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Newark Guide ​Hi, I'm Dave Fargher, founder of Newark Guide.

Digital storyteller and local advocate, dedicated to championing the town, connecting our community, and preserving Newark's unique heritage and heart for future generations.

From Magna Carta to Muddy Karma - King John's final misstep and Newark's unexpected starring role in British historyIt's...
18/10/2026

From Magna Carta to Muddy Karma - King John's final misstep and Newark's unexpected starring role in British history

It's a long read, but, Its Sunday Morning, so grab a cuppa, some biscuits, pop up your trotters and join me on one of the more remarkable journeys in our towns history. (a hearty Yorkshire tea with a few [3-4] milk choc hob-nobs is just the ticket 😊)

Today we're winding the clock back 810 years (ish), to a time of civil war, lost treasure, questionable dietary choices, and one very unpopular king whose final journey ended right here in Newark-on-Trent.

What happened, helped shape the future of England and turned Newark Castle into the setting for one of the most significant moments in our nation's story.

And that event…… was King John famously popping his clogs at our very own Newark Castle , back in October 1216

"Foul as it is, Hell itself is made fouler by the presence of John." - Matthew Paris

Years of military defeats, disputes with the Church, heavy taxation and increasingly unpopular rule had turned many of England's powerful barons against John. Although he had been forced to seal Magna Carta in 1215, he quickly sought to overturn it (cheers for that John Boy!), sparking a civil war that plunged the kingdom into chaos. To make matters worse, rebellious barons had invited Prince Louis of France to seize the English crown, and by 1216 much of southern England was under French control or allied to the rebels.

Absolute scenes.

John was fighting to keep his throne.

By the autumn of 1216, King John was on the run.

Fleeing north, he and his posse were transporting what contemporary sources described as his "treasure" from Norfolk towards the relative safety of the Midlands.

Then he reached The Wash and....well....things went to sh*t.

In his haste, John took the safer route around the marshes, while his baggage train attempted what seemed to be a quicker crossing through the mudflats.

They misjudged the tide.

The incoming waters turned the quicksand into a watery trap.

Carts overturned.

Horses vanished.

Men disappeared.

Much of the King's baggage train was swallowed by the mud.

Whoops.

Now, when most people hear treasure, they picture glittering piles of gold, crowns, emeralds and priceless jewels. And for centuries that's pretty much how the story has been told.

However, there is thought that a significant portion of John's lost "treasure" may actually have consisted of the things a travelling king needed to maintain a royal household on the move. Rich tapestries, furniture, clothing, silverware, records, air fryer (probably not that) personal possessions and all the luxury items required to turn whatever castle he happened to be staying in into a suitably regal residence.

Which might help explain one rather awkward fact.

Nobody has ever found it.

Well……Tapestries, fabrics, leather goods and wooden furnishings don't spend eight centuries sitting in salt marshes and then emerge in particularly good condition, I suppose.

The King, watching the disaster from higher ground, carried on, but the shock, stress and financial loss can hardly have helped.

Already suffering from what historians now believe was severe dysentery, the increasingly miserable monarch sought refuge at Swineshead Abbey near Spalding.

It is here that the most bizarre rumour surrounding his death was born……The idea that he died from a surfeit of peaches and new c***r.

While modern historians suggest his final days were characterised by agonising fever and gastrointestinal misery, the legend of death-by-fruit-binge proved irresistible. The idea that a cruel and unpopular king was struck down not by his enemies but by his own appetite was exactly the sort of story medieval chroniclers loved.

Suffering horrifically, John was moved to Sleaford Castle and then, on 18 October 1216, was brought into the grand Bishop's Palace that you now know our very own Newark Castle.

He was carried into the great fortified building, a desperate king seeking shelter in one of his last loyal strongholds.

Historians generally believe that he spent his final hours in a chamber above the castle gatehouse (The same gatehouse that’s current undergoing a major conservation and restoration project.)

Imagine that for a moment.

One of England's most infamous kings, sick, exhausted, defeated and dying, lying in a room overlooking what was then the principal entrance to Newark Castle.

The journey, he reportedly moaned, was killing him.

Spoiler alert......it was.

He dictated his will, confessed his sins and received the Eucharist.

Then, during the night of 18th into the 19th October, amid a violent thunderstorm that many contemporaries claimed signalled the very Gates of Hell opening...

King John died.

See ya JP.

That messy, miserable death in Newark changed the course of English history.

