1982 due to financial problems. Museum and arts centre In the 1980s, the site was bought by Clwyd County Council with the aim of developing the castle as a visitor attraction. The historic house and grounds were opened to the public and managed by Bodelwyddan Castle Trust, an independent registered charity. Partnerships were formed with the National Portrait Gallery and the Royal Academy of Arts, so that the castle could be used to display objects from these collections. In order to house these items, the interior of the castle was restored by Roderick Gradidge, an expert on Victorian architecture. The portrait gallery opened in 1988 and was named Museum of the Year in 1989. The castle's association with the National Portrait Gallery came to an end in 2017 after its funding was cut by Denbighshire County Council. Closure of the castle and grounds In 2017 Denbighshire County Council decided to sell the site. In February 2019, the property's 99-year lease castle was still listed for sale; by June 2019, the Bodelwyddan Castle Trust stated that the historic house had been closed. The gardens and park remained open to visitors at that time. In August 2019, the trustees advised that in addition to the castle, "public access is no longer granted for the woodlands, parklands, play area and trench experience". In mid-2021, Bourne Leisure Hotels agreed to purchase the remaining part of the Castle from Denbighshire County Council which had bought the lease to the building. Bourne planned to fully refurbish the castle and to operate it via its Warner Leisure Hotels subsidiary which was already operating the hotel area on the property. The Council would retain the woodland, the meadow, a car park and the agricultural lands as well as the small lodge on the edge of the property. Bodelwyddan Castle Hotel Part of the site was leased to the Rank Organisation in 1994 for development into a luxury hotel, Bodelwyddan Castle Hotel, operated by Warner Leisure Hotels. According to the historic listing, the hotel is located "within the domestic yard". The historic house and grounds are distinct from the hotel, although Warner did consider purchasing the site in 2017. During the closure of the castle to tourists, the hotel area of the property was not affected and continued to operate. Gardens The castle is set within a large area of parkland, and formal gardens, the most recent of which