The relaunch of Nottingham Castle hasn’t been without its hiccups, but Nottingham Castle Trust (the charity who run the site) have refreshed their offer, with all general admission tickets enabling twelve months of access via their new “Rebel” pass.
If you want to snaffle your lunch on the Castle grounds, chill and read a book on a sunny day, or just take in arguably the best view of our city going, this might be just the ticket. Entry to Nottingham Castle now includes their year-round “Rebel” pass. For non-city-native adults it’ll set you back £13, with family tickets starting at £22.50 and free entry for under fives. NG1-NG16 postcode residents get discounted entry, making adults and starter family tickets £10 and £17.50 respectively.
This includes entry to the Castle’s increasingly nature-friendly grounds, Hood’s Hideout Adventure Playground, plus events and exhibitions, galleries displaying their extensive haul of fine and decorative arts, the Rebellion Gallery and the Museum of the Mercian Regiment, along with more medieval mischief in Robin Hood Adventures.
Nottingham Castle’s Marketing and Communications Manager Lindsay Allen explained, “we’ve been really excited to launch the new annual pass and look forward to people making the most of being able to come and explore the castle and grounds throughout the year. From families wanting to let off steam on the adventure playground, to taking a wander around our lace or arts gallery or just popping in for a cuppa with a view out on the terrace.”
You’ll also get automatic access to their current exhibition Young Gainsborough: Rediscovered Landscape Drawings. Running until Sunday 13 November, it showcases 25 recently discovered landscape drawings by English artist Thomas Gainsborough. Produced in the late 1740s when Gainsborough was in his early twenties, the drawings offer a new insight into the early efforts of this master of portraiture and landscape, whilst showcasing his enthusiasm for all things nature. The exhibition also features works by some of the Dutch landscape painters who influenced Gainsborough.
Another one to catch at the moment (until Sunday 13 November) is Illuminating the Wilderness, a film produced by Project Art Works, conceived and directed by Kate Adams and Tim Corrigan. It was filmed on location with Ben Rivers, Margaret Salmon and neurodivergent artists and makers, families and carers, making it an unusually inclusive production.
The forty-minute film explores a remote Scottish Glen over several days and reveals the pleasures, challenges and shared experience of neurodivergent responses to nature. Moments of humour, and tender consideration for each other unfold amidst the striking landscape and turbulent weather systems of the mountains. In its remoteness, scale and indifference the landscape evokes a sense of freedom and belonging.
Within the exhibition galleries, visitors are also invited to participate and share their creative responses to the natural world through drawing and writing, creating a room filled with love notes and messages of gratitude to the planet, surrounded by a wild ‘forest’ of illustrations on the walls.
So it’s all going off at the Castle, and if you’ve been put off by the pricing so far, now might be the time to give it another look.
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