Newark-on-Trent

Newark-on-Trent or simply Newark is a market town of 28,000 people (2011) in Nottinghamshire, on the edge of Sherwood Forest. It’s famous as the place where King Charles I surrendered during the English Civil War.

Newark Castle

Newark has probably been a transport hub since Roman times – here the “Fosse Way” reaches the River Trent, which is navigable. The town prospered through wool and cloth, and in the early 11th century it was owned by Lady Godiva, she of the legendary naked ride. King John died here in 1216, a year after signing Magna Carta. When the English Civil War broke out in 1642 over the powers of the monarch versus parliament, Newark supported the Royalists. But by 1646 Charles I found himself defeated across England and surrendered (actually at nearby Southwell); in 1649 he was beheaded. His son Charles II continued the war until 1651 but then fled into exile, and Britain became a republic. Castles that had resisted parliament were demolished, so Newark Castle became a ruin.

Get in

By road

Newark stands on the A1 some 120 miles (192 km) from London, at the junction with the A46 and A17. You’ll know you’re close when you see the steaming chimneys and silos of the British Sugar plant at Kelham just west of town. The junction is messy, especially when there’s a big event at the Showground, watch out for standing traffic queueing back onto the A1.

The bus station is central, off Lombard street. National Express coaches take just under five hours to London Victoria, with departures at 8AM (NX447 direct) and 9:30AM (on NX339 from Grimsby to Birmingham and the West Country, change at Leicester). Coaches from London Victoria to Newark depart at 2:30PM (NX441, change at Leicester) and 4PM (NX447 for Lincoln/Hull, direct).

By train

🌍 Newark Northgate station, which is Newark-on-Trent's main station is at the north-east edge of town in the Appletongate area. It’s on the East Coast main line between London Kings Cross and the north. Trains to London (operated by LNER) run at least every hour and take 80 min.

🌍 Newark Castle station is near the centre and is on the line between Nottingham, East Midlands Parkway (for East Midlands Airport), Lincoln and Grimsby. These trains are operated by East Midlands Railway and run hourly.

By air

The nearest airport is East Midlands Airport (EMA ^IATA) (30 miles, 50 km). This has good connections across West Europe, including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast. For anything further afield, use the London airports.

A shuttle bus connects EMA with East Midlands Parkway railway station, with direct trains to Newark Castle. EMA airport buses also run from Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and Loughborough.

By boat

Newark stands on the River Trent which is navigable and non-tidal. There is mooring for visiting craft, with two marinas in the town and a harbour at the nearby village of Farndon.

Get around

The town is readily explored on foot. The country around is flat and cyclable.

See

The main sight in town is the castle. Other notable buildings are the church of St Mary Magdalene, and the Governor’s House which is now just a bread shop. The National Civil War Centre is the town’s main museum. Millgate Museum is closed, so you can’t see the “Newark Torc”, a beautiful piece of Iron Age gold found near town by a metal-detectorist.

St Mary Magdalene

• 🌍 Newark Castle, Castlegate NG24 1BG, ☏ [phone]. dusk to dawn for the gardens, guided tours by arrangement. Newark and many other English castles were partly demolished after 1648, not in the heat of battle, but to prevent them ever being used again by rebels (a policy commemorated by Gracie Fields in her song “I’m one of the old ruins that Cromwell knocked about a bit”.) The castle was partly restored in the 19th century; it’s basically a masonry shell set in municipal gardens. (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 National Civil War Centre, 14 Appletongate NG24 1JY, ☏ [phone], ✉ [e-mail]. Daily 10AM-5PM (10AM-4PM winter). In the 1640s, England was torn apart by the bloodiest war ever fought on its soil, which transformed it from absolute monarchy to parliamentary republic. This museum looks at the bigger picture on a national scale, but also delves into how the war affected Newark's local community. Special exhibitions on The World Turned Upside Down and Fake News will make you question whether things have really changed that much since the Civil War. Adult £8, concession £7, child 5-16 years £4, child under 5 free. (updated Feb 2020)

• 🌍 Newark Air Museum (adjoining the showground). (open daily). The flat terrain of Lincolnshire is well-suited to airfields, which during the Second World War were bases for RAF Bomber Command. Many members of the Polish Air Force served in this region and are buried in the war graves plot in Newark Cemetery. General Sikorski, their wartime Prime Minister and military commander, was buried there but his remains were repatriated to Krakow in 1993. (updated Oct 2018)

Memorial cross to General Sikorski, Newark Cemetery

Five miles south-west of town, Southwell has a magnificent minster and several other historic buildings. Here, rather than at Newark, is where King Charles I surrendered; he was then taken to nearby Kelham Hall. Newark to Southwell takes under 20 min on the hourly bus 29, run by Stagecoach Bassetlaw. You can either ask for “SUH-thell” or “South-well”, both pronunciations are used locally.

