Image ID: 09537

Newark Castle, church and Trent Bridge, Newark on Trent, 1900s

castlegate
Newark on Trent
Nottinghamshire
England

Showing the ruins of what was once a remarkable castle. The site has revealed Saxon remains, and there is evidence of Norman habitation, but the castle remains seen here were built c 1133 by Alexander 'The Magnificent', Bishop of Lincoln, with gatehouse, free-standing chapel (now gone) and long and high river front (265 ft long, 170 ft high), containing a watergate. A later bishop, perhaps Henry De Burghersh (1320-40) rebuilt the curtain walls in different shaded oolite and sandstone and added traceried arched windows, and yet another bishop, Thomas Rotherham (1471-80), added the Oriel windows to light the new hall and upper storey that he had put in. Henry VIII took over the castle during the Reformation, but it was allowed to deteriorate. In 1581, it was leased to the Earl of Rutland who modernised what was left as a residence, adding fireplaces and window glass (luxury!). It then passed to his son, Lord Burghley, who made it so comfortable that in 1603, the new King, James I, stayed there. It's association with royalty from hereon ultimately led to its downfall. During the Civil War, 1642-46, Newark held out for the Royalist cause and the Castle became a Royalist garrison and stronghold, until told to surrender by King Charles I, who was staying at nearby Southwell. After this the townsfolk were ordered to demolish all siegeworks, including the castle. Stone and timber was taken for building use elsewhere and squatters moved into parts of what was left. Despite all this, it still remained a Crown possession, and in 1845-8 it became the first monument to be restored at government expense. The first evidence for a bridge at Newark dates from 1135 when Bishop Alexander of Lincoln was granted authority to both build his castle at Newark and bridge the river close under its walls. Alexander's bridge would almost certainly have been constructed of timber, although it is possible that its piers were of rough masonry. Subsequent rebuildings in timber always proved inadequate in the wake of large floods (to which the area was occasionally prone) and finally, in the 18th century, pressure was brought to bear on the Duke of Newcastle (the town's principal landowner) to build a new bridge using more durable materials. This was duly put into effect in 1773 when the foundation for the present brick and stone bridge was laid (completed 1775). The bridge, which is still in use today, is made up of seven segmental arches (constructed of brick faced with stone) with pilasters over the cutwaters. Its construction coincided with significant changes which were also taking place in connection with the waterway it spanned. Work to improve the Navigation past Newark commenced in 1772 (a year before the new bridge was begun) and the two schemes were co-ordinated. The final episode in the bridge's development took place in 1848 following a series of complaints about the quality of the road surface on top. In December 1846, for instance, one local newspaper commented that with the increase in traffic heading for the recently opened Castle railway station, the road over the bridge was 'hardly passable, being just at present almost ankle-deep in mud..' Two years later in 1848, perhaps as a result of such complaints, the carriageway was widened and footways added, being corbelled out on either side. The graceful iron railings were also added at this time and it is in reference to this renovation that the date 1848 (in Roman numerals) was placed beneath the depictions of the Newark coat of arms emblazoned on each side of the footpath. The work was completed in 1849, endowing the bridge with the general appearance it has kept to this day.

Date: 1900

Organisation Reference: NCCE003536

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