Clifford's Tower in York set to re-open as new era dawns following £5m overhaul of the ancient monument

The 50ft hill which supports Clifford’s Tower will be a sea of colour as daffodils bloom with the advent of spring.

And this year, the arrival of the new season will also mark the start of the latest chapter in the long history of the last remaining major part of York’s medieval castle.

English Heritage, the charity which oversees the ancient monument, has today announced that Clifford’s Tower will reopen to the public on Saturday, April 2, following a multi-million pound programme of renovations.

The £5m investment in the tower will allow visitors to enjoy spectacular panoramic views of York’s skyline from a new roof deck, constructed in a way which also helps to protect the historic stonework.

The deck will be accessed by new internal walkways and historic stairwells which provide access for the first time to features on the first floor, helping visitors garner a better understanding of the history and historical layout of the tower.

The territory director for the North at English Heritage, Andrea Selley, said: “Many people in York will have seen the tower covered in scaffolding over the past few months, and we’re now delighted to be able to take this down and open the doors to the public.

“The team have worked hard through the pandemic and sometimes appalling weather conditions and we’re pleased with what they’ve achieved.

“We set out to deliver a project that the people of York would be proud of, and would feel does justice to the significance of this important monument - we can’t wait to welcome people back and to see what they think.”.

New visitor information will also help place the tower in the context of the historical landscape of York, as well as shedding light on its long and turbulent history.

The new information panels explore, among other episodes, the tower’s role as the site of the tragic 1190 massacre and suicide of York’s Jewish community - one of the worst anti-Semitic events in English history – and explains the role of the castle as both a medieval Royal stronghold and a garrison during the English Civil War.

Through sound recordings, visitors will hear an historic soundscape and stories from key moments in the history of the site, which will be told by local actors.

Work on the restoration project began in November 2020, after the scheme received planning and scheduled monument consent.

It had been hoped that the scheme would be completed in the autumn of last year, although work has been hit by delays caused by Covid-19 restrictions and issues surrounding the supply chain for contractors.

The restoration of Clifford’s Tower has proved to be a contentious scheme after initial plans had to be dramatically revised following a wave of opposition.

English Heritage had originally proposed to build a visitor centre at the base of the castle mound, but abandoned the proposals in 2018 following a public backlash.

Opponents had claimed the planned scheme would set a “disastrous precedent” for the power of developers to build on heritage sites, and irreversibly change the land around the most prominent surviving piece of York’s Royal castle.

An electric Piaggio vehicle will instead sell tickets, memberships and guidebooks parked at the base of the tower.

Tickets go on sale for the reopening of Clifford’s Tower later this week and can be booked online via English Heritage’s website.