NEWARK CASTLE

Nottinghamshire

The only half-decent medieval Castle left in Nottinghamshire is one side of a massive Castle which holds an important place in England's history as the place where King John died.

The Castle was begun in 1133 by Bishop Alexander of Lincoln.  Much of what remains is from this construction period, and the Castle was a very early quadrangular type, long before that became the standard form of England's Castle architecture.  Only one and a half sides of the Castle still remains; Alexander's other Castles at Banbury and Sleaford are completely vanished and reduced to earthen lumps respectively.

The tower halfway along the length of the wall was added around 1340, with the oriel window dating to the 1470s.

The Tower at the south end, above the main entrance, is reputedly the one in which King John died in 1216 thus ending the Baron's rebellion against him.  The King is jokingly said to have "died on the toilet" - this being a reference to his dying of dysentry.

The following year the Castle fell to Prince Louis, who was returning to England having been asked over to fight King John and then told to leave again when the King died.

Newark's finest hour was in the Civil War when it held out against Parliament on two occasions before eventually succumbing after a year-long siege.  Both the town and the Castle were subsequently smashed up by the marauding Roundheads, reduced the Castle to the fraction which is still impressive today.

The Castle is owned by the local authority and is open at all hours.  A small site museum is open at certain times.

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2019