Oakham Castle reopens after major restoration project

I went over to Oakham today for the official reopening of its castle after a £2m restoration project.

The castle grounds and town centre were en fête with more or less Norman attractions.

There is a report on BBC News:

Oakham Castle, in Rutland, has been closed since September to allow for the restoration of the Great Hall and cleaning of the 230 commemorative horseshoes inside. 

The ancient defensive walls have also been revealed for the first time in 150 years. 

It is one of the oldest surviving secular buildings in the country. 

Oakham Castle, which dates back to 1180, was built as a manor house and was later heavily fortified with walls, a moat and a drawbridge but by the 16th Century most of the castle was a ruin.

If you want to know more about the archaeology of the site, there is a helpful episode of Time Team.

To an  occasional visitor like me, the revelation of the walls around the site is striking.