It is a case of back to the future with a 21st century project to restore Norwich Castle's keep to its former glory as a medieval palace. Arts correspondent Emma Knights reports.

Norwich Evening News: An artist's impression of the Castle Keep with the reinstated Norman layout. Image: supplied by Norwich Castle.An artist's impression of the Castle Keep with the reinstated Norman layout. Image: supplied by Norwich Castle. (Image: Archant)

For more than 900 years Norwich Castle has surveyed our city, a majestic landmark considered one of the most important medieval castles in Europe.

Originally a royal place, then a county jail, and now a museum, its origins can be traced to 1067 and Henry I stayed there for Christmas 1121.

Now the £13.5m Gateway to Medieval England project aims to reimagine the castle's keep as it was in its royal palace heyday, providing visitors with a truly medieval experience and ensuring the castle is seen as a world class attraction.

More than 90pc of the money has been raised, including £9.2m from Heritage Lottery Fund, and the public are being urged to support a £50,000 Keep Giving appeal.

Norwich Evening News: Castle Museum Keep Giving appeal. Lee Warden.Castle Museum Keep Giving appeal. Lee Warden. (Image: ARCHANT EASTERN DAILY PRESS (01603) 772434)

At the heart of the project - expected to be completed by 2020 - is the reinstatement of the keep's main Norman floor and great hall.

'Essentially we have got one of the great medieval masterpieces in Norwich Castle, it's one of the most important castles of the whole of the medieval period in Europe,' said Dr John Davies, chief curator at Norfolk Museums Service, and who is leading the project.

'We are looking to put back the missing elements which have decayed over the years, which have been ripped out in earlier phases of the castle's life, and restore lost elements relating to the original construction.'

There will also be a medieval gallery and plans for the battlements and basement. Dr Davies said: 'At every level we are looking at creating a wow, a set piece, and a sense of anticipation and exploration which is currently lost in the great big open box [of the keep] - you can't explore it. We want people to be able to go round corners and go 'ooh, that's exciting.' They can learn through exploration.'

Norwich Evening News: Castel Museum Keep Giving appeal. Lee Warden, Esther Morgan, James Lumbard, Esther Morgan, Harry Fowler, Liz Elmore, Susie Childerhouse.Castel Museum Keep Giving appeal. Lee Warden, Esther Morgan, James Lumbard, Esther Morgan, Harry Fowler, Liz Elmore, Susie Childerhouse. (Image: ARCHANT EASTERN DAILY PRESS (01603) 772434)

Extensive historical research and cutting edge technology is ensuring the refurbishment is of the highest standard.

'It is going to be groundbreaking in national terms, something very special,' said Dr Davies, adding the project will help attract more visitors, making the castle more resilient for the future, and spreading the word further about our medieval city.

'We want to attract people to Norwich not only to see our castle but to enjoy Norwich Cathedral, the medieval walls, the churches, and raise the profile of Norwich as one of the best preserved medieval cities.'

Norwich Evening News: Dr John Davies, project director for Norwich Castle keep project. Picture : ANTONY KELLYDr John Davies, project director for Norwich Castle keep project. Picture : ANTONY KELLY (Image: archant 2017)

The Reinstated Norman Floor and Great Hall

The reinstated Norman floor and the great hall will be the showpiece of the castle keep.

'We want to give people as proper a medieval feel as we can, so we will have the great feast hall, where the king [Henry I] was, then you can progress through to his kitchen, and the king's own intimate chamber, and the king's own chapel,' said Dr Davies.

'The Great Hall area will be the immersive area where people get the real medieval experience.'

Norwich Evening News: The popular battlements at Norwich Castle. Pic: Mark Ivan Benfield.The popular battlements at Norwich Castle. Pic: Mark Ivan Benfield. (Image: Mark Ivan Benfield)

In recreating the Norman floor, the project will be realising the ambition of Edward Boardman, the architect behind the original conversion of the castle into a museum and responsible for the current balcony in the keep.

'It was Boardman who, during the demolition of the prison, realised the potential and just how much of the Norman building had survived, and we have his original drawings and proposals to put the floors back,' said Dr Davies.

Alongside the historic vision, there are also plans for the Great Hall to be used as a community space.

'The Great Hall is also going to be this fabulous location for musical recitals, plays, for venue hire, many, many options as well as a wonderful teaching space for schools and engagement for the wider community,' said Dr Davies.

Norwich Evening News: Castel Museum Keep Giving appeal. Susie Childerhouse and Lee Warden.Castel Museum Keep Giving appeal. Susie Childerhouse and Lee Warden. (Image: ARCHANT EASTERN DAILY PRESS (01603) 772434)

The Medieval Gallery

Visitors will be able to go down from the reinstated first floor into the medieval gallery, a partnership with the British Museum which will be full of medieval artefacts from national and local collections.

'Our vision for the British Museum partnership gallery is jewel like. It's the treasure chest within the bigger keep. It's going to be sensitively lit, with beautiful, sparkling, wonderful things standing out in this big box of a keep,' said Dr Davies.

'The gallery is something that we are very excited about because it does not only give us the opportunity to show off our wonderful own collections in context, it draws in collections, very fine material, that only the national collection has.'

He added: 'We can use the collections to explain to people what medieval life was like and who was here and what the stories of the castle were...We want to draw out the stories of the people that lived and died here and how it fits into the national and international picture.'

The Battlements

'We have very popular battlement tours at the moment and there are absolutely spectacular views across the city,' said Dr Davies.

'We would like to make more of a feature of the battlements and make it fully accessible to disabled visitors. There will be lift access up there.'

There are plans to use digital technology and virtual reality so visitors can contrast medieval and modern Norwich.

'We want it to be cutting edge when we open so we are leaving the [technology] hardware decisions until later in the project, but we are looking at having something really exciting showing what Norwich would look like from the castle at that time and then echoing today's street pattern. You can actually see a lot of medieval Norwich is still there, in Tombland and in the market place.'

Other ideas are being explored to run alongside all of this. Dr Davies said: 'I hope we will have a few surprises, we are looking at creating something special up there.'

The Basement

'The actual height of the basement was much higher than it is now and we are going to be removing part of the existing floor so people can really understand the original architecture of the castle,' said Dr Davies.

'We want to sensitively light that and show how these great big pillars went up to support the main floor.

'We won't be reconstructing the pillars [the bases of which are still there]. We will be looking at devices to show people how that architecture worked, perhaps through projected light features.'

There are also plans for schools and learning areas in the basement. Dr Davies said: 'We are looking at a range of activities down there, interactive activities, both digital and physical activities, all about medieval times and understanding medieval life, but we want the activities to be innovative and not just things that have been done elsewhere.'

How you can donate to the Keep Giving fundraising appeal:

Donate in person: Via donation boxes in the castle

Donate by text: Text Keep17 and your donation amount to 70070

Donate online: Click hereDonate by post: Send a cheque payable to Norfolk Museums Development Foundation to Keep Giving, Shirehall, Market Avenue, Norwich NR1 3JQ

There is free entry on Saturday (September 9) 10am-4.30pm at Norwich Castle as part of Heritage Open Days.