Conservation & Heritage Issue 49 October 2025 - Flipbook - Page 14
The People’s Palace: From basement to battlements
Following the redevelopment, Norwich Castle
is proudly now the most accessible castle in the
UK. A new lift ensures wheelchair accessibility,
accommodating those with Special Educational
Needs and Disabilities (SEND) on every floor,
including the rooftop battlements, while
also supporting the access needs of families
with pushchairs.
Multisensory elements allow visitors to interact
with every space, from dressing up and sitting on
a restored throne as a Norman king or queen,
to experiencing the sounds of medieval life
while a tactile map supports visitors with visual
impairments to explore the spaces. Visitors also
have the chance to ‘get to know’ some of the people
who lived in or visited Norwich Castle in the 1100s,
via character panels which bring each individual’s
story to life – providing a human connection with
the period which help make it accessible to all ages.
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Alongside the stunning displays of original artefacts
and architecture, new interactive and immersive
experiences throughout the Keep enable visitors
to step into the medieval world. Audio visual
projections in the Great Hall draw on the drama
and imagination of medieval art to bring the walls
alive, a bespoke Early Years space will support
the youngest visitors’ learning for pre-booked
groups while a range of digital displays allow
visitors to explore further – from the story of the
Norwich Friends’ Tapestry to how to dress in the
medieval period.
In the basement the remains of the impressive
medieval pier bases – on which the arcade of
arches which supported the principal floor above
once rested – have been newly interpreted with a
beautiful light sculpture installation outlining these
lost arches, enabling visitors to better understand
this atmospheric space.
Conservation & Heritage Journal
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