Newark guidebook

  pic: River Trent flows past Newark castle
"History with a modern twist" is how one promotion for Newark puts it, and that’s not too far wide of the mark.

The town may be steeped in history – the Castle dates back to 1123, for example – but it still has the feel of a bustling, vibrant market town.

Only about one-fifth of Newark Castle is still standing, but it remains an impressive sight.

Located in Castle Gate, it played a key role in the English Civil War, when it was a Royalist stronghold and underwent three sieges before final surrender in 1646 effectively brought about the end of the war.

And the area near the castle is a good example of how the town has been improved.

Much of the land around here was derelict until the start of the new millennium, but lottery cash has helped transform it into Riverside Park, an area where you can walk, play, or just enjoy the sights.

Elsewhere in the town, traditional activities remain, such as the street market on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Antique, craft and bric-a-brac markets are held here on Mondays and Thursdays, and a farmers’ market takes place on the fourth Thursday of every month.

There are lots of house-building projects going on in and around Newark.

The most spectacular is at Fernwood, south of Balderton, where eventually more than 1,000 new homes, many of them at the top end of the market, will be built, set within a wooded area covering more than 60 acres.

But there are also many new developments in Newark itself, particularly ones such as Riverside Walk which are making the most of the town’s waterside location.

Even what could be described as the less nice bits – parts of Balderton, for example, which are no-ball-games and 16-garages-in-a row-behind-flats territory - are well-maintained, with plenty of greenery, and few signs of the derelict properties which can often blight similar areas.

Just outside of Newark are desirable villages such as Coddington and Farndon.

The River Trent plays a major role in the life of both Newark and the nearby villages, and facilities such as Farndon Marina, a 25-acre site on the Trent with short- and long-term mooring, are helping to attract new visitors and residents to the area.

Property Market in Newark

In the north of Newark (north of Beacon Hill Road) 12 per cent of homes are detached, 30 per cent are semi-detached, 38 per cent are terraced, 14 per cent are purpose-built flats, four per cent are flats in converted houses, and two per cent are flats in commercial premises.

In the west of Newark (west of London Road) 22 per cent of homes are detached, 45 per cent are semi-detached, 18 per cent are terraced, and 15 per cent are purpose-built flats.

In the south and east of Newark, including Beacon Hill, 25 per cent of homes are detached, 35 per cent are semi-detached, 29 per cent are terraced, seven per cent are purpose-built flats, three per cent are flats in converted houses, and one per cent are flats in commercial properties.

1. Newark

  pic: Castlegate, Newark
Where is it? A town of 25,000 people on the River Trent, which is formally called Newark-on-Trent.

What’s there? In the very centre, there are some wonderful examples of Georgian townhouses.

A big variety of property in Hawtonville, the area between Hawton Road and Bowbridge Road, with 50s semis next to 60s bungalows next to mock Georgian detached.

Lots of opportunity in the Hatton Gardens area where there are plenty of the four-in-a-row terraces up for sale or to let.

But there are also lots of new-builds to choose from, particularly in Beacon Hill to the east of the town centre which includes the Beacon Heights development.
 
And, in the centre of town, there's the Riverside Walk development in Northgate, which features 196 apartments, three- and four-bed family houses, and two-bed starter homes.

Buyers: All sorts, but particularly attractive to commuters wanting a fast link down to London.

Pros: Very attractive, with – mostly - excellent transport links.

Cons: Still a few years until the A46 is made into a dual carriageway to provide a fast link to the M1.

2. Coddington

  pic: Main Street, Coddington
Where is it? A village on the main road heading east out of Newark.

What’s there? Detached character properties off Main Street, as well as some pretty cottages in Post Office Row.

More modern properties off Balderton Lane, and also some bungalows north of the main road.

In the roads off Newark Road there has been a lot of building in the last five years with the Thorpe Oaks development.

Buyers: Thorpe Oaks is a good place for first-time buyers and investors alike, while families will be attracted to other homes in the area.

Pros: Lots of variety, from large properties with names like The Paddock to affordable townhouses – and Coddington has its own primary school.

Cons: A shame the village is in two separate bits, and also cut in half by the main road.

3. Balderton

  pic: Main Street, Balderton
Where is it? A large village of 15,000 people in the south-east of Newark, between the old and the new railway lines.

Main Street is the heart of the old village, and the area nearest the old railway line around the lake is New Balderton.

Note: the big new estate around the former Balderton Hospital, on the other side of the A1, is actually in Fernwood rather than Balderton.

What’s there? London Road has a good mix of semis and terraces, some of them period properties.

New Balderton consists of, as you would guess, newer homes with a good smattering of bungalows.

Older character properties can be found in the Main Street area, with much more modern semis and flats in the estate around Wolfit Avenue / Bullpit Road.

Most of the new builds are near the roundabout where London Road meets the Great North Road, such as the Oakwood Mews development.
 
Buyers: All types, due to the variety of properties on offer.

Pros: Good range of prices and styles.

Cons: The area can seem a bit fragmented.

