Nottingham Castle

Some Details...

Open daily 10am - 5pm March - September & 10am - 4pm October - February (last entry 30 minutes before closing).
Entrance fee includes admission to The Museum of Nottingham Life at Brewhouse Yard within one week of the purchase date.
Adults - £3.50
Children/Concessions - £2
Family Ticket (2 adults & up to 3 children) - £8
Group rate - 1 free ticket for every 10 purchased

First built 1068 by William the Conqueror.
The remains of the stone Middle Bailey built by Henry II are still visible at the site.

In 1191 Prince John seized Nottingham Castle. Returning from the crusades King Richard I travelled to Nottingham in 1194 to recapture the only of the castles held by John's supporters that would not surrender.

Henry III carried out extensive work on the castle to improve defences and make it a suitable royal residence.

Supporters of Edward III crept into the castle to overthrow Roger Mortimer who had ruled England with Queen Isabella as his mistress after murdering Edward II.

King David II of Scotland is believed to have been imprisoned at Nottingham Castle.

Edward IV created a new Royal Palace at the Castle.

In 1651 the Parliamentary Council ordered the slighting of the Castle and it was demolished from within.

In 1663 William Cavendish purchased the Castle from the Duke of Buckingham and built the current Ducal Mansion.

When the current Duke oppossed the Reform Bill in 1831 a large crowd smashed through fencing when the gates would not give and looted the building then set it on fire.

In 1875 it was leased by the Council and the architect T. C. Hine worked on it's restoration.

In 1878 it was opened as the first provincial Museum of Fine Art.