Oakham Castle entrance fully restored

Work has been carried out to repair and restore the main route into Oakham Castle, making the popular attraction more accessible to visitors.

Castle Lane provides direct access to Oakham Castle from the Market Place and has had a temporary tarmacked surface for much of the past year so that utility works could be carried out on nearby buildings.

Following completion of these works, Rutland County Council has been able to completely resurface Castle Lane with UK Yorkstone.

This has improved access for visitors, particularly wheelchair users, and is a more accurate representation of what the lane would have looked like historically.

The restoration was funded by Historic England and carried out under the guidance of a specialist architect.

Coun Lucy Stephenson, portfolio holder for culture and leisure at Rutland County Council, said: “As one of the best examples of Norman architecture anywhere in England, Oakham Castle is a hugely important historical building, not just in Rutland but also nationally.

"We are delighted with the work, which provides a more authentic depiction of how Castle Lane once looked and represents a big improvement for the thousands of people who visit the Castle each year.

“This project had a very tight deadline because we wanted to minimise disruption for visitors.

"Our contractors worked day and night to get the job done on time and I hope everyone likes the new route."

For more information about Oakham Castle, including details of events and activities taking place over Christmas and into the New Year, visit: Oakham Castle.