4. Farndon

  pic: Marsh Lane, Farnden
Where is it? A village off the A46 just south-west of Newark.

What’s there? Modern – but not brand new - detached and semis on the Marsh Lane area, surrounded by lovely older properties around the edges of the village (Main Street etc).

Buyers: Lots of families attracted to the local Church of England primary school.

Pros: Great location near to the river, and lots going on for a small village; its own school, parish council, village magazine (the 'Farndon Focus') and lots of events at the Memorial Hall. 

Cons: For those who like their villages old, there may be too many modern homes.

5. Long Bennington

  pic: Detached houses in Long Bennington
Where is it? A village which is just in Lincolnshire, off the A1 between Newark and Grantham, and near to the banks of the River Witham.

What’s there? Desirable detached character properties, including some listed Georgian properties, along Main Road.

Some big new builds off Main Road – the Squire’s View development has seven-bed executive homes while Willow Court has six-bed homes.
 
Other highly desirable areas are the Riverview development to the north of the village, and Manor Drive.

At the first-time buyer end of the market, the Riverview development is relatively affordable, as are older mid-terrace cottages like those in Welbournes Lane.
 
Buyers: Families, and some pretty well-off ones at that.  First-timers may find smaller options to suit their budget.

Pros: Being so close to the A1 means excellent transport links…

Cons: …but it also means the village loses some of that 'away-from-it-all' appeal.

Living Here

Transport:

  pic: Northgate Station, Newark
Trains: Newark has two main stations: Newark Castle in Great North Road and Newark Northgate in Appletongate.

East Midlands Trains operate trains from Newark Castle to Nottingham in one direction, and Lincoln / Grimsby in the other.

National Express Trains run the East Coast Line through Newark Northgate station, going south to London King’s Cross in about one-and-a-half hours, and north to Doncaster and York.

Buses: Roadcar, Travelwright, Stagecoach and Pathfinder all operate services from the main bus station in Newark.

Road: The A1 runs directly to the east of the town.

The A46 – the old Fosse Way, most of which is now dual carriageway – offers quick access to Lincoln in one direction, and Nottingham, Leicester and the M1 south in the other.

Air: About 30 miles from both East Midlands Airport to the south-west, and Robin Hood Airport (Doncaster) to the north.

Shopping:

  pic: Newark Market
Newark: The Buttermarket Shopping Centre in Middlegate has 28 shops, a café and restaurant, and there are also lots of small independent shops worth investigating.

There is a Morrisons in King’s Road and an Asda is planned in Potterdyke, although there have been objections from residents.

Coddington: There is a Post Office in Newark Road.

Balderton: This area has a Sainsbury’s Local in London Road, a Tesco Express in Main Street, a Londis in Hawton Lane, and plenty of smaller shops dotted around.

Farndon: There’s a Londis in Marsh Lane and a Post Office in Main Street.

Eating & drinking:

  Cafes in Castlegate, Newark
Restaurants: Loads of choice in Newark, especially around the Castle.

Among the favourites are Reeds, Il Castilo Italian (see what they did there?!) and Café Bleu, all located in Castlegate.

Elsewhere, Ruen Thai in London Road is probably the best Asian restaurant, although there are also plenty of votes for Shaan in Kirkgate and Asha Tandoori in Stodman Street.

Farndon has the New Ferry restaurant near to the river.

Cafes: Quite a few places in Newark fall into the bistro category - certainly more than a café but a bit more casual than a restaurant – for example Feeling Peckish and Gannets in Castlegate.  Also try the Thomas Tea Rooms in Paxton Court.

Pubs: In Coddington there is The Plough in Main Street, and the Inn on the Green in Main Street.

Balderton pubs include the Turk’s Head and Chesters and the Rose and Crown.

In Farndon, there's also the Rose and Crown, and the Britannia pub down by the river.

Sport:

Newark Cricket Club is based off Kelham Road with views over to Newark Castle. There also the Farndon Cricket Club, behind the Memorial Hall in Marsh Lane.

Newark Golf Club is based in Sleaford Road in Coddington.

The Grove Leisure Centre in London Road, Balderton, has two swimming pools, a gym, and other sports facilities on offer.

Southwell Racecourse is just a few miles to the west of Newark.

Entertainment:

The Palace Theatre in Appletongate in the town centre has a wide mix of music, plays, comedy and other performances.

It also screens some films but that's mainly only during the school holidays, otherwise it’s a trip to the nearest cinema, the Odeon in Lincoln.

Parks and open spaces:

  pic: Balderton Lake
Newark's Riverside Park, opposite the Castle, was opened in 2000 and features grass areas and a children’s play site.

Sconce Hills Park, off Farndon Road in the south-west of the town, is a public open space with children’s play area, and joins up with Devon Park, an area of woodland and grassland which also has a soccer centre.

In Balderton, the old railway line which runs to the west of Balderton Lake has been resurfaced by cycle network Sustrans to provide both cycling and walking.

The Wildlife Trust owns the Farndon Willow Holt and Water Meadows Nature Reserve in Farndon, ten hectares of flood meadow and grassland in between the village and the river.