£12.4m plan to repair Lincoln Castle approved

More than £12m will be spent on repairing Lincoln Castle over the next four years.

The £12.4m maintenance plan was agreed by Lincolnshire County Council's executive at a meeting on Wednesday.

The council said the first phase of work would start this summer, with repairs being carried out on the walls, towers and other historic structures to keep them safe and open to the public.

Councillor Natalie Oliver said the investment would "ensure visitors can continue to experience the castle's incredible history, protecting and preserving one of the jewels in Lincolnshire's crown".

It comes after Oliver claimed the site required £13.5m of maintenance work to prevent it from being closed to the public.

Oliver said: "As one of the county's most treasured landmarks, Lincoln Castle has protected our city for almost 1,000 years. Now it needs our protection."

She added the plan would "ensure the walls receive the proper care and attention they deserve".

According to the council, Lincoln Castle and museums boosted the economy by £15m in 2024.

In 2025, the monument alone brought £11m to the county, the authority added.

The medieval castle is home to one of four original copies of the 1215 Magna Carta and hosts a series of events, including Live at Lincoln castle and the Medieval Joust.

The first phase of work includes masonry repairs to the Observatory Tower, which is closed to the public due to safety concerns, and emergency work on Lucy Tower and the East Wall.

Future phases will see maintenance work carried out on other buildings in the castle grounds, including the Bath House, Cobb Hall and Gatehouse Lodge.

The council said the repairs had been "carefully planned" to accommodate the castle's busy events programme.

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