Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Newark Castle
Hob Uid: 322211
Location : Nottinghamshire Newark and Sherwood Newark
Grid Ref : SK7963054070
Summary : Medieval motte and bailey castle built in 1133-48 with much rebuilding and alterations carried out in the late 12th and 14th centuries. The gatehouse, part of the curtain wall and a tower are still visible. Excavations of the castle were carried out between 1954-1956 and in 1972. Scheduled.
More information : [SK79635407] Castle [G.T.] (In Ruins). (1) "Newark Castle, built c.1130 by Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln, now consists of the western half of what appears to have been a rectangular bailey. The remains include the original gatehouse and adjoining portion of the curtain west of it, the whole of the west curtain on the right bank of the R. Trent, with a tower near the middle and one at either end, and the vaulted undercroft of the great hall. Much rebuilding and alteration took place in the C13th when the NW tower, which has a bottle-neck prison in the basement, was built. There is a watergate in the west wall. The gatehouse combined the functions of gateway and keep. There was a drawbridge over the moat". (2) As described by Authy.2. See AO/62/44/3-6 for photographs of the castle. (3) Reports of Newark Castle excavations in 1954-6 and 1972. Finds consisted solely of pottery, all fourteenth century except for one Anglo-Saxon rim. (4-5) SK 7965 5402. Newark Castle. Scheduled no. NT/3. (6) Listed by Cathcart King. (7) Remains of castle. Gatehouse, including chapel and lodging, curtain wall and north west tower built for Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln, c1133-1148. South west tower later C12. North west tower and curtain wall remodelled and river front central tower built, probably for Bishop Henry de Burghersh, c1320-1340. Hall undercroft mid C14. Hall altered and front oriel window added for Bishop Thomas Rotherham, 1471-1480. Gatehouse, hall windows, central and south west towers altered and refenestrated for residence for Earl of Rutland, 1581. Slighted and left as a roofless ruin following siege of 1646. Restored 1845-1848 by A Salvin. Purchased and restored by Newark corporation, 1889. Restored and consolidated by DoE, 1979-1990. (8) The Northern defences of the castle were located during excavations in 1992, establishing that the outer ward of the castle was a rectangle set well within the lines of the modern grounds. Excavations in 193 showed that the Norman castle occupied a site already defended by a timber palisade, and possibly also by a timber-laced rampart. This raises the prospect of a late pre-Conquest fortified manorial comple or the site of the Saxon burh. Alexander's castle of the 1130s apparently made use of at least part of a pre-existing northern defence, a short section of the curtain wall being built on top of a rampart belonging to it. Excavations in the southern area of the site in 1994 located a Late saxon building, which given its East-West orientation and proximity to a graveyard also discovered, was probably a church, or manorial building adjacent to a church. Shortly after the budget the graveyard and church were built over to provide for defensive works. (9-10)

Sources :

Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : OS 6" Rev.Edn. 1915/38
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 2
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 81
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) : 1953

Source Number : 3
Source :
Source details : F1 BHS 17-SEP-62
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 4
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 20-33
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) : 60, 1056

Source Number : 5
Source :
Source details : (T W Courtney)
Page(s) : 33-40
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) : 77, 1973

Source Number : 6
Source :
Source details : English Heritage, SAM List, Nottinghamshire, March 1994, p 10
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 7
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) : 380
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) : 2

Source Number : 8
Source :
Source details : Newark, 13-Aug-1992
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 9
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 10
Source :
Source details :
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Early Medieval
Display Date : Late saxon
Monument End Date : 1066
Monument Start Date : 871
Monument Type : Church, Cemetery
Evidence : Sub Surface Deposit

Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : Medieval
Monument End Date : 1540
Monument Start Date : 1066
Monument Type : Gatehouse, Angle Tower, Curtain Wall, Lodgings, Chapel, Great Hall, Castle, Undercroft, Domestic Chapel, Bailey
Evidence : Ruined Building, Sub Surface Deposit

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : C16 chapel deconsecrated and altered
Monument End Date : 1599
Monument Start Date : 1540
Monument Type : Domestic Chapel
Evidence : Ruined Building

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Altered 1581
Monument End Date : 1581
Monument Start Date : 1581
Monument Type : Gatehouse, Angle Tower
Evidence : Ruined Building

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Slighted 1646
Monument End Date : 1646
Monument Start Date : 1646
Monument Type : Castle
Evidence : Ruined Building, Earthwork

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : NT 3
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : Listed Building List Entry Legacy Uid
External Cross Reference Number : 384971
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : NBR Index Number
External Cross Reference Number : 110930
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SK 75 SE 9
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1953-01-01
End Date : 1956-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1962-09-17
End Date : 1962-09-17

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1970-01-01
End Date : 1971-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1972-01-01
End Date : 1972-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1984-01-01
End Date : 1984-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY
Start Date : 1992-01-01
End Date : 1992-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1992-01-01
End Date : 1995-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : WATCHING BRIEF
Start Date : 1993-01-01
End Date : 1994-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : WATCHING BRIEF
Start Date : 1994-01-01
End Date : 1994-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1994-01-01
End Date : 1994-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1998-01-01
End Date : 1998-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EVALUATION
Start Date : 1998-01-01
End Date : 1998-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : WATCHING BRIEF
Start Date : 1999-01-01
End Date : 1999-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : WATCHING BRIEF
Start Date : 2001-01-01
End Date : 2001-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : WATCHING BRIEF
Start Date : 2015-01-01
End Date : 2015-12-31

Historic England Research Records

Newark Castle