Posted on Wednesday 21st April 2021
Historic Tutbury Castle, near Burton-upon-Trent, will hold a pop-up Covid community testing event this Friday - with people taking a test receiving a voucher for free entry to the castle grounds.
The 11th century Norman castle sits on wooded slopes overlooking the winding River Dove and enjoys spectacular views. Since 2000, the castle has been a popular tourist destination, welcoming thousands of visitors every year.
The castle, best known as one of the prisons of Mary Queen of Scots hosts a variety of events and weddings and is now back open for outdoor visits and limited activities.
Friday’s rapid testing (10:30am - 4:00pm) will be available at the castle’s main car park and is part of the county councils latest push to put community testing in popular outdoor locations, including supermarkets, to encourage people to get tested regularly even if they have no symptoms. People can drop in and do not need to book in advance.
As an added incentive, Tutbury Castle are offering everyone who tests negative free entry - either later that day or on a returning visit. Anybody who happens to test positive on the day can still use their voucher following completion of a successful isolation period.
Dr Richard Harling, Staffordshire County Council’s Director of Health and Care said:
“It is great news that some of our wonderful historic visitor attractions we are blessed with in Staffordshire are able to welcome back visitors again as part of the recent relaxation of regulations.
“There is still the real risk of people spreading the virus without knowing it, as we know 1 in 3 people who have Covid-19 have no symptoms.
“So, fantastic initiatives like this are brilliant to see. It will help make sure businesses can stay open and we can enjoy leisure activities safely.
“Doing all we can to keep Coronavirus cases under control is essential to allow us to look forward with confidence to Stage Three of the roadmap and further freedoms.
“The council is urging all residents to get a Covid test twice a week. If you are in the Tutbury Castle area I would encourage you to head down and get a test. You will get your results in under 30 minutes and then be able to look forward to having a great day out in the knowledge that you are not unwittingly passing on the virus.”
As well as getting a supervised test at the pop-up, kits can be collected for home use.
Lesley Smith, Tutbury Castle’s Curator added:
“All our staff have worked extremely hard to put all the Covid safety measures in place at the castle, as we are committed to make sure we ensure the safety of our returning visitors, staff and the local community.
“Agreeing to host a pop-up testing event and providing an incentive of a free visit was an easy decision to make as we encourage regular Covid testing and wanted to do all we could to promote this important message.”
Tutbury Castle opens from 11:00am to 16:00pm on Friday, for further visitor information and directions please visit https://tutburycastle.com/
People with Covid symptoms should not attend and should self-isolate and book a test at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or ring 119.
For further information on all of the testing options available for people in Staffordshire visit: https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/testing.
The council is keen to remind people that they should still get tested regularly even if they have both doses of the vaccine.