Highcliffe Castle to reopen to visitors with safety measures in place

Visitors to historic Highcliffe Castle can once again explore the inside of this magnificent Grade 1 Listed building when the Castle reopens on Sunday 20 September.

The Castle, which is owned and operated by BCP Council, had to close its doors due to the coronavirus pandemic in late March.

During lockdown, the castle continued to stay active by introducing a range of activities to help its members and visitors stay connected to the Castle including online family activities; a Castle blog; virtual exhibitions; and regular social media posts, but following the easing of lockdown, a range of safety measures have been implemented to support its safe reopening to the public.

The Castle will be open Sundays – Thursdays 10am – 4 pm with the last entrance at 2pm. Visitors to the Castle must now book their tickets in advance on the Castle’s website www.highcliffecastle.co.uk which opens for bookings from Monday 14 September. This will allow for visitor numbers to be controlled.

Other safety measures that are being introduced include:

• Reduced capacity in the castle with entrance every half hour
• face coverings to be worn at all times, unless visitors are exempt
• one-way system in place to provide a safe route through the castle.

Visitors are encouraged to arrive before their pre-booked castle timing where they can enjoy a stop at The Castle Kitchen tearooms or a stroll around the picturesque grounds and stunning beach.

Councillor Vikki Slade, Leader of BCP Council commented:

“It is great to finally be welcoming visitors back to Highcliffe Castle on 20 September. This historic castle is a landmark destination in our area and one that many people enjoy visiting.

“While our grounds have been reopen for a while, we wanted to ensure we could reopen safely while following the government guidelines around social distancing and wearing of face coverings. We’ve now put systems in place to provide a safe, welcoming space for both our staff and visitors and we look forward to seeing people exploring the Castle once more, as well as enjoying the open space in the Castle grounds.”

One of the council’s objectives is to connect communities, empowering our communities so everyone feels safe, engaged and included, and the reopening of Highcliffe Castle with safety measures in place plays a big part in keeping everyone safe and helps towards the council’s pledge for vibrant communities with outstanding quality of life where everyone plays an active role.   

For more information or to book tickets to the Castle, please visit www.highcliffecastle.co.uk