Newark-on-Trent is Lovely

Newark Parish Church
Recently I had to go to Newark-on-Trent for a corporate video job and it reminded me that it would make a brilliant town to visit and explore for another BE episode. It is a most elegant place with plenty of Georgian architecture to feast the eyes upon and some timber-framed buildings too. There is a castle and interesting old coffee-house, not to mention rather large market square.

Newark has the River Trent flowing through it and just down from the castle is a large lock complete with little hut and lock keeper, ready to jump to action every time a boat approaches. I spent some of my time there watching many a pleasure cruiser and ancient looking narrow boat pass through. It certainly isn’t a quick place to get through, but fun to observe the old fashion navigation way of life.

The large lock at Newark

I was told that King John died at Newark and after a little searching on my mobile internet device, I discovered it was from dysentery, which cannot be a pleasant way to go. I leaned that there was a long siege carried on during the English Civil War as well as many attacks carried out by the Parliamentarians which eventually rendered most of the medieval castle being destroyed. A lot of the shell is there and plenty to fire up the imagination.

The Romans were there and part of the Great North Road runs (now the A1) used to run through it, although the fast dual carriageway thunders past the town a little to the east. There is a splendid bridge, a wonderful and quite huge parish church and grade one listed Town Hall. I am sure there is plenty more to discover and I have added to the list of places to return to go back and film.

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