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Newark Medieval Timber Frame Buildings Trail Distance:750m

Time:1 hour. Easy trailStart:at the bronze model of Newark

in the Castle GroundsFinish:at the Castle Grounds

Wheelchair & pushchair friendly

At the beginning of the medieval period,slow-growing oak timber was readilyavailable in the sizes and shapes necessaryto construct quite large buildings. As timewent on, the competing demand forwarship-building, as well as diminishingtimber stocks, meant that the commonhouse brick became the standardstructural element used for houses, and inrecent times timber came to be regardedas rather inferior. Although medievaltimber frame buildings are now quite rare,the fact that many have survived intactover the centuries is testament to boththeir durability and the craftsmanship oftheir builders. Newark has a good numberof these buildings, and this trail takes youpast many (but not all) of them. Severalare now occupied by businesses whichoffer refreshments and, for the price of acup of coffee, one can relax inside and

admire the structure as well as colourfulmedieval decorations.

Although the archetypal ‘black and white’exterior finish can be a clue to theexistence of a timber frame, this is notinfallible. As you progress around thisroute, look at the featured buildings andyou will see that their roofs are all steeplypitched - indicating that they wereoriginally thatched, that the ridgelines arerarely straight, and that the walls arerarely square. Note also how many ofthem have upper storeys that are ‘jettied’out beyond the lower ones - to provideextra floor space, but also to protect theground floor from rainwater damage.These are tell-tale signs of a structure builtof natural materials and, once you getyour eye in, you will soon spot more - onthe edge of the town centre and beyond.

and techniques, see Jason Mordan’s‘Timber-Frame Buildings ofNottinghamshire’ (ISBN 0 902751 48 4) - Nottinghamshire County Council, 2004.

Start the route at the bronze model of Newark in the Castle Grounds.Leave the Castle Grounds via the irongates, turn right, then pauseto lookacross Castle Gate at the white-paintedRoyal Oak pub (1). The walls of thismodest building have been bricked up sothat the structural timbers are hiddenfrom view, but it was sufficiently wellthought of to survive the extensiveredevelopment of Castle Gate during the18th century. Like most of the buildings onthis tour, it has windows that date from

This short walk around the town centre passes by many of the town’smost interesting timberframed buildings

2 1

D&P 11.12/EXT/5956

Printed on 80% recycled paper

Co-authors: George Wilkinson and Bill Davidsonof Newark Civic Trust

Registered Charity Number: 1015046

Oak becomes harder as it seasons, soit has to be worked soon after felling.This means that dendrochronology(tree-ring dating) of the timbers canprovide a very precise date for abuilding’s construction. For furtherinformation on building styles

Newarkmedieval timber

frame buildings trail

much later than its construction date ofabout 1650.

Cross Castle Gate at the zebra crossingand make your way to the far end ofBoar Laneand Stray’s Books (2)-another white painted building. It is easy

to see that the premises were originallythree cottages. They date from 1588, andthe ground floors were converted intoshops in the early 19th century. A furtherrow of cottages (now the coffee shop)stood beyond them across a yard, withoutbuildings in between.

Turn left along Middle Gate and, at thejunction with Kirk Gate, turn leftto lookat 18 Kirk Gate (Galerie) (3). Thecoloured render hides a ‘close-studded’structure (indicating that it was built for awealthy owner). If the shop is open, youcan combine a browse among the antiqueswith a good look at the internal dividingpartitions, most of which, unusually, arestill in place.

Newark Castle

This is the third leaflet in a series of eight and the full range may be viewed on our website www.newarkcivictrust.org.uk

This trail was made possible by the following organisations:

Newark Town Council

3

Newark Medieval Timber Frame Buildings Trail Distance: 750m

Time: 1 hour. Easy trailStart: at the bronze model of Newark

in the Castle GroundsFinish: at the Castle Grounds

Wheelchair & pushchair friendly

At the beginning of the medieval period,slow-growing oak timber was readilyavailable in the sizes and shapes necessaryto construct quite large buildings. As timewent on, the competing demand forwarship-building, as well as diminishingtimber stocks, meant that the commonhouse brick became the standardstructural element used for houses, and inrecent times timber came to be regardedas rather inferior. Although medievaltimber frame buildings are now quite rare,the fact that many have survived intactover the centuries is testament to boththeir durability and the craftsmanship oftheir builders. Newark has a good numberof these buildings, and this trail takes youpast many (but not all) of them. Severalare now occupied by businesses whichoffer refreshments and, for the price of acup of coffee, one can relax inside and

admire the structure as well as colourfulmedieval decorations.

Although the archetypal ‘black and white’exterior finish can be a clue to theexistence of a timber frame, this is notinfallible. As you progress around thisroute, look at the featured buildings andyou will see that their roofs are all steeplypitched - indicating that they wereoriginally thatched, that the ridgelines arerarely straight, and that the walls arerarely square. Note also how many ofthem have upper storeys that are ‘jettied’out beyond the lower ones - to provideextra floor space, but also to protect theground floor from rainwater damage.These are tell-tale signs of a structure builtof natural materials and, once you getyour eye in, you will soon spot more - onthe edge of the town centre and beyond.

and techniques, see Jason Mordan’s‘Timber-Frame Buildings ofNottinghamshire’ (ISBN 0 902751 48 4) - Nottinghamshire County Council, 2004.

Start the route at the bronze model of Newark in the Castle Grounds.Leave the Castle Grounds via the irongates, turn right, then pause to lookacross Castle Gate at the white-paintedRoyal Oak pub (1). The walls of thismodest building have been bricked up sothat the structural timbers are hiddenfrom view, but it was sufficiently wellthought of to survive the extensiveredevelopment of Castