As anticipation builds over the reopening of the 900-year-old Norwich Castle keep, many of us will still remember how it used to look in days gone by.

As part of a £15m project, the museum and art gallery has remained open to showcase outstanding collections of fine art, archaeology, and natural history.

While the medieval keep, which is currently closed ahead of being transformed to its former glory as a royal palace, is due to reopen in 2024.

As the wait continues, we take a look at the castle from its development from a prison in the 1800s to today, where it is considered one of the country's best museums. 

 

 

 

Eastern Daily Press: Castle Gardens photographed sometime in the early 1900s.Castle Gardens photographed sometime in the early 1900s. (Image: Newsquest)

Eastern Daily Press: The Castle Book Stall next to the old Agricultural Hall building in the 1920s - replaced by a new stall just after this picture was taken but ceased to be a bookstall in the late 1990s.The Castle Book Stall next to the old Agricultural Hall building in the 1920s - replaced by a new stall just after this picture was taken but ceased to be a bookstall in the late 1990s. (Image: Newsquest)

Eastern Daily Press: Medieval graffiti of a sword located in the keep of Norwich Castle.Medieval graffiti of a sword located in the keep of Norwich Castle. (Image: Newsquest)

Eastern Daily Press: Norwich Castle Gardens sometime in the 1950s.Norwich Castle Gardens sometime in the 1950s. (Image: Newsquest)

Eastern Daily Press: Norwich Castle before the Castle Mall development. Norwich Castle before the Castle Mall development. (Image: Newsquest)

Eastern Daily Press: Whiffler Theatre in Norwich Castle Gardens, 20th June 1983. Whiffler Theatre in Norwich Castle Gardens, 20th June 1983. (Image: Newsquest)

Eastern Daily Press: A view of the bridge leading to Norwich Castle taken from the Castle Gardens, 25th February 1986. A view of the bridge leading to Norwich Castle taken from the Castle Gardens, 25th February 1986. (Image: Newsquest)

Eastern Daily Press: A guided tour of Norwich Castle Museum battlements, 1990. A guided tour of Norwich Castle Museum battlements, 1990. (Image: Newsquest)

Eastern Daily Press: Members of the East Anglian Medieval Association in action at Norwich Castle, 19th December 1992. Members of the East Anglian Medieval Association in action at Norwich Castle, 19th December 1992. (Image: Newsquest)

Eastern Daily Press: Work under way on Norwich Castle Museums glass lift in December 2000.Work under way on Norwich Castle Museums glass lift in December 2000. (Image: Newsquest)

Eastern Daily Press: The Castle dungeon experience included a dramatised staging of a prisoner.The Castle dungeon experience included a dramatised staging of a prisoner. (Image: Newsquest)

Eastern Daily Press: Patricia Day and Lee Warden recreate a Christmas scene at the Castle Keep, 2017.Patricia Day and Lee Warden recreate a Christmas scene at the Castle Keep, 2017. (Image: Newsquest)

Eastern Daily Press: The keep prior to its renovation. The keep prior to its renovation. (Image: Creative Commons/David P. Howard)

Eastern Daily Press: Works are under way to recreate the castle's keep to its Norman-era layout.Works are under way to recreate the castle's keep to its Norman-era layout. (Image: Newsquest)