Morgan Sindall has started dismantling the huge crane that has dominated Norwich’s skyline for the past four years as part of the Norwich Castle Royal Palace Reborn project.
Since it was erected in September 2020, the 41.5m Jaso J160.10 saddle jib tower crane has transported all the project’s materials from the compound in Castle Gardens onto the mound on which the castle sits, while also removing deconstructed material.
Preparation for the crane’s removal started on 18 November with the associated works continuing following its removal until Tuesday 3 December, subject to weather conditions.
The work will involve moving all the hoarding structures, to make way for the mobile crane which will dismantle the tower crane in sections, and the creation of an exclusion zone in Castle Gardens.
The hoardings will be reinstated once the tower crane has been transported from the site and works will continue.
Creative solutions to onsite challenges
With a seven-tonne weight limit on the castle bridge, the crane has been the only way of transporting the materials required for the project onto the mound, which, as a scheduled ancient monument, needs to be protected.
Materials included steels for a new toilet block, steels and glass for the bridge, and glazing for the castle’s new atrium entrance, which opened in July 2024.
Morgan Sindall Construction is undertaking the £18m restoration project.
Once the project is complete, it is hoped the improvements will make it the most accessible castle in the UK.
Alister Broadberry, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Eastern Counties, said: “Operating on a site which dates back 900 years means we’ve been uncovering centuries-old secrets and have had to think innovatively about how to create a high-end environment within such a historic setting.
“The tower crane was a key example of coming up with creative solutions to overcome onsite challenges while treating this unique building with the utmost care and respect it deserves.”
