VISITORS to historic Highcliffe Castle can once again explore the inside of this magnificent Grade 1 Listed building, which reopened on Sunday.

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 and virtual exhibitions.

Following the easing of lockdown, a range of safety measures have been implemented to support its safe reopening to the public.

Councillor Vikki Slade, deputy leader of BCP Council, said: “It is great to finally be welcoming visitors back to Highcliffe Castle on September 20. This historic castle is a landmark destination in our area and one that many people enjoy visiting.

“While our grounds have been open 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.”

Highcliffe Castle will be operating on a reduced capacity with entrance every half hour, and a one-way system will be in place to provide a safe route through the castle.

Face coverings must always be worn by visitors unless they are exempt.

The castle will be open from Sundays to Thursdays 10am to 4pm with the last entrance at 2pm.

Visitors must now book their tickets in advance on the website highcliffecastle.co.uk