Castle confirms summer reopening after long delays
Paul Moseley/BBCRenovations to Norwich Castle Museum are due to end, almost two years after a projected finish date.
Work to refurbish the castle's Norman keep began in 2020 but was held up by the pandemic.
Dr Tim Pestell, senior curator of archaeology, confirmed the finishing touches were being carried out and objects were ready to be installed in the museum for a summer 2025 opening.
"It has been an absolute marathon," he said.
Dr Pestell said the castle was only two months away from reopening.
"We will open this summer. We are on the final stretch," he said.
"The display cases are nearly all in now. We have builders doing their tidying up work, ready to come out, and we have the objects ready to be installed. They are being pinned on their backing boards."
Shaun Whitmore/BBCThe project has faced many delays, including some caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
There were problems in obtaining steel, due to the war in Ukraine.
In March 2022, the project's contractor Morgan Sindall told the BBC work would be completed by the end of 2023, but more problems arose.
Hidden Norman and Victorian features were discovered and a leaking roof needed to be replaced, causing it to miss a revised target of reopening last summer.
Shaun Whitmore/BBCNamed Royal Palace Reborn, the project has included restoring the original floor levels in the keep and recreating the great hall and the apartments of Norman kings.
A new gallery of medieval life was also part of the plans.
The castle has just acquired what is believed to be the largest collection of 7th Century gold coins found in Britain.
The collection includes 129 coins, featuring 118 different designs, that were found by two metal detectorists in a west Norfolk field between 2014 and 2020.
Dr Pestell said: "It will be an incredible relief to see that open. It has been an absolute marathon, as it has been for all of the members of our team, but it's going to be amazing.
"It's going to be well, well worth the wait."
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