The dungeons of Newark Castle will be opened to the public, allowing visitors to explore parts of the 900-year-old landmark “that haven’t been seen for centuries”.
Newark Castle is currently undergoing works to open up the original gatehouse, restore access to parts of the surviving walls and improve accessibility.
It was originally built in the mid-12th century by Bishop Alexander of Lincoln, who was known as Alexander the Magnificent.
The castle survived three sieges during the English Civil War but was partly demolished by the townspeople following orders from Oliver Cromwell.
However, the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) and its mayor, Claire Ward, have now announced they will invest a further £2.5 million in more work.
It will bring back to life dungeon areas and an undercroft, which could one day be used for weddings.
One of the dungeons is known as an “oubliette”, a name derived from the French verb meaning “to forget”.
Cllr Rowan Cozens, Newark and Sherwood District Council’s deputy leader and portfolio holder for heritage, culture and the arts, said: “It is a really exciting day for us.
“Phase two is as a result of a successful phase one, which has opened up the gatehouse, allowing people to see life in a medieval castle, and it has involved the restoration of the grounds.
“This extra amount of funding from Mayor Claire is great news because it means we can open up subterranean spaces, so the dungeons and the undercroft.
“It just makes this an even better offer that is probably going to attract people from across the UK to come and visit.
“What we are dealing with is effectively rooms we know we have got. So we’ve got an oubliette, a dungeon that you were put in to be forgotten – pretty grim. Then we’ve got the debtors’ jail. You were chucked down there unless somebody paid to get you out.”
Back in June, the authority approved an increase in the budget for phase one of the scheme by up to £1.5 million, taking its total cost to more than £8 million.
Costs have been rising due to the complexity of the work and the discovery of several “unexpected and potentially significant archaeological findings”.
Archaeologists previously said they found what they believed to be a cesspit associated with one of the castle’s garderobes – toilets – possibly dating back to the 13th or 14th century, as well as a wall associated with town fortifications observed on a 1646 map.
A well has also been discovered in the centre of the gatehouse, which the council described as an “unusual location” that required further investigation.
Cllr Cozens added: “How do you value something that is priceless? This is our heritage.”
Mayor Claire Ward said: “It is always competitive because there is so much in the region. We are building a pipeline of investment opportunities, but this one has come through. It is timely, and I think it would have been a real shame to have only got the first part, the gatehouse, and not to have been able to unveil so much more of this wonderful castle.
“Visitor economies and local economies are really important to me. We want more people to come and visit, to stay over, to enjoy what we have, not just in Newark, but in the region more widely.
“If you offer them attractions like being able to visit a castle that is nearly 900 years old, to see parts that haven’t been seen for centuries, that will be something that improves our visitor economy.”
By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
