Knaresborough Castle Lighting project: Groundwork set to begin

Work is set to begin on a project to 'paint Knaresborough Castle with light' and help draw more visitors to the town.
Work begins tomorrow at Knaresborough CastleWork begins tomorrow at Knaresborough Castle
Work begins tomorrow at Knaresborough Castle

Pre-planning ground work begins early tomorrow morning (Monday, October 22) for Knaresborough Town Council's Castle Lighting Project. Under the supervision of an archaeologist a small trench will be dug in the grounds of the castle, so power can be drawn from the gardeners store at the keep.

LED lights will eventually be installed in the grounds, with plans for a variety of themed light displays that will be projected onto the castle in the evening.

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Chair of KTC's Knaresborough Castle Working Group, Coun Christine Willoughby said: "I think this is a fantastic opportunity for the castle to take its place in the town. People will hopefully be able to see it from Waterside and surrounding area, and help the castle yard to be a pleasant area to enjoy after dark. It will be beautifully lit up, almost painted with light."

Work begins tomorrow at Knaresborough CastleWork begins tomorrow at Knaresborough Castle
Work begins tomorrow at Knaresborough Castle

The planning application for the project is still being considered, but this initial work will be carried out until the half term, so events such as Creepy Castle (October, 27 to November, 4) can still go ahead in the castle grounds. Work will resume on November 5.

Details of the plan are still being considered, including the amount of light pollution that could be generated - with houses located close to the castle grounds.

A grant of £20,000 has been put towards the project from Harrogate Borough Council's District Improvement Fund.

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Last year a temporary version of the lighting scheme was put in place. The permanent installation would see it draped in a variety of colours, to mark events such as centenary of the First World War.

Video footage of the temporary installation, supplied by Redkite Dynamics, captured the castle as it was draped in gold and red light.

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