Arundel Castle reveals its first plans for 2021 reopening
The West Sussex castle closes every winter for maintenance and restoration work.
Arundel Castle has revealed its first plans for its Spring 2021 reopening.
It is set to welcome visitors again from Thursday, 1 April, 2021, in time for the Easter bank holiday weekend, following its annual winter closure this Sunday (1 November).
The spring reopening will allow visitors to enjoy the famous Annual Tulip Festival, when huge numbers of the colourful flowers bloom throughout the gardens and grounds.
The gift shop and catering will also be part of next year’s offering, with plans to open up more of the inside of the castle to visitors.
This year, because of social distancing, visitors have only been able to see the gardens, the Regency Library, Baron’s Hall, a view of the Grand Staircase and the Dining Room and Drawing Room.
Castle manager Stephen Manion said:
"Our efforts are focused on providing the best possible visitor experience next year, responding to all the restrictions, guidelines and developments as appropriate to keep our staff and visitors safe.
"Bringing history to life is what we love to do, and we want to assure our visitors that we are doing all that we can to plan for a safe and exciting 2021 open season.
"We would like to say a big thank you to everyone that has supported Arundel Castle throughout the pandemic by visiting and interacting with us; we will keep you as informed as possible as we continue to plan ahead for what we hope will be an enjoyable open season for the entire family."
Each winter, Arundel Castle closes to undergo routine maintenance and restoration work.
It usually reopens in April, shortly before the first blooms of the Annual Tulip Festival, with plans for 2021 set to stay true to tradition.
With reopening subject to government guidelines, Arundel Castle will announce further details of its visitor experience in early 2021.
In the meantime, people can watch video highlights from the 2020 open season online, including virtual tours of the gardens and the Annual Tulip Festival.