A historic 12th century royal palace inside the Great Tower at Dover Castle, Kent, has reopened to the public following a major £2.45m refurbishment carried out by English Heritage (EH).

The King's Hall, which was formerly used by King Henry II to entertain foreign pilgrims and dignitaries, has been restored by a team of historians in partnership with 140 artists and craftspeople in order to recreate the venue's medieval interior.

Pepper's Ghosts (light projections of moving figures), costumed re-enactors and audio-visual presentation will be used to enhance the visitor experience, and will help to tell the story of one of the most volatile periods of European history.

The scheme has been funded through the government's Sea Change initiative, designed to revitalise coastal towns across the country, while EH has also provided grant-in-aid to help finance the restoration work.

Dr Edward Impey, EH's director of the King's Hall project, said: "The Great Tower is superbly preserved and still gives an instant impression of the power and ambition of its builder, but, up until now, to understand how it might have functioned, looked and felt in the period of its creation requires a huge leap of the imagination.

"The newly presented rooms will enable visitors to gain a startling and fresh view onto the world of 12th century life, power and politics in the building in which they were played out."

Image: English Heritage