With the hated king gone, support for Prince Louis's attempt to take the English throne soon began to unravel. The rebels suddenly had a nine-year-old boy to deal with instead.

Enter Henry III.

Of course, a nine-year-old king wasn't about to run a kingdom in the middle of a civil war, that would be insane. The fate of England was instead placed in the hands of William Marshal, arguably one of the greatest knights and statesmen England has ever produced. As regent for the young king, Marshal helped steer the kingdom through its crisis and is closely linked to another famous local historical event, the Battle of Lincoln Fair on 20 May 1217 (more on that another day)

Marshal quickly re-issued Magna Carta on behalf of the young king, helping restore stability and laying the foundations for the charter's long-term survival.

John's death at Newark helped bring an end to the conflict, prevented the French-backed claim to the English throne from succeeding, and played a crucial role in preserving the constitutional principles that would shape England for centuries to come.

After his death, John's body was transported to Worcester Cathedral, where he remains buried today.

His tomb is remarkable.

The stone effigy, completed around 1232, is considered the oldest surviving royal effigy in England. Unlike many later royal tombs that portray kings as idealised heroic figures, John's likeness appears strikingly realistic, giving us one of the closest glimpses we have of what the man may actually have looked like at the time of his death.

Whilst we may sometimes take our castle for granted, remember that these ruins witnessed the final chapter of one of the most consequential road trips in English history.

A journey involving a lost treasure, a tidal disaster, a dying king in a room above a gatehouse, and the accidental rescue of a kingdom.

And it ended……. right here in Newark-on-Trent.

Int' history brilliant.

And before anyone dives into the comments section armed with a calculator and a calendar, yes, the dates are correct, but "810 years ago today" isn't necessarily quite as straightforward as it sounds.(England was still using the Julian Calendar in 1216, and it wasn't until the Calendar Act of 1751, implemented in 1752, that Britain adopted the Gregorian Calendar and adjusted its dates accordingly. So while John's death absolutely happened in October 1216, lining it up exactly day-for-day with a modern date is a little more complicated than simply counting back 810 years.)

(And as the old saying goes, history is usually written by the victors. Much of what we 'know' about King John comes from chroniclers who despised him, but many modern historians argue he wasn't purely the villain he's made out to be, just a ruler operating in extraordinarily turbulent times(

Five Villages, Four Pubs, Disney, Leprosy, the Zulu Wars, a Medieval Dovecote……... and Michael CaineHad an absolutely lo...
17/10/2026

Five Villages, Four Pubs, Disney, Leprosy, the Zulu Wars, a Medieval Dovecote……... and Michael Caine

Had an absolutely lovely impromptu local walk today, so thought I'd share it with you all.

Around 11km north-east of Newark as the crow flies is a lovely little collection of villages that makes for a bloody cracking circular walk.

The Villages are in Lincolnshire, but its ok, they seemed relatively friendly across the border and I returned unscathed 😊

Even better, the walk starts and finishes at a fantastic little pub, The White Hart at Carlton-le-Moorland, which also does a belter of a Sunday lunch and takes in 3 more pubs along the way

The walk takes you through Carlton-le-Moorland, Bassingham, Aubourn, Haddington and Thurlby, before looping back through Bassingham

From Carlton, you head towards Bassingham, home to The Bugle Horn and The Five Bells Bassingham before continuing to Aubourn and The Royal Oak Aubourn

Then, head towards Haddington, where you'll find a wonderful medieval dovecote and a weir nearby, before heading through Thurlby, back to Bassingham and finally returning to Carlton-le-Moorland for a well-earned pint of real ale and a tremendous bit of grub.

Around 15km total. A good mixture of footpaths, bridleways and stretches along quiet country roads, plus some nice sections where doggo’s can enjoy a bit of off-lead time.

I've included the map/route (and created an OS link for route in comments), but because this is Newark Guide, you didn't seriously think I'd let you walk through five historic villages without giving you some history, did you?

History Below, ill make it brief as I want to do a full dive into the history in the future;

Bassingham, an early Saxon settlement named in the Domesday Book. Its got a lovely church with parts dating back to the 11th Century and a lot of lovely historic houses.

Carlton le Moorland, a former stronghold of the Disney family's medieval ancestors (yep, that Disney) and site of an ancient Order of St Lazarus hospital (A rare l***r hospital)

Aubourn, famous for its striking 17th-century Elizabethan Hall and the surviving chancel of its ancient church.

Haddington, visible earthworks mark the site of a lost medieval moated grange. Plus, its got a great medieval dovecote.

