Accessibility is at the heart of the Gatehouse Project. In this blog, we explore how Newark Castle is being transformed to welcome more visitors through accessible paths, lift access, tactile interpretation, digital navigation tools and input from local accessibility volunteers. Drawing on observations from site visits and conversations with the project team, this article highlights how thoughtful, inclusive design is helping to open up one of Newark’s most iconic historic buildings while respecting its heritage.

In this blog, Barry returns to site for the first time in a month to see how much progress has happened in the short time he's been away.

Once one of Bishop Alexander’s three great castles, Banbury Castle played an important role in medieval England before being demolished after the Civil War. Today, almost nothing remains above ground. Its story of survival, loss and rediscovery highlights the importance of protecting sites like Newark Castle, which still retains much of its historic character and presence.

Newark Castle is a site shaped by over a thousand years of history, with each era leaving visible and hidden traces. The Gatehouse Project carefully balances preservation and progress, ensuring vital archaeology and historic fabric are protected while introducing new features like the Garden Room, restored Tudor chimney, and emerging Visitor Centre. Every element is designed to sit lightly within the landscape, respecting the castle’s past while preparing it for future generations.

This week, we visited the site to see how the project is progressing. We found the newly erected steels which will support the lift and stairs to the castle’s first floor rooms. Find out more about the design philosophy along with Barry’s thoughts on the latest interventions.

It’s a real privilege to be able to climb the scaffold ladder and get up onto the roof! This week, Barry joined the project team in marvelling at the skill and dedication of the masons working on Newark Castle’s historic fabric as they prepare to install the new roof.

This week Barry joined the archaeological team and Dr Pamela Marshall — a renowned academic specialising in the history of English and French castles — to hear about a rather surprising discovery.

This blog explores the earliest history of the Newark Castle site, why this location was chosen and what existed here before the Castle we recognise today. It sets the scene for understanding how the site evolved over time.

This week, Barry climbs the scaffolding to get up close to the painstaking work of many generations of masons. Find out about eroded carvings, cracks in the stonework and the materials chosen to sensitively conserve and repair centuries-old features.