Dover Castle was more
colourful than ever on Saturday night to celebrate the re-opening
of the Norman Keep as The Great Tower.

The historic building has undergone a complete
transformation, and English Heritage say anyone who thought
medieval times were drab and grey will be astonished as they are
transported to the royal court of Henry II, with its incredible
opulence, richly furnished and shockingly coloured chambers and
equally colourful characters and lives.

Guests take centre stage as they journey through the three
floors of the Great Tower, with rooms lavishly recreated to become
a truly immersive medieval world.

From Henry II – one of the most powerful monarchs in history –
and his strong-willed wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, to the court
jester – Roland the Farter – who famously performed his favourite
joke 'a leap, a whistle and a fart’ for the King on Christmas
Day!

Watch the colourful
events at the castle and hear about the transformation.

For the opening on Saturday, King Henry II held court and
invited guests to settle their disputes not by a sword fight, but
in a new way - by putting their case to a jury of 12 men.

A totally new exhibition, with plenty of interactivities for
youngsters, tells the story of Henry II and his troublesome
Devil’s Brood.

It also explains why and how the Great Tower became a
symbol of royal power throughout England and Europe in the Middle
Ages.

The transformed Great Tower at Dover Castle is being described
as one of the most significant heritage tourism developments in the
UK.

To celebrate the transformation, the outside of the Great Tower
was given a much more modern make-over.

Light projections were used to give the castle a stunning new
appearance, and one of the tower’s enormous 35-metre walls was
being made into a blank canvas so that visitors could use a
computer program to colour in the wall, using a virtual paintbrush
to create their own designs.

It was the first time such a system had been used on this
scale anywhere in the world.