A world of Medieval Make Believe at Norwich Castle

19/03/2020

Children under 8 and their families were able to enter a world of Medieval make believe in Norwich Castle Keep at a recent event. They explored their own mini royal palace complete with beautiful scene-setting props, courtesy of a generous grant from the FCC Communities Fund.

The new equipment, designed especially for little ones, includes brightly painted wooden chairs, tables and accessories to give Early Years children an exciting and immersive experience of life in a Medieval castle.

This was the first time the new equipment had been used and it went down brilliantly with families as the space filled with mini members of the Castle’s royal court, who thoroughly enjoyed preparing a medieval feast, dressing up as kings and queens and listening to stories set in the period.

The furniture and props have been funded as part of the major Norwich Castle: Royal Palace Reborn project to recreate the Norman lay-out of the Castle’s iconic Keep. The redeveloped Keep will feature a multi-sensory participation area dedicated to Early Years audiences where our youngest visitors will lead their own creative exploration of life in a Medieval castle. Building work is set to start in the New Year with the transformed Keep due to reopen in 2021.

In addition to the Early Years equipment, the grant from FCC Communities Foundation – totalling £210,000 – has already enabled a welcome refresh of the Castle’s Rotunda café, and refurbishment of the toilet facilities, plus the purchase of high specification digital projectors which will be used in the redeveloped Keep to provide the sights and sounds of the Norman palace.

Steve Miller/ Robin Hanley said: “We are incredibly grateful to the FCC Communities Fund for their generous support of the Norwich Castle: Royal Palace Reborn project. This first session using the new medieval-themed props was a big success and demonstrates the importance of high-quality equipment in inspiring children and families to enter a different world. These kinds of immersive experiences will be a priority in the redeveloped Keep and we look forward to seeing the equipment in use in our new dedicated Early Years space.”