TOMORROW will see one of Carlisle’s most popular museums reopen its doors for the first time in almost three months.

Carlisle Castle and Cumbria’s Museum of Military Life will be among the first cultural venues to open in the city after the lockdown.

After weeks of preparations, both organisations, working in close collaboration and following national guidance, are ready to welcome visitors.

Recently, Cumbria’s Museum of Military Life received £31,000 from Arts Council England’s Emergency Response Fund, part of which will be used to help with plans to reopen and to support its workforce and its activities over the coming months.

Museum manager Jules Wooding said: “We have been following guidance from Public Health England and the cultural sector to ensure that we can open safely and want to reassure visitors we have taken every precaution.

“This has been a tremendously challenging time financially for the arts and cultural sector, and the Arts Council funding is a great vote of confidence in our team and for Carlisle.”

The museum aims to keep it local and support local businesses and would like to thank Barry Tait of Tait Engineering for the screen that will be used to protect visitors and staff at the museum’s reception desk.

Te ensure visitors and staff are kept safe, Carlisle Castle and the museum will be operating a joint ticketing for both venues via an online ticketing system.

Numbers will be limited each hour and the site will be monitored by staff.

If you are a member your ticket will be free but you still need to book in advance.

There will be other new steps in place to ensure everyone’s safety, so your visit will be a little different.

Tickets can be booked through the www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/carlisle-castle/

Toilets will be available and the cafe will be open between 11am and 3pm thanks to local partners Watts.

The Captain’s Tower, the inner and outer ward and two floors of the Keep will be open.

There will be some restricted access to other arts of the castle including the De’Ireby tower. The militia store exhibition will be closed.

The shop will be open as normal for visitors, as will the military life museum.

For any enquiries about reopening please contact enquiries@cmoml.org or telephone 01228 532774.

Following the Covid-19 crisis, the Arts Council has developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90 per cent coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. Find out more at www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19