Castle renovation work was essential to stop landmark crumbling

Clitheroe Castle is set to be unveiled to the public after being refurbished.

The historic landmark is a distinctive sight, towering over the town beneath it.

But in recent years its keep fell into disrepair, prompting Ribble Valley Borough Council (RVBC) to carry out hundreds of thousands of pounds of repairs to it.

The repairs have included bolstering its structure, as well as repointing the mortar and stonework.

Now, after spending most of the year under wraps, the scaffolding is being removed from the keep, with an official reopening set to take place towards the back end of next month.

Adam Allen, director of community services at the RVBC, talked the council’s community services committee on Tuesday, October 20, through the changes.

He said: “We originally started it about three years ago, to repoint the castle keep, then we got the heritage experts and surveyors in and they said there were issues in terms of the actual structure.

“They had to do a lot of serious works in terms of the structure.”

He said while it ‘looks different now’ with fresh pointing next to the weathered stone, the works were ‘essential’ to stop water getting in and the new stone would weather with time.

Acting chair, Councillor Sophie Cowman of Waddington, Bashall Eaves and Mitton, Conservative, said it now looks like ‘a real castle’ and not ‘crumbling’.

On being asked about the lighting by Councillor Stella Brunskill of Mellor, Conservative, Mr Allen said the keep can be lit up ‘any colour on any side’.

But he said there would not be poppies on it for Remembrance due to the machine breaking, adding a replacement light machine would be expensive.

Mr Allen added an official opening event would ‘hopefully’ take place ‘towards the back end of November’, with a special exhibition to take place in February about the history of the castle keep and detailing the renovations.

Councillor Michael Graveston, leader of the Labour group and of Primrose ward, which includes the Castle, spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service about the works.

He said: “It’s fair to say the works to the castle grounds as a whole are long overdue, but obviously very welcome.

“The works to the castle keep are right, it is going to safeguard that extremely, extremely important historical asset for the town.”

Cllr Graveston added he had been concerned whether repointing the keep would make it look too ‘perfect’ when it had been ruins, but accepted it was important the work was done.

He added: “You want it to be ruins but you don’t want it to not be there.

“We were lucky enough to be shown around before the scaffolding came down, and it was really clear it needed to be done to ensure people can keep enjoying the castle.”

The keep works come as part of a wider £2.3 million regeneration of the castle and its lands by the council, which also includes a new outdoor gym, and a refurbishment of the bandstand.