Nottingham Castle Ducal Palace
The entrance to the 17th century ducal palace at the heart of Nottingham Castle.
Constructed by the Duke of Newcastle, William Cavendish and his son Henry between 1674 and 1679, the ducal palace was inspired by Italian architecture of the time. It was the first structure of its kind in England.
The Cavendishes called the building Nottingham Castle. It was ravaged by fire in Reform Act protests in 1832, but restored in 1878 and turned into a museum and art gallery, the first of its kind in the country outside England.
Nottingham Castle stands high above the city on Castle Rock and dates back to medieval times, with the first confirmed structure built in 1067, a year after the Norman Conquest.
Much of the present structure was built in the 17th century or restored thereafter, with some towers and walls dating back to the 12th or 13th centuries.
Close to the medieval gateway and walls stands a bronze statue of Robin Hood, the folk hero outlaw, who is said to have fought the Sheriff of Nottingham, robbed the rich and given to the poor.
At the centre of the castle grounds stands the ducal palace, built by the Duke of Newcastle in 1679 and opened as a city museum in 1878. It stands on the site of the castle’s upper bailey and is now home to an art gallery and museum combined.
Nottingham Castle Ducal Palace
The entrance to the 17th century ducal palace at the heart of Nottingham Castle.
Constructed by the Duke of Newcastle, William Cavendish and his son Henry between 1674 and 1679, the ducal palace was inspired by Italian architecture of the time. It was the first structure of its kind in England.
The Cavendishes called the building Nottingham Castle. It was ravaged by fire in Reform Act protests in 1832, but restored in 1878 and turned into a museum and art gallery, the first of its kind in the country outside England.
Nottingham Castle stands high above the city on Castle Rock and dates back to medieval times, with the first confirmed structure built in 1067, a year after the Norman Conquest.
Much of the present structure was built in the 17th century or restored thereafter, with some towers and walls dating back to the 12th or 13th centuries.
Close to the medieval gateway and walls stands a bronze statue of Robin Hood, the folk hero outlaw, who is said to have fought the Sheriff of Nottingham, robbed the rich and given to the poor.
At the centre of the castle grounds stands the ducal palace, built by the Duke of Newcastle in 1679 and opened as a city museum in 1878. It stands on the site of the castle’s upper bailey and is now home to an art gallery and museum combined.