Thurlby, home to the Bromhead family seat (notably Major Gonville Bromhead VC) and the 11th-century Church of St Germain (with a wonderful 13th century tower)

A quick note on Bromhead as I’m sure that name is familiar in Newark

Bromhead was one of the British officers who commanded the defence of Rorke's Drift in January 1879, one of the most famous actions of the Anglo-Zulu War, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

And if you're thinking, "Hang on, wasn't Bromhead in the film Zulu?"

Yep.

He's the officer portrayed by Michael Caine in the famous 1964 film.

But here's the brilliant Newark connection...

Before becoming Major Gonville Bromhead VC, he was a schoolboy at Magnus Grammar School in Newark.

Bromhead arrived at the Magnus in 1860, aged 15, and remained there until 1864. In fact, there's even a surviving photograph of him as a member of the Magnus cricket team in 1863.

And there's a Bromhead House at the Magnus too, or there certainly was back in my Magnus days! 😊

Not to shabby for a random Saturday dog-walk.

Of course, my Horse.This lovely life sized horse sculpture is just near Bassinghan (just the other side of stapleford wo...
17/10/2026

Of course, my Horse.

This lovely life sized horse sculpture is just near Bassinghan (just the other side of stapleford woods), there are a few other of his sculptures there too, just next to Carlton road

Created by local sculptor Nigel Sardeson as part of a wildlife themed trail from Bassinghan to Carlton-le-moorland.

I also believe that the very same artist has created a life size wooden ox sculpture for Balderton, celebrating the agricultural heritage and ox-gangs of the area that once defined Balderton’s landscape.

Moot Hall: From Medieval Guilds to Modern Flat Whites (and a 2300 year Cafe challenge)If you've ever skipped through the...
17/10/2026

Moot Hall: From Medieval Guilds to Modern Flat Whites (and a 2300 year Cafe challenge)

If you've ever skipped through the columns into Newark's Starbucks for a matcha-lawnmower-juice-latte, or taken out a small mortgage for a caramel-frappé-soy-bean-venti-sized-existential-crisis-in-a-cup, you may well be surprised at the history of the building.

It’s a place that’s been witness to a royal government, manorial courts, borough meetings, Georgian merchants and even early radio retailers.

This is…….*dramatic pause for effect*…………….. Moot Hall.

To understand Moot Hall, we first need to wander back several centuries, so join me, dear reader on a little skidaddle back in time.

A street called Gild Lane first appears in records in 1302. Today, we know it as Guildhall Street, and was home to one of the most powerful institutions in medieval Newark...... the town's guild.

Guilds acted as business networks, charitable bodies, religious fraternities, social clubs and, in many ways, local government all smooshed into one.

Newark had several guilds, but the most influential was the Guild of the Holy Trinity. They maintained their own chapel within St Mary Magdalene Church, owned property across the town and played a major role in Newark's civic life.

Like many medieval institutions, the Trinity Guild met its end during the Reformation. In 1546, the Crown dissolved the religious guilds and their lands and assets were seized.

This marked a ma-hoo-sive shift in Newark's governance.

Just a year later, in 1547, the Bishop of Lincoln transferred ownership of Newark to the Crown.

Newark's administrative structure changed, civic business began to centre on a building known as King's Hall, which stood on the north side of the Market Place. It served as Newark's principal municipal building for more than 150 years.

However, by the early 18th century, Newark's leaders decided that their ageing medieval headquarters no longer reflected the growing prosperity and ambitions of the town.

In 1708, King's Hall was demolished and replaced by a striking new building designed in the fashionable Georgian style; Doric columns, elegant sash and dormer windows and even the coat of arms of John Holles, Duke of Newcastle (he was Lord of the Manor of Newark when it was built and had his seat at climber park, have a look at yesterday's post about that👍)

The result was Moot Hall (and the one we recognise today)

It was functional and impressive. Exactly what an ambitious Georgian market town wanted, and it became the centre of Newark's public life.

Manorial courts met here.
Quarter Sessions were held here.
Borough meetings took place here.
Judicial decisions were made here.
Local government was administered here.

That role continued until 1776 when Newark's splendid new Town Hall opened on the Market Place (celebrating its 250 year anniversary this year, thanks John Carr)

After losing its municipal role, Moot Hall reinvented itself.

By the late 18th century it was described as "an extensive brick-built dwelling-house and large shop" occupied by the firm of Fisher and Fillingham.

