Image ID: 07534

Castle Motors Garage, Castlegate Newark

Courtesy of Antoine

11 Castle Gate
Newark on Trent
England

Castle Motors Garage, seen from the top of Beastmarket Hill, occupied what had formerly been a grand town house. This had been built around 1730. As yet the 1st owner is unknown, but 40 years later it was the home of Samuel Sketchley. He was a brewer, who originated from Burton-on-Trent, and moved to Newark in 1766 to set up a brewing business with William Handley. Handley had his own house close by on Northgate, this still being known as Handley House. Sketchley prospered, and became Mayor of Newark in 1778, 1791 and 1804, dying in 1831. It was undoubtedly he who had the southern rear wing of the house built; this was carried out before 1790, as it appears on the well-known Newark town map of that year. By the late 19th century, the property was owned by a local medic, Dr Ringrose. It is probable that he was responsible for much remodelling, as the staircase, and the small rooms at ground and first floor to the rear date from around 1880. The whole of the rear elevation was also remodelled, the windows being replaced with the stone mullioned examples that still survive. As can be seen from the early photographs, the house had two bay windows added at some time in the 19th century. The house was sold to Pitchford and Cooper in the 1920s, and converted into a garage. Both bay windows were removed, the large openings giving access to the rear premises, and on the left-hand side, providing a showroom window. The superb early 18th century ornamental railings, piers and gates were removed, the railings being re-fixed in front of a house on Kelham Road, the piers and gates being re-erected in the garden of a house in Farndon. By the 1960s, as Castle Motors, the property had acquired a single storey extension, with folding showroom windows, across the front, to the rear of the pavement line. After Holden and Son acquired the premises as a furniture showroom, the projection single storey was removed, and the missing sash windows and brickwork replaced to the left side of the building. Although the door case had gone, the original front door was discovered behind plasterboard; this was repaired, and the door case recreated, basing the details on old photographs. To complete the works, Holden and Sons decided in 1997, to replace the missing piers and railings. The original gates and piers were surveyed in their present position, and replicas faithfully made in forged wrought iron and limestone. A Conservation Area Partnership grant from the District Council aided this part of the works. Following internal repairs and re-decorations, the Castlegate section of the premises will shortly open to present a display of pine furniture by the leading manufacturer 'Ducal'.

Date: 1940

Organisation Reference: NCCE001340

Organisation: