Image ID: 07595

Resurfacing Newark Market Place

Courtesy of T Healey

Market Place
Newark on Trent
England

This picture shows preparatory work for the resurfacing of the Market Place. The picture was taken looking West towards the Town Hall and the National Westminster Bank (left). Cornelius Brown in his History of Newark vol. 2, p24 records the following:- 'The following entry is from the Journals of the House of Lords, under date Dec. 17th :- 'Today was read for the third time a Bill, 'An Act for the Paving of Newark-upon-Trent', which is concluded with the common assent of all the nobles, and is given to Doctor Awberie and Doctor Barckeley, to be carried down into the House of Commons.' It is believed that the work authorised by the Act was only proceeded with very slowly, for it was not until the 18th of James I [1621] that the paving of the market-place was begun by Henry Webster, who was Alderman of Newark in 1603 and 1613; and it was then but partially effected, for there was no more than a causeway six feet broad from the house, subsequently Hercules Clay's, at the western corner of the market-place, to the south porch of the church. At this time, in the pavement near the cross in the centre of the market-place, were inserted the initials of Webster's name and the date of his work, viz., H.W., 1619.' Dominating the square is the Palladian Town Hall designed by John Carr of York. The first stone was laid for this fine Georgian building in 1773, but the building had been in use for some time before it was possible to acquire the land to build the wing to the left. The Palladian style of the building is similar to many other buildings designed by Carr. He was a designer with a fashionable reputation as well as being a Mayor of York in 1770. He had worked with two notable architects of the time, Lord Burlington and Robert Adam. The influence of these two can be seen in various rooms of the Town Hall and most notably in the Ballroom. Other notable buildings by Carr, such as Harewood House, Bootham Lunatic Asylum and the female Debtors Prison in York, and the Royal Crescent in Buxton also bore the stamp of their influence. The final cost of the Town Hall was around

Date: 01/07/1964

Organisation Reference: NCCE001401

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