Nottingham City Council is reopening its museums at Wollaton Hall & Deer Park and Newstead Abbey & Gardens from Saturday 1 August, as government restrictions are eased.  

Having previously closed all buildings and museums in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City Council has reopened the sites in phases, with the parks and grounds open for the public to enjoy and other facilities gradually resuming over the last few weeks, including the café kiosk, shops and toilets.

While the buildings have been closed, the City Council’s heritage service has performed risk assessments of the buildings and made necessary preparations to welcome visitors back safely. These measures include:

  • Hand-wash stations have been installed.
  • Queuing systems in place in buildings, toilets, café kiosk, and the courtyard to help the flow of visitors and manage capacity on site.
  • Marked spaces on the floor to help visitors socially distance.
  • A Track and Trace system in place for anyone entering the Hall, Historic House and Museums.
  • Face coverings are strongly encouraged, to enable social distancing indoors.
  • All payments to be made by contactless payment, including entry, car parking, café kiosk and external vendors on site.

Wollaton Hall’s Natural History Museum has also undergone a phase of its transformation to make the space more engaging for visitors of all ages, so visitors will see further changes when they visit.  Its Formal Gardens will also reopen to the public for the first time on Saturday 1 August, so visitors can enjoy a stroll in all areas of the grounds.

Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, Cllr Dave Trimble, said: “I am delighted that we are in a position to reopen our heritage buildings that are the heart of our venues, with new measures to deliver services safely.

“We are looking forward to welcoming visitors back, as we recognise the valuable role that both Wollaton Hall & Deer Park and Newstead Abbey & Gardens play in supporting not only the people of Nottingham, though also the Heritage, Tourism and Events industry on a national scale.”

Visitors are recommended to check the online page before each visit, to keep up to date with any changes to facilities: www.wollatonhall.org.uk/coronavirus and www.newsteadabbey.org.uk/coronavirus.