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Project to transform the Norwich Castle keep takes major step

The skyline of the English city of Norwich will have a new feature from the end of this week as the £13.5m Royal Palace Reborn project to transform Norwich Castle keep takes a major step forward with the construction of a large tower crane on the Castle’s Norman mound.

The 41.5m (136ft) crane will help transport the materials needed for the project, such as structural steel and glass, from the builders’ compound in Castle Gardens onto the mound. It will also be used to lift into place glazing and steel associated with the works, including alterations to the roof which, once completed, will make the Castle battlements fully accessible to the public for the first time. Finally, the tower crane will also remove any deconstructed material from the mound.

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The installation of the crane is an important milestone in the National Lottery Heritage Fund supported Norwich Castle: Royal Palace Reborn project which will recreate the Norman layout of the Keep, enabling visitors to experience Norwich Castle as it was in its medieval heyday.

Margaret Dewsbury, cabinet member for communities and partnerships at Norfolk County Council, explains, “The original builders of the Norman castle used the most sophisticated methods of their day to construct what was one of the grandest buildings in medieval Europe. It’s wonderful to see this tradition of ingenuity and craftsmanship continuing in the 21st century as we begin the next exciting phase in the Castle’s evolution.”

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The crane is being installed by Morgan Sindall Construction, who are managing the project.“The erection of the tower crane above Norwich Castle is an exciting milestone, as it suddenly makes the scale of works here very visible,” says Alister Broadberry, Area Director of Morgan Sindall. “The crane will ensure the bridge up to the castle and dungeons remain protected as materials are lifted across and into the castle where our craftspeople can do their best work. The crane will also have a large LED screen, which will display information about the project so that people passing by can learn about, and be inspired by, what is to come.”

Click here to learn more about Norwich Castle: Royal Palace Reborn

Top Image: Photo by Andrew Hurley / Wikimedia Commons

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