Ribble Valley Council's £2.3m investment nears completion at Clitheroe Castle
The £2.3m investment in Clitheroe Castle, which includes the refurbishment of the bandstand and installation of an outdoor gym, is nearing completion, with a reopening ceremony planned for the end of October.
The scaffolding and protective cladding around Clitheroe Castle keep is nearly down following a major investment from Ribble Valley Council in the future of the 800-year-old landmark.
Clitheroe Castle, which was built in the late 12th Century by Robert de Lacy as the administrative centre of his vast estates, is home to the second smallest castle keep in Britain, has been under wraps since the beginning of the year, while specialist contractors carried out careful repair work.
The contractors completed an extensive re-pointing of the specialist mortar holding the stonework together, which is the most obvious difference from a distance of the fixed crumbling stonework, fitted new flashing to prevent water damage and thinned out surrounding overgrown foliage to reveal more of the eye-catching structure. While new lighting has also been installed to make the keep look more dramatic at night.
The work has been carried out sympathetically using materials and methods as close as possible to those the original builders would have used.
While residents are yet to be allowed to get up close and personal, the keep is due to re-open once work is completed by the end of this month.
In further positive news for the people of Clitheroe, the keep's "hole in the wall" hasn't been filled in - rumour has it that it was created by a cannonball fired during the English Civil War but, in reality, it was a loophole or arrow slit that has grown bigger over time.
The work at the Clitheroe Castle keep is part of a £2.3million investment in the site.
The programme features the refurbishment of castle’s bandstand, revamps of the multi-use games area (MUGA) and skatepark, and installation of an outdoor gym, while railings, benches and pathways throughout the castle grounds are being replaced and resurfaced.
The works will be completed next year, which is the national Year of the Normans marking the 1,000th anniversary of the birth of William the Conqueror, and commemorating the Tour de France, which will pass through Ribble Valley.
The keep will receive an official reopening ceremony towards the end of October, when the shroud and scaffolding have been completely removed.