Timber bridge and 'play maze' to be built at Northampton Castle Mounds site as part of tourist trail

A site at the old Northampton Castle where Thomas Becket was tried will be given a revamp and a new play maze as part of a development project.
A site at the old Northampton Castle where Thomas Becket was tried will be given a revamp and a new play maze as part of a development project.A site at the old Northampton Castle where Thomas Becket was tried will be given a revamp and a new play maze as part of a development project.
A site at the old Northampton Castle where Thomas Becket was tried will be given a revamp and a new play maze as part of a development project.

Northamptonshire Partnership Homes will build a timber boardwalk bridge and boulders to represent the castle wall on a new walkway through the site, while the new play maze would feature a low stone wall to represent the castle’s rooms.

The application will also ensure that existing green space is landscaped, while new railings, steps and heritage boards will also be installed.

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The plans were approved by Northampton Borough Council’s planning committee at The Guildhall on Thursday evening (June 7).

Historic England have given their backing to the project, saying: “The development of Castle Mound will enhance the character of Northampton Castle and will aid the regeneration of Spring Boroughs.”

The plans were unveiled at the Northampton Castle Fanfare at the end of April, where Dr Marie Dickie OBE, chairman of the Friends of Northampton Castle, had said: “We have worked consistently for a recognition and restoration of this historic site.

“We hope that now the place where Thomas Becket was tried, where Kings consulted their barons and treaties and laws were made, will have a growing role as a public park for Northampton.”

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Speaking before the committee gave the project the green light, the council’s development manager Rita Bovey said: “All in all it’s a very good proposal which is supported by Historic

England, and will provide much more welcoming open space for the public – and it has received approval from local residents.”

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