THE REVAMP

Erin Davidson of Feilden Mawson was lead architect on the project to transform Norwich Castle Keep. She takes us on a behind the scenes tour.

'I'm enjoying looking at people enjoying themselves,' says Erin Davidson, as a little girl dressed as a dragon skips past.

As lead architect, Erin has been a central figure in the project to transform Norwich Castle Keep into the People's Palace, shaping the design and working through the challenges of working on such a significant Grade I listed building which sits on top of a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The extensively refurbished Keep is the largest heritage project to open in the UK this year. The £27.5m scheme was made possible with a grant of more than £13m from the National Lottery Heritage fund, £12m contributed by Norfolk County Council and the rest from other sources.

The splendour of the Keep's medieval past has now been recreated, offering visitors an immersive experience like never before.

For the first time in the Keep's 900-year history, visitors can now access all five floors, from basement to battlements, including spectacular views across Norwich from the rooftop. Whether visitors are exploring with a pushchair, mobility aid or with curious children, the castle has been recreated with everyone in mind.

Original medieval floors and rooms have been meticulously - and sympathetically - reinstated and are furnished to create an authentic sense of what life was like in a Norman royal castle.

To those that have visited previously it will seem almost unrecognisable as it takes visitors back to how it was in 1121. They will be able to step into the past as they move through the beautiful rooms - the Great Chamber, The Chapel, one of the Keep's kitchens and the centrepiece Great Hall - where they can sit on a throne, dress up like a Norman noble or just enjoy the space and sense of grandeur.

Immersive storytelling is also at the heart of the new experience, with specially commissioned audio visuals, which run throughout the day using the walls of the huge Great Hall, creating a sense of spectacle appropriate to a royal palace which in 12th century England was at its height as a centre of power.

To bring the Keep's fascinating history to life, authentically Romanesque-styled furnishings and details has taken the talents of an amazing team of people - from curators to archaeologists to academics and architects, experts, skilled craftsmen and women and volunteers.

One of the highlights includes the Norwich Friends' Tapestry. Inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, this beautiful 19 metre long embroidery now hangs in the King's Chamber. It narrates two rebellions in the east of England against William the Conqueror and has been meticulously created by a team of 50 dedicated local volunteers. The tapestry is one of many hand-crafted textiles which also include banners, wall hangings, costumes and other textiles produced by volunteers in more than 30,000 hours of dedicated work.

The reconstructed Great Hall is shown as if ready for the King's Christmas visit with replica thrones handmade and painted by Stephen Beatty.

Visitors experience the immersive projections which tell the story of the medieval building in the Great Hall of Norwich Castle Keep. (Image: Norfolk Museums Service)

And the beautiful ironwork on the recreated door to the Great Hall has been created by the team at Holkham Forge, inspired by a surviving 12th century door at Raveningham Church.

Across the project the changes and interventions have been implemented with great sensitivity in order to protect the hugely significant Grade I listed building sited on top of a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Future-proofing the building as the climate changes has also been a huge consideration, with bigger capacity drainage to cope with an increase in rainfall installed along with vents that open automatically to protect the ancient timbers and artefacts from higher summer temperatures.

Architects Feilden Mawson specialise in the restoration and adaptation of historic buildings and the team worked alongside skilled engineers, contractors and conservation experts to bring the castle alive for future generations.

Erin grew up in Canada and decided that she wanted to be an architect at the age of nine.

'I was very ambitious in school making sure I was taking sciences, maths, arts, and then it wasn't until university where I found this synergy with historic buildings,' she says.

'I went to school in Ottawa, our very historic capital, and I remember the term we were asked to go and put a new building between two existing buildings just off the the parliament buildings and I think I just found my stride. That was a key lightbulb moment.'

Erin spent some time in Rome during her studies, which was another inspiration.

'I just remember walking around there looking at these buildings and asking how in the world did they build these?' she says.

After university she relocated to London, intending to stay for a year. A quarter of a century on, she is happily settled in Norfolk with her family.

In 2017 Feilden Mawson won the work to take the Keep project from RIBA stage three through to sign off and completion. It initially was being run by Hugh Feilden, a partner in the firm, who sadly died in August 2019.

'I stepped into very large shoes to take over the job,' she says. 'I had to step up quite quickly and understand the layers and layers and layers of history and decision making.'

The atrium at the new entrance to Norwich Castle.........

© Norwich Evening News