The Prince was taken on a journey back in time as he travelled deep under the streets of modern-day York to Viking street level where new Chair of York Archaeological Trust, the parent charity of the attraction, Anthony Robards OBE, CEO David Jennings and Director of Attractions Sarah Maltby led a tour of the newly re-imagined centre.
Highlights of the visit included: taking in an audio-visual show telling the story of the Coppergate dig, the excavation in the 1970s and 80s that led to the creation of JORVIK in the ‘Discover Coppergate’ gallery; experiencing sights, sounds and even smells of the 10th-century city over 1,000 years ago on the special JORVIK ride and finally exploring the precious finds that inspired the building of the Viking Centre in the brand new artefacts gallery where the Prince was presented with a replica Viking-age coin by one of the resident Vikings.
“We were delighted to welcome the His Royal Highness, The Duke of Kent to explore the impact the Vikings have had on York and the wider country. It has been a phenomenal few months since we reopened JORVIK in April, with strong visitor numbers and excellent feedback on the re-imagined centre, so we were proud to showcase the hard work of the team today.”
Commented Sarah Maltby, who led the successful ‘re-imagining JORVIK’ project.
JORVIK Viking Centre is open daily from 10am to 5pm (last admission) admission tickets are £10.25 for adults, £7.25 for children and £8.25 for concessions. Pre-booking is recommended at www.jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk.
ENDS
JORVIK Viking Centre reopened on 8th April 2017 after a 16 month re-development and ‘re-imagining’ following the flooding the attraction sustained during the Boxing Day floods in December 2015.
The total budget for the re-imagining of JORVIK Viking Centre was £4.03 million, of which £2.83 million came from insurance and £1.2 million was raised by York Archaeological Trust through a range of initiatives, including grant applications and #CampaignCanute. All of the work on the exhibition was completed by RMA Themed Attractions, who have designed and installed JORVIK’s displays since work began in 1983. Artefact displays and gallery lighting are by York-based Petrichor Associates.
JORVIK Viking Centre is owned and operated by York Archaeological Trust, a registered charity.
Media Contact:
Paul Whiting
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