Caring for the Castle
Playing our part in a 1,000-year story
Tamworth Castle has stood at the heart of the town for nearly a thousand years. It has been built, rebuilt, adapted, defended, repaired and protected by many generations of Tamworthians.
From its beginnings as an Anglo-Saxon centre of power, through Norman, Medieval, Tudor, Georgian and Victorian phases, the castle has constantly evolved. Every generation has left its mark. Sometimes carefully, sometimes imperfectly, but always with the same underlying truth: the castle only survives because people cared enough to act.
In 1897, the castle entered a new chapter when it was purchased for the people of Tamworth and opened as a public museum. From that moment on, its future became a shared civic responsibility.
So today, it is our turn.
Caring for the Castle is a long-term commitment to look after this historically and nationally significant monument, not just through one major project, but through an ongoing programme of care, understanding and stewardship.
Tamworth Castle is not a static relic. It is a complex structure, which responds to weather, water, movement and time.
Caring for a building of this age is an ongoing process. The work is never truly done.
What matters is an intimate knowledge of how the castle works, recognising its signals, and responding with the right care, materials and expertise.
Why this work is needed now
In recent years, serious issues have emerged.
Masonry began to fall away. Parts of the building moved. Scaffolding was required simply to keep the castle open.
Detailed investigations, including 18 months of specialist monitoring supported by Historic England, revealed that long-standing drainage failures and the different layers of historic alterations are putting the castle’s structure at risk.
Water trapped within the mound beneath the castle is now affecting walls, floors and internal spaces.
Climate change, bringing heavier and more frequent rainfall, has accelerated problems the castle was never designed to face.
In 2023, it was placed on the Heritage at Risk Register.
Without action, parts of the castle’s historic fabric could be lost forever.
The MEND project: a critical next step
Tamworth Castle has been awarded £1,716,238 from the Arts Council England Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND), and £190,695 from Tamworth Borough Council to address some of the most urgent repairs.
The MEND project is the largest and most comprehensive restoration programme undertaken in the castle’s modern history. It seeks to tackle the deeper underlying structural issues that are impacting the castle as a whole, and causing the visible symptoms on the surface.
It won’t fix everything, but it will address the biggest current risks, including:
- Repairing historic drainage systems
- Stabilising areas of structural movement
- Addressing unsafe masonry
- Improving environmental conditions for museum collections, including items from the Staffordshire Hoard
This project does not solve every issue the castle faces, but it represents a vital step towards securing its long-term future.
Being on the Heritage at Risk Register does not mean the castle is beyond saving. It means it is important enough to protect, and these works will go a long way to doing that.
Read more: Castle receives MEND award through Arts Council England
The MEND project areas of work
To keep the castle open as much as possible, the works will take place in carefully-planned phases. Different areas will be worked on at different times, allowing visitors to continue enjoying the castle, while witnessing and learning about the important restoration work first hand.
While the phases of work will be planned by the appointed contractors, the areas to be worked on include:
South Wing (ground floor) - Drainage, structure and internal areas from the Townsend Room to the cellar.
Upper South Wing - Addressing long-standing water ingress and roof issues.
North Wing - Stabilising bay windows, walls and historic openings that have moved over time.
The Motte and slopes - Critical work to the mound that supports the entire castle.
Our generation’s legacy
For nearly 1,000 years, people have protected Tamworth Castle.
Caring for the Castle and the current MEND programme is making sure we do what is needed today to ensure that, 40 generations from now, people will still be able to walk these rooms, see the artefacts it houses, and experience the mark left by the Tamworthians who came before them.
Join us on the journey
This work will take time.
There will be scaffolding, disruption at times, and change.
But there will also be discovery, learning, and, we hope, a deeper connection with the castle than ever before.
We invite you to:
- Follow the journey
- Learn about the work
- See behind the scenes
- Become part of this generation’s Tamworth Castle legacy
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