£37M revamp for Windsor Castle and Palace of Holyroodhouse

The Royal Collection Trust has announced a £37M investment at Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The Royal Collection Trust, who manage the Royal Collection of the Sovereign of the UK, have announced tourist areas at Windsor Castle in Berkshire and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, are to undergo a £37M revamp to improve visitor facilities.

Architectural practice, Purcell has been appointed lead designer for the Future Programme at Windsor Castle, where the original entrance will be reinstated, with improved access to the ground flood state apartments introduced.

A new café will be built in the 14^th Century medieval undercrost at Windsor Castle, which was an area originally used for the storage of wine and other provisions.  There will also be a visitor centre with facilities for schoolchildren.

Burd Haward Architects will deliver the project at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where £10M has been allocated for the renovation work.

The outside space – including Holyrood Abbey, the grounds and forecourt – will be redeveloped in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland.

The Abbey Strand buildings will be restored to a house learning centre just outside the palace gates.

Jonathan Marsden – Director of the Royal Collection Trust, which is funding the work – said: “People have been visiting Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse for centuries and now more than 1.5 million do so every year.

“We want everybody to have a proper sense of arrival, to be able to make choices about how they go about their visits.

“We will interpret the palaces and collections in new ways, open up new spaces to the public and we’re going to create two purpose-built learning centres.”

The work is due to commence early next year and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

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