Newark, Historic Market Town

Newark Town Council is currently seeking a new Town Clerk

Newark-on-Trent is an historic market Town dating back to the 12th century, situated in north Nottinghamshire between Nottingham and Lincoln.

The Town itself has an imposing 12th Century Castle, Civil War connections and a lovely cobbled marketplace featuring its Georgian Town Hall. Oliver Cromwell fought battles against the Royalists just outside Newark and King John was poisoned and died at the Castle.

Newark was granted its own Coat of Arms by Queen Elizabeth I in 1561, incorporating the beaver, otter and eel, all references to the Town’s location on the river Trent. Its motto ‘Deo Fretus Erumpe’ translates as, ‘Trust in God and sally forth’.

In 1626, Charles I raised the status of Alderman to that of Mayor and Henry Gill was elected the first Mayor of Newark that same year. The Town Mayor’s role is that of civic representative for the Town. The majority of Mayors have been men but there have been several female Mayors, the first being Kate A Quibell, 1957-58.

The “Clerk to the Council” is the only officer that the Town Council is required to appoint. S/he is the custodian of documents and records such as accounts, minutes and order books and is the professional advisor to the Council. This appointment goes back to 1579 when the “common clerk” was appointed to collect the fees from the market traders.

The River Trent has played an integral role in the life of Newark for many centuries. Before other means of transport were developed, the river was the only practical way to transport large and heavy goods over long distances as well as access to the sea for overseas trading. The river banks housed a thriving inland port with wharves, warehouses, mills, maltings and breweries which brought employment and wealth to the Town.

The nearby Sherwood Forest provided much timber, particularly oak during the medieval period from which many large buildings in and around Newark were constructed. As available timber became more scarce for buildings, through the reduction in stock and the demand for oak for ship-building, stone and brick became more popular, but several fine examples of timber-constructed buildings can still be seen.

During the years between 1714 and 1830, the whole of Great Britain enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity, leading to a boom in house building. This was typified by the Georgian style, characterised by geometric proportion and balance in the pattern of windows and doors, and associated columns, parapets and pediments. Newark developed such styles and became known as a Georgian Town with many grand examples of the Georgian period, one of which is the Town Hall, completed in 1776 by John Carr of York but influenced by Robert Adam with whom he worked on Harewood House. The famous composer and pianist Franz Liszt gave a concert in the Town Hall on 11 September 1840. The Town Hall now houses the Town Council and Town Treasures and Art Gallery.

Although Newark has its historical connections, along side its medieval and Georgian buildings, Newark’s streets host many buildings in the Art Deco style which originated in the 1920s and 30s, deriving its name from Paris’s “Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes” in 1925.

For over 250 years, until the second half of the 20th century, Newark stood at the heart of English brewing and malting industries. With good water supplies and transportation facilities, and with easy reach to barley-growing areas, the Town had many advantages over its rivals, and became known as “The Metropolis of Malt”. Many varieties of beer and malt were produced in vast quantities for local consumption and exported around the world.

A statutory duty of the Council is responsibility for the Cemetery which dates from 1856. Many notable Newark residents are buried in the Cemetery which is also a burial place for a large number of Polish servicemen who perished during the Second World War.

In keeping with the objectives of the European Union, Newark has twinning arrangements with the following Continental Towns: Emmendingen, Germany (in 1984), St Cyr-sur-Loire, France (1992) and Sandomierz, Poland (2006). In addition to these associations, the Town also maintains sister links with several other Newarks of the world.

Newark enjoys excellent road and rail links situated on the A1 and the main East Coast railway lines including the developing Eurolink network, and is within easy reach of both the Nottingham East Midlands International Airport, and the Robin Hood Airport at Doncaster. The east Lincolnshire coast is only an hour away by rail or road.

Nottinghamshire County Council and its neighbour, Lincolnshire, offer a variety of school options, including comprehensive and grammar schools with adequate bus services linking the Town and the schools. In and around Newark, there is a wide range of leisure and sports facilities, museums, community centres, theatres, parks and open spaces. The Council has a commitment to produce a variety of events such as Newark in Bloom, Brass Band concerts in the Castle grounds, Tea Dances in the Ballroom of the Town Hall, and the wonderful Christmas Lights celebrations.