Throughout the 19th century it remained a commercial property. In 1836, it was purchased by Henry Pelham-Clinton, 4th Duke of Newcastle.

By the early 20th century, A. F. Coyne operated a radio and music shop from the premises, bringing the sounds of the modern age into one of Newark's oldest civic buildings.

By the early 1960s, Moot Hall was in serious trouble. Structural problems had become so severe that its long-term future was uncertain, so a solution had to be found

An ingenious restoration project was undertaken after the building was purchased by Currys in 1963.

The historic structure remained standing while a modern steel frame was carefully inserted inside it. The front elevation bricks were cleaned, removed where necessary, turned and reinstated.

If you take a walk around the rear of the building today, you'll still see extensive areas of original brickwork that demonstrate just how much of the historic structure survived.

The restoration was overseen by architect Robert Ingram, who managed to preserve the building's Georgian character by historic conservation with modern engineering.

Today, most know it as Starbucks, in a building with more than 300 years of history. A building whose origins stretch back even further to the medieval King's Hall.

Now, for that Challenge 😊

Newark's Market Place is blessed with a fantastic selection of independent cafés, many of them operating from buildings that are every bit as historic as Moot Hall (c.300 years) itself

The Governor's House Café and Deli – inside the c.550 year old Governors House
The Crumbly Bun – inside the c.700 year Old White Hart buildings
Letsxcape together cafe- in the right wing of the Town hall (250 years)
Nourish at No.5 and Green Olive – Both housed in an elegant mid-to-late eighteenth-century terrace (250 years) that was constructed alongside Newark Town Hall

Purchase a drink from each of the cafés above and, somewhere along the way, grab one from Moot Hall too.

Complete the circuit and you'll have enjoyed your coffee inside buildings representing well over 2,300 years of combined Newark history, all within a few hundred meters of one another.

Not many towns can offer that.

In fact, there can't be many places in the country where you can spend an afternoon drinking coffee whilst accidentally taking a tour through two millennia of history.

If you throw in a pint in The Queens Head (500 years), and a cheeky sausage roll at greggs (46 Market place c.1770, so 255 years). you'll have traversed over 3000 years of history :)

Additional bonus points if, after that much caffeine, you can still form a coherent sentence.

The Great Lost Palace on Newark's Doorstep: The Story of Clumber Park NT (and a Winston Churchill visit)Now. I know this...
16/10/2026

The Great Lost Palace on Newark's Doorstep: The Story of Clumber Park NT (and a Winston Churchill visit)

Now. I know this isn’t in Newark, before the geography police rush to the comments section pointing angrily at a map :)

But seeing as im sure a lot of the town head there on a sunny weekend, I reckon Clumber qualifies as honorary Newark territory.

I'm sure for many folk (myself included), it’s a regular day out locally, somewhere to walk the dog for hours, hire a bike, enjoy a cheeky sausage roll, an ice cream or coffee, burn off a Sunday roast, or jog a few laps around the lake, and at this time of year, its beautiful.

Its around 30 mins from Newark, just up the A1 and as you turn into those wonderful gates and down that Lime Tree Avenue (The longest double avenue of Lime trees in Europe, ill have you know), you're suddenly surrounded by woodland, wildlife, lakes and some of the finest parkland in the country.

It's a wonderfully managed National Trust estate, and I'm sure you've noticed that whilst most NT estates have a huge mansion sitting proudly at their centre.

Clumber doesn't.

That's because one of the greatest country houses in England virtually disappeared, and ill tell you for why! (TL:DR version in comments for those who just want to look at the photos) 😊

The story goes back to 1709, when John Holles, Duke of Newcastle, was granted permission to enclose 3,000 acres of Sherwood Forest and create a deer park.

Over the following decades, the estate passed through the Newcastle family and eventually into the hands of the Pelham-Clinton Dukes of Newcastle.
Then, in the 1760s, the newly inherited estate caught the eye of Henry Fiennes Pelham-Clinton, the 2nd Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne………he decided that a simple hunting lodge wasn't quite grand enough.

He needed something bigger, not just a slightly bigger hunting lodge.

A proper, great big PALACE!!.

Clumber House was built to designs by architect Stephen Wright. Contemporary accounts described it as one of the finest non-royal houses in the country.

It wasn't exactly modest.

It was proper fancy.

The State Dining Room alone could accommodate 150 guests at a single table. The house was filled with masterpieces by artists such as Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough and Poussin, alongside rare treasures, statues, china and an extraordinary library containing a First Folio Shakespeare and three books printed by William Caxton.

