Big plans revealed for a new chapter at Tutbury Castle

There aren’t many places around Burton where a Sunday lunch could come with almost 1,000 years of history on the side.

But that’s part of the vision for Tutbury Castle, where Bespoke Inns has revealed an exciting programme of plans designed to bring new life to the historic site over the next few years.

The local hospitality company - which runs The Dragon at Willington, The Boot at Repton, The Hart at Uttoxeter and The Bubble at Stenson - is taking over the running of the castle and has now given us our clearest look yet at what it hopes to create there.

And there’s rather a lot on the drawing board.

🍽️ Sunday lunch at the castle

One of the biggest proposals is a new Castle Atrium, a large event space within the grounds which Bespoke says could host weddings, celebrations, community events and larger functions throughout the year.

The company says it wants the new structure to be sympathetic to the historic surroundings while providing the modern facilities needed to make greater use of the castle.

But it won’t just be for private events. The plan is to open the Atrium to the public every Sunday, except when larger events are taking place, giving visitors the rather splendid prospect of enjoying Sunday lunch within the castle grounds.

Mother’s Day afternoon teas are also mentioned in the plans.

The current forecast is for the Atrium to arrive in spring or summer 2027, subject to planning permission.

☕ A new café – and ice cream on the sward

The castle is also set to get a new café, described by Bespoke as the future “beating heart of The Castle”.

It is intended to become a welcoming place for walkers, visitors, local residents and event guests, with an emphasis on good food and local produce.

Longer term, Bespoke hopes to establish a permaculture garden and vegetable beds which could provide ingredients for the café.

There are also plans for The Muster, a grab-and-go outlet serving treats including ice creams and milkshakes. The company paints an appealing picture of sitting outside in the sunshine after a walk, dog at your feet and ice cream in hand.

Both are currently forecast for spring 2027.

🛏️ Fancy sleeping in a castle?

Bespoke also plans to transform the upper floor of the castle’s main house into accommodation.

The proposals include a four-bedroom apartment, with two bathrooms, a kitchenette and a living area within the current Great Hall. It could be used by wedding and event guests as well as being available for private stays.

The Great Hall itself would double as a rather impressive place for bridal parties to get ready before weddings.

Accommodation for up to six guests is forecast for summer 2027, with a further room and en-suite planned for spring 2028, subject to planning.

Meanwhile, rooms on the ground floor could become a private dining and events space. So, should you ever have thought “this dinner party is fine, but what it really needs is a castle”, your moment may finally be approaching.

When it isn't being privately hired, Bespoke says it intends to use the space for community events, helping to keep as much of the castle accessible to the public as possible.

🌿 Shepherd huts and camping within the grounds

The longer-term plans stretch beyond the castle buildings.

Bespoke is exploring a small collection of shepherd huts within the historic grounds, each with its own bedroom, bathroom and seating area.

The illustrative plan even includes a terrace and hot-tub area.

Seasonal camping and glamping are proposed too, giving wedding guests and other visitors the opportunity to stay within the grounds.

Understandably for a site with this much history beneath your feet, the plans place considerable emphasis on protecting the landscape and archaeology. Bespoke proposes putting the huts on raised platforms using ground-screw foundations to minimise disturbance.

These are forecast for spring 2028, subject to planning permission.

🌱 Bringing nature into the plans

It isn't all weddings, lunches and somewhere nice to sleep.

Bespoke's vision includes a substantial environmental element, with permaculture and biodiversity incorporated across the site, from the car park and woodland to less accessible areas of the castle mound.

There are even ambitions to introduce livestock to help naturally fertilise the land and control pests. Chickens, goats, rare-breed cattle and the famous Tutbury peacocks all get a mention — along with a few thousand bees.

The plans also include wellbeing and recovery retreats, classes and volunteering programmes. A proposed social-prescribing programme would involve referrals from healthcare providers and aim to help people experiencing issues including loneliness and anxiety through activities at the castle.

No firm timetable has yet been given for these elements.

🛝 And yes, there could be a castle slide

Perhaps the proposal most likely to catch the attention of younger visitors is a new children's play area within the castle walls.

The idea is still at an early stage, but Bespoke says it wants to create something imaginative and sympathetic to the surroundings.

And then comes one particularly intriguing sentence in its plans: “We may even be exploring the possibility of building a slide down the Mount!”

A children's play area is currently pencilled in for summer 2027, subject to planning.

Further ahead, Bespoke is working with the Duchy on plans for a walkway through the castle's historic dry moat, allowing visitors to experience the site from the perspective of those who once approached its defences. That's forecast for summer 2028.

There are also proposals for semi-permanent market stalls inside the castle walls, selling artisan products made by local craftspeople, again with a target of summer 2028.

🏰 A castle brought back to life

Taken together, the plans suggest something considerably bigger than simply reopening Tutbury Castle for occasional visits.

The vision is for a place where people can pop in for coffee after a walk, have Sunday lunch, attend community events, get married, stay overnight, browse locally made products or simply explore the grounds.

There are important caveats. Several of the projects remain subject to planning permission, some are still at an early stage, and the document describes its dates as forecast timelines rather than firm opening dates. The impressive images showing how some of the developments might look are also explicitly described as illustrative, with several AI-generated.

But if even much of the vision becomes reality, the next few years could bring a significant new chapter for Tutbury Castle - keeping its history very much intact while finding plenty of new reasons for people to walk through those gates.