A MASSIVE revamp of Clifford's Tower in York will start in November after winning Scheduled Monument Consent.

English Heritage’s project to carry out vital conservation work and visitor improvements at the historic tower will begin with specialist care on the fabric, and works on creating new internal walkways and a roof deck will follow next spring and summer.

English Heritage says these will be constructed in a way which will protect the stonework, help visitors to better understand the history of the tower and allow them to take advantage of unrivalled views of the York skyline.

The tower, which only reopened from the lockdown last month, will remain open five days a week - Wednesday to Sunday - throughout the first phase of the project through the winter.

However, it will close next spring until later in the summer to allow the most complex works to take place.

Andrea Selley, English Heritage’s Territory Director in the North of England, said: "We are delighted that our project now has all the necessary approvals to begin, and we are looking forward to starting work.

"Clifford’s Tower is one of York’s most important historic sites, and this investment will help protect its historic fabric and improve the experience of those visiting.

“The pandemic has meant we are starting work later than originally planned, but our team and specialist contractors are hugely committed to this project and everyone has pulled out all the stops to get things back on track.

"I am particularly pleased that the tower will now be able to remain open to visitors during the initial conservation works, allowing visitors to witness this important conservation project in action.

“This year has been tough for us all, and York’s tourism industry needs investment now more than ever. I am pleased that despite the challenges, thanks to the unwavering support of our members, visitors and supporters we are still able to deliver on our commitment to undertake this project at Clifford’s Tower.”

The spokeswoman said that although the plans for Clifford’s Tower were being delivered separately to City of York Council’s Castle Gateway Project and York Museums Trust’s plans for the transformation of York Castle Museum, the three organisations would work together so that the story of York Castle was told across the sites in a coherent way.