They also reshaped the landscape around it.

The magnificent lake took around fifteen years to create by damming the River Poulter. Eventually it stretched for almost two miles and covered 87 acres.

Then there is the famous Lime Tree Avenue that you simply cannot miss. Planted for the 5th Duke, and containing an astonishing 1,296 lime trees stretching for three miles

Theres also a great link to Newark. If you've ever looked carefully at Newark's old Moot Hall (look out for my article tomorrow on that nugget), you'll see the coat of arms of John Holles, Duke of Newcastle, displayed on the building. Clumber Park was his great seat and power base.

Then on 28 March 1879 disaster struck.

A devastating fire ripped through Clumber House, destroying twenty of its 105 rooms and causing immense damage. Priceless works of art were lost, although many were saved. The central section of the house was left as little more than a shell.

The house was rebuilt by Charles Barry Jr, son of the architect who designed the Palace of Westminster. The new Clumber House rose from the ashes on an equally grand scale and was every bit as impressive as its predecessor. Folk entered through a vast central hall rising stories, complete with galleries overlooking the floor below, richly decorative tiling, elegant staircases and niches displaying statues that had survived the fire. It was a house designed to impress.

But Clumber's troubles were not over.

By the early twentieth century, the world that had created places like Clumber was disappearing. Great country houses had been built for an era of immense aristocratic wealth, when hundreds of estate workers and domestic servants kept everything running smoothly. Maintaining a property the size of Clumber required a small army of staff and a seemingly endless flow of money.

Then, in 1912, another major fire struck needing a lot of repair, mainly to the upper floors.

Absolute Scenes.

Then came the First World War, changing both society and the economy. Workers found military service, taxes rose, agricultural incomes declined, and the old aristocratic way of life became difficult to sustain.

By the 1930s, Clumber House had become an enormous financial burden.

In 1938, the 9th Duke reluctantly ordered the demolition of Clumber House.

One of England's greatest country houses vanished.

In 1939, Clumber was requisitioned by the War Department and handed over for military use..

In 1941, there was a special visitor. Winston Churchill visited the estate to witness trials of a truly extraordinary machine known as NELLIE (Naval Land Equipment Tractor, a giant trench-digging vehicle designed to carve huge channels through enemy territory. It measured around 75 feet long and weighed approximately 130 tons. Churchill made the journey to Clumber to watch it in action. Despite successful tests, warfare had already moved on and the machine never entered service.

But. You can still find some of the trenches that it dug at Clumber, to this day.

The National Trust purchased Clumber Park in 1946 and opened it to the public during the late 1950s.

Whilst the grand mansion has gone, theres till plenty to see: The Chapel of St Mary the Virgin, the Duke's Study, the Lincoln Stables, the Laundry Yard, the Turning Yard and the magnificent walled kitchen garden.

So, when you next pay a visit, just remember you’re wandering through the footprint of one of England's grandest lost houses, youll walk beside a man-made lake, cycle beneath Europe's longest lime avenue, explore a former ducal estate, and perhaps stop for coffee where aristocrats, soldiers, spaniels and even Winston Churchill once passed through.

Pretty good for barely half an hour from Newark.

Also. Couple more fun facts.

Hardwick Village was created during the 1850s as a model settlement for estate workers. It included a village hall, schools, a shop and post office. A blacksmith's forge and carpentry workshop.

A quick note on the name, it was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Clunbre, an ancient name likely referring to a local 'lump of earth' or rising ground by the river.

Which brings us nicely to that dog..........The clumber spaniel.

The distinctive Clumber Spaniel takes its name directly from the estate. Legend has it that the breed arrived during the French Revolution when a French nobleman gifted his prized spaniels to the Duke of Newcastle, and they were subsequently developed right here at Clumber Park.

So there we go, the cherry on top; one of Britain's best-known dog breeds is named after a country estate just up the road.

I Bloody love a bit of local history

Link in comments to National Trust site detailing clumber, visiting, and all the information you could need to visit.

The Park Inn Clumber Park Clumber Park Clumber Park parkrun Clumber Park Lodges Clumber Park Club Campsite Clumber Park 10k Clumber Park Tips and Secrets

A Pint, a Token and a Night at the Pub: When Newark Had Its Own B**r CurrencyI suspect a fair few Newark residents won't...
15/10/2026

A Pint, a Token and a Night at the Pub: When Newark Had Its Own B**r Currency

I suspect a fair few Newark residents won't know these ever existed, and if any of you lot have one of these, I would VERY much like to see it.

