Castleton National Park Centre - an update

Our National Park Centre in Castleton has undergone a considerable amount of renovation this year to improve the site and make it a more welcoming place for everyone to enjoy. The ambitious scope of the project has, understandably, raised some questions, concerns and frustrations from local residents which we felt important to address in this update.

Our goal is to secure the future of Castleton National Park Centre, and community is at the heart of this vision. Donor funding has secured the short-term future of this National Park Centre but, to ensure the longevity and survival of the site, we needed to create a useable and commercially viable space to become financially sustainable.

The budget we receive from Defra to operate our day-to-day services is limited, but we have secured additional government funding, reserved for projects like this, to improve facilities and support the long-term sustainability of National Park.

Renovation of both the inside of the building and the surrounding area outside will allow us to improve the visitor experience, provide support to local businesses and remain a place our residents will be proud of. The work has taken longer than expected but we are very much in sight of the finish line; thank you for your patience.

Inside the building, we have created a versatile area for tenants and partners with new café, retail and commercial spaces. This includes our friends at Castleton Historic Society, who have retained exhibition space to display the rich history and heritage of the village.

All income generated from these new opportunities goes straight back into looking after our national park and supports our work in nature and wildlife conservation, improved accessibility, trail maintenance and repair, and more.

We are currently working on transforming the outdoor courtyard into more flexible and community-focussed space which will host seasonal markets and local events. When complete, the area will include planting and new seating which anyone is welcome to use - whether you’ve brought your own picnic, purchased something from the café, or simply wish to stop for a rest and enjoy the scenery.

We're grateful to everyone for their patience and understanding as we work through these challenges for an outcome that can be enjoyed by all.