Newark
Newark on Trent
The town of Newark its position situated at the crossroads of the great north road, the roman Fosse way and at a key crossing point of the river Trent, gave the town great importance, the town is roman in origin.
The fate of two English kings was decided at Newark that of King John who died at the castle and that of Charles I who gave the surrender order to the castle thereby sealing the parliamentarian victory in the war. King John died of dysentery but not before losing the crown jewels crossing the wash.
Lying between Lincoln and Nottingham it grew rich on the wool trade with the river helping to boost trade. Newark has been fought over down the centuries first by the Saxons and angles then the Danes but it was in the English civil war that the town took center stage.
Newark was a royalist stronghold and played a prominent role in the conflict being besieged by Cromwell’s forces 3 times in nine years on the last occasion they capitulated on orders from Charles I thereby ending the war.
Today when visiting the town it is easy to see how the conflict shaped its eventual growth all around are references to this not just in the street names but also in the buildings.
Nowadays Newark is a pretty Nottinghamshire market town that is quite prosperous, the market is held in the lovely square most days surrounded by magnificent historic buildings.
The Old White Hart inn is mentioned by Nicholas Pevsner, look out for the Charles I coffee house and the beautiful Palladian town hall that now houses a museum and Art Gallery, as well as medieval buildings there are fine Georgian examples to be found on Appleton Gate, Castle Gate and London road.
With a mix of independent shops and the market shoppers are well catered for the antiques market is particularly represented with fairs being regularly held in the town.
Activities in Newark
Museums
National Civil War Centre - English Civil war Museum and Centre
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