In the late 1980s the prospects for Highcliffe Castle weren’t good, following two fires the roofless ruin was gradually being overgrown by vegetation and the structure became more unstable with each episode of stormy weather. This instability meant that visitors could only admire the building from the other side of a security fence.
 
In 1989 The Friends of Highcliffe Castle Action Group was formed by local people in order to promote the plight of the Castle. Alongside Christchurch Borough Council and English Heritage, the group worked hard to gain public support for the project and to work towards a future for this magnificent building. With a number of people calling for the Castle’s demolition, this proved to be a long and difficult process.
 
Work started on the repair of the building in 1994 and the first room to be made secure was the Wintergarden. It was then agreed to allow the newly founded Highcliffe Castle Charitable Trust to run a visitor centre from within this restored room. On the 9th June 1995 this was officially opened and for the first time in two decades the public could gain access to the inside of the building.
 
This exhibition looks back on that opening and the 15 years that have seen the Castle rise from the ashes to become the celebrated attraction and community resource that it is today.