- Type
- Castle
- Built
- 1674 · 17th century
- Location
- England, United Kingdom
- Coordinates
- 52.9492°, -1.1547°
History
William the Conqueror founded the castle in 1068 as a timber motte-and-bailey, and in the 12th century Henry II rebuilt it in stone. In 1194 Richard the Lionheart besieged his brother John's supporters here, and in 1330 the companions of the young Edward III slipped in through a secret passage in the rock and seized the regent Roger Mortimer. In 1642 Charles I raised his standard at Nottingham, starting the Civil War, and in 1651, after the war, the castle was demolished. In the 1670s the Duke of Newcastle began building a Baroque mansion on the site, which rioters burned in 1831. Restored, it opened in 1878 as an art museum, the first municipal art gallery in England outside London.
What to see
On top of the rock stands the Dukes of Newcastle's mansion, home to a museum and art gallery with displays on the city's history and the Nottingham rebellions. Of the medieval castle a 13th-century gatehouse and stretches of wall survive. Beneath it visitors can explore caves and passages cut into the rock, including the one known as Mortimer's Hole. A 1952 statue of Robin Hood stands outside the walls.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q17642916
Popularity: articles about this site in 22 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).