Lincoln Castle is to undergo a multi-million pound redevelopment to "bring the castle to life," which includes opening the Victorian male prison for the first time in years.

Both prison buildings will be refurbished and the project will see the creation of a new vault to showcase Magna Carta and the Charter of the Forest.

The castle walls will also be repaired and a complete wall walk will be created, along with a new cafe, shop and education space.

The project is planned to be completed in time for Magna Carta's 800th anniversary in 2015.

In addition to the £12m funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the £5.2m from the Lincolnshire County Council, a bid has been made for £5m of European funding. The remaining cost will be raised through further fundraising and a charity called the Historic Lincoln Trust.

In order to repair damage caused by harsh weather conditions, repairs have already begun on the South Curtain wall.

An independent assessment concluded that the project could lead to a 29-55 per cent increase and a £36-£68m boost for the Lincoln tourism economy.

Martin Hill, leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said: "The project will make Lincoln Castle one of the country's top historic attractions, attracting thousands more visitors. As many visitors to Lincoln stay in rural Lincolnshire, we would expect these economic benefits to be felt across the county.

"Not only are we ensuring that this important local landmark is kept in good condition for future generations, we're writing new pages in the castle's history."