• 🌍 National Holocaust Centre (Beth Shalom), Acre Edge Road, Laxton, NG22 0PA (13 miles north-west of Newark; you'll need a car.), ☏ [phone], ✉ [e-mail]. Su-F 10AM-4:30PM, last admission 3:30PM. Sa, bank holidays closed. Beth Shalom - meaning "house of peace" in Hebrew - brings together a memorial garden, and two main exhibitions: The Journey, suitable for all ages, is an immersive and empathetic retelling of a 10-year old boy's escape from Berlin via the Kindertransport; The Holocaust Exhibition, suitable for teenagers and up, explores the societal conditions that permit genocide by examining the Holocaust in detail. Complete your visit by meeting a Holocaust survivor, at least one of whom is in attendance every single day. Adult £9, concession £7, valid for 12 months. (updated Feb 2020)

Do

• Skydive: The centre at Skydive Langar is one of the biggest and best equipped in the UK. It lies 30 km south of Newark at Langar NG13 9HY, near Grantham. The usual approach for a beginner is a “tandem” – strapped to an instructor, so minimum training and fitness are needed, but you do need decent weather. Email [e-mail] or call 01949 860878. There’s another big centre further north at Hibaldstow: see Lincoln entry.
• Go to the races at Southwell Racecourse, five miles southwest of Newark. It's an artificial all-weather track with year-round flat-racing and jumps races in winter. Nearby Rolleston station has trains every couple of hours between Newark Castle, Nottingham, Derby & Matlock.
• There are frequent events at Newark Showground, the biggest being the International Antiques & Collectors Fairs held about once a month, see the website for calendar and prices. The Nottinghamshire County agricultural show is held here in mid-May. The showground is in the adjacent village of Winthorpe just NE of the A1, about 3 miles from town centre, on Lincoln Road NG24 2NY.

Buy

• Enjoy the variety of stalls in Newark's market in the market place Tuesday through Saturday.
• Browse the shops along Chain Lane and in the market place.

Eat

For traditional fish & chips, try Middle Gate or Appletongate. The town has the usual range of eateries: Indian, Chinese, Italian, small cafés. The stand-out local restaurant is Caunton Beck 5 miles (8 km) west of town, see listing.

• Asha Tandoori, Stodman Street. Good Indian food. 
• Braith's, Carter Gate. Coffee bar with extensive range of hot & cold sandwiches. 
• Il Castello, Castlegate. Italian 
• Pizza Express, The Wharf. Pizza and Italian cuisine with excellent views over the River Trent. 
• Zizzi's at the Ossington, Great North Road. Pizza & pasta restaurant - brilliant ambience and service. 
• The New King Wah, Bar Gate. Cantonese-style Chinese restaurant. 
• Caunton Beck, Main Street Caunton NG23 6AB, ☏ [phone]. Daily 8:30AM-10PM. Excellent all-day eatery. 

Drink

The decline in the English pub scene has afflicted Newark, with many familiar names closing; those below are still with us in early 2017. Look for products of the Newark Brewery (77 William St NG24 1QU), with nine beers on sale.

• The Old Kings Arms, Kirkgate. A traditional British pub. 
• The Old Post Office, Kirkgate. 
• The Castle Barge. Newark's floating pub on the wharf. 
• 🌍 The Sir John Arderne (Wetherspoons), 3 Church St, NG24 1DT, ☏ [phone]. Daily 8AM-midnight. (updated Feb 2017)
• The Springhouse, 15 Farndon Road NG24 4SA. 

Sleep

Mid-range places in Newark include Premier Inn, Best Western Deincourt, and Compton House. The more luxurious and characterful hotels are a few miles out.

• Premier Inn, Lincoln Rd NG24 2DB (north end of town near Northgate Station), ☏ [phone]. (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 Compton House, 117 Balderton Gate NG24 1RY (central, off B6236 London Road), ☏ [phone]. B&B 
• 🌍 Deincourt Hotel (Best Western), London Rd NG24 1TF (central, on B6326), ☏ [phone], [phone]. Victorian-style 32-bedroom hotel. (updated Feb 2017)
• Grange Hotel, 73 London Rd NG24 1RZ, ☏ [phone], ✉ [e-mail]. 3-star hotel near town centre. (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 Kelham House, Main St, Kelham NG23 5QP (on A617), ☏ [phone], ✉ [e-mail]. Edwardian country manor, built by the owners of nearby Kelham Hall (see below). (updated Feb 2017)

Kelham Hall

• Kelham Hall & Country Park, Main Road, Kelham NG23 5QX (on A617), ☏ [phone], ✉ [e-mail]. A pocket-sized edition of St Pancras designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott. The Hall and its predecessors have variously served as King Charles I’s first place of confinement, a country manor, a school for monks and missionaries, a sugar beet farm, and council offices. You can camp there or use the self-catering apartments, but the main hotel and spa haven't opened yet. (updated Feb 2019)

Stay safe

Newark is relatively safe. Places to avoid at night include Yorke Drive (near Northgate Railway Station), Devon Road (on Hawtonville Estate) and Sconce Hills Park.

Go next

Newark is 11 miles (19 km) from Sherwood Forest, home of Robin Hood, the legendary (okay, let’s be frank, fictional) outlaw. What’s factual is that this is the last stand of primeval forest in England. Everything else is a later planting, so the eco-system is unique, with the gaunt ancient oaks.

Lincoln is a must-see, with its cathedral and castle enclosing a picturesque historic city centre. If you want a day at the seaside, the most accessible is Cleethorpes. Major cities within an hour or so by train include Nottingham, Sheffield, Leeds and York.

Routes through Newark-on-Trent

Doncaster ← Worksop ←	N  S	→ Grantham → London
END ←	W  E	→ Sleaford → Boston
Leicester ←	SW  NE	→ Lincoln → Grimsby