewing options of how best to reopen the site to the public. We are looking at how this can be done in a way which ensures the future of the Castle will be viable without creating additional risk to the council and the taxpayer. We also need to ensure that any proposals meet with the agreement of our funding partners and we continue to have positive meetings with them."
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