Today we have loyalty cards, contactless payment, a gaggle of apps and fraying cardboard cards promising you a free coffee after buying seven and twelfty overpriced hipster macha-lawnmower-juice-lattes.

But… back in the 19th Century, Newark had its own version of pub rewards.

They were known as public house tokens.

Clubs and societies regularly met in Newark's pubs. Members paid subscriptions and, under a system known as "wet rents", part of those funds was set aside for refreshments (sensible planning if you ask me). Rather than handing out cash, pubs issued small brass tokens which could be exchanged for b**r on club nights.

Most were produced in Birmingham from brass, usually around an inch across. One side typically carried the name of the inn, street and town, while the other showed the value, often 1d, 2d or 6d worth of b**r.

Newark issued a remarkable variety of these tokens, and that’s a real indication of just how important pubs once were to the social life of the town.

Some of the pubs mentioned still stand. Others are long gone, remembered by some locals still, or in old photographs, maps and newspaper records.

Newark wasn’t alone in b**r tokens, but we certainly had a particularly healthy number of participating inns.

Public house tokens across England and Wales peaked from about 1850 through the First World War, though some circulated later into the 1920s.

As pieces of Newark history go, that's worth raising a glass to.

I bet they would make a damn fine Kinis (I hope at least some 80’s kids know what the hell im on about with that last line) 😊

Strawberry Hall Lane: Newark's Lost Summer PlaygroundI suspect a fair few of you who have been down Strawberry Hall Lane...
14/10/2026

Strawberry Hall Lane: Newark's Lost Summer Playground

I suspect a fair few of you who have been down Strawberry Hall Lane have never given its name much thought.

We now see housing estates, care homes and bungalows, but this area has a fascinating history involving market gardens, strawberries by the basketful, Sunday afternoon crowds, and what was once one of Newark's favourite summer destinations.

It was a corner of Newark where people came to relax, socialise and enjoy one of life's simpler pleasures: fresh fruit.

And lots of it.

For much of its history, it was known as Clarke's Lane, named after the Clarke family, who established a nursery and market gardening business here during the late 18th and 19th centuries. Historic records show that Strawberry Hall was associated with the Clarke family by at least the early 1800s, with George Clarke and later his son William Clarke operating as gardeners and nurserymen from the site.

George Clarke was evidently a well-respected local figure. Newspaper notices record family events at Strawberry Hall during the 1820s and 1840s, while parish records place several generations of the family at the property.

The nursery supplied fruit, vegetables and plants to Newarkers a long while before supermarkets rocked up.

At some point during the nineteenth century, the Clarke family home became widely known as Strawberry Hall.

Don't imagine a stately home complete with servants, peacocks and an inheritance dispute though. The "Hall" was more likely the principal house attached to the nursery and market gardens.

The surrounding gardens became famous for growing strawberries, so locals simply started referring to the property by the fruit it was best known for.

However, the gardens turned into something more, it turned into a destination.

During strawberry season the grounds became one of Newark's most popular leisure spots.

There were large arbours formed from ash and drooping willow trees, with seating arranged beneath them. You could buy fruit at the entrance before wandering through the gardens or sitting among the trees,

On fine Sunday afternoons and evenings the place was packed.

The area around Strawberry Hall remained largely agricultural for many years, with the wider area beyond Middleton road and Lincoln road remaining farmland and open ground well into the 20th century.

Suppose it's easy to forget how abruptly Newark once ended at its edges.

Strawberry Hall survived into the early 20th century and was almost certainly demolished sometime between 1919 and the post-war housing expansion of the 1950s and 1960s.

Following the Second World War, Newark experienced significant housing growth. New estates began appearing across the town as thousands of new homes were needed.

In 1949, the decision was taken to officially rename Clarke's Lane as Strawberry Hall Lane.

You wont find trace of the gardens today. The crowds are gone. The willow arbours have vanished. Its houses, roads and modern development now.

Yet every time someone writes their address, gives directions, or drives past the street sign, I like to think somebody pauses for a second and wonders where the name came from.

And now, perhaps, you'll know.

It was a place filled with colour, conversation and the smell of freshly picked fruit.

Our town is filled with reminders of kings, castles, sieges and centuries of history…..so it's rather nice that one of our roads remembers something simpler.

A nursery. A market garden.

A summer afternoon, and a few thousand strawberries.

I can't find any photos of the gardens or the house so if anyone does have any let me know. 🙂

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