Newark-on-Trent – often simply called Newark – is a really pretty Georgian market town set along the River Trent in Nottinghamshire. The town has a 12th-century castle, famously the place where King John died in 1216. Centuries later the town became a key Royalist stronghold during the English Civil War, enduring multiple sieges that left their mark on its surviving architecture and layout. We discovered that a new Waterstones had opened in Newark just a few days before we were due to head home from our holiday to Scotland, so we diverted our trip so that we could visit. Over the years the building has housed many different shops, some of which include a menswear shop, Dorothy Perkins and Woolworths.
The Georgian Square
Buildings include (as numbered bottom right of photos). 1. The Governor’s House – constructed in 1474, this is a Grade I listed building, and is one of Newark’s oldest structures. The former 18th Century 2. Saracen’s Head Hotel. 3. The Old White Hart Inn – Grade II listed 15th Century. The former 4. Moot Hall, built in 1708. It stopped being a municipal building when the new Town Hall was completed in 1776. Used as shops for many years, it was bought by the electrical retailer Curry’s in 1963 but found to be structurally unsound, and so was restored around a new steel frame, retaining the original frontage. It is currently a Starbucks. 5. Newark Town Hall, constructed between 1774-76. The building also houses a museum and art gallery.
Newark Castle
We really liked Newark which we hadn’t visited before. We’d like to spend more time here, as we only had a short time here on our way home.
Janet's Adventures in Waterstones 