Highcliffe Castle celebrates 15th anniversary

An exhibition to mark the 15th anniversary of first opening to the public has been unveiled at Highcliffe Castle.

The Mayor of Christchurch, Cllr Nick Geary, officially opened the exhibition at a celebration attended by volunteers, councillors, officers and others who have been instrumental in the ongoing restoration of the historic building to its former glory.

On 9 June 1995, the doors to the Wintergarden were opened and paying

visitors were first admitted to the building after 20 years of lobbying, planning, design and execution.

On that occasion Lord Montagu of Beaulieu officiated. He was unable to

attend the anniversary celebrations but he generously sent his vintage

Daimler which has featured in several notable moments of the Castle's history.

On opening the exhibition, the Mayor said: “Like a phoenix, Highcliffe Castle rose from the ashes of the catastrophic fires of the late 1960s and the transformation has won over the hearts of many people who had doubted the “Over the last 15 years many more have joined them and now the Castle is justifiably considered to be the jewel in the crown of the Borough.

Visitor numbers exceed 50,000 per year and the comments in the Castle’s visitor book are testament to the appreciation of people from all over the world.”

The exhibition, which is running at the Castle until 12 September 2010, traces the history of the work that led up to the opening and the events which have taken place since then, including the refurbishment of the State Dining Room.

The Castle has now become the most popular venue in Dorset for weddings and more than 1,300 couples have been married there since its first wedding in 1999.

In concluding his speech, the Mayor said: “If the momentum that we have established is continued then we can be hopeful of further development to bring more of the building into service. It’s a great story of triumph against adversity.”