Castle Rushen is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Registered Building (24) and is amongst the best examples of medieval castles in the British Isles.
This project makes improvements to the accessibility to the castle’s keep and also provides a new entrance ticket area and shop.
The new bridge offers some indication, to the curious visitor, of how the original drawbridge functioned, the configuration of decking boards and handrails making the sections distinct.
A ramp, steps and new timber deck in the keep provide level access to the new Manx National Heritage exhibition charting the castle’s construction and history. The materials for the bridge and ramps sit in muted background to the castle, oak handrails, galvanised steel rails, corten steel and timber ramps and decks.
At the end of the barbican entrance to the castle, the stone archways of the outer guard house have been enclosed to form a new ticket area and shop. Painted steel arches provide a simple and neutral frame to new glazing and glazed doors and a new oak floor provides level access through this area.
Approvals were granted in October 2017 and the project was completed the following May.
Manx National Heritage made a short film of the castle which walks over the drawbridge and also flies over the top and into the keep.
More recently, we have assisted Manx National Heritage with a refurbishment of the former Court House, partially reinstating the vaulted ceiling and refurbishing the roof lantern. This work was undertaken in time to host the investiture of the 31st Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man in July 2021.
Photographs © Patricia A Tutt