Newark is an important castles to visit, being the place where King John died after overindulging in peaches allegedly. It’s also an impressive ruin on a riverfront location and benefits from the nineteenth century restoration.
Visiting Newark Castle
There is plenty of parking in Newark town centre and also a variety of cafes so pretty much all facilities are covered. The castle is in the middle of Newark and is free to enter. There is the option of arranging a guided tour, bookable through the Tourist Information office.
My Experience
I stayed in a hotel in the town centre so I was able to explore the river bank early in the morning and watch the sunrise with the castle reflected in the water. Later in the day I made time to visit the park and Newark castle grounds. There are several information boards explaining about the history of the castle and its occupants.
The stonework has some ornate sections and the castle is certainly an impressive building although I didn’t see any traces of outer defence works. The bookable tour allows a visit to some of the first floor walkways, tower rooms and the undercroft of Newark Castle but as I was working I couldn’t schedule that in.
Newark Castle Photo Gallery
History
Newark Castle, in Newark-on-Trent, in the English county of Nottinghamshire was founded in the mid 12th century by Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln. Originally a timber castle, it was rebuilt in stone towards the end of the century. Dismantled in the 17th century after the English Civil War, the castle was restored in the 19th century, first by Anthony Salvin in the 1840s and then by the corporation of Newark who bought the site in 1889. The Gilstrap Heritage Centre is a free-admission museum in the castle grounds about the history of the town of Newark.
References
The Wiki page here has the condensed history above plus some further information.
The council website with opening information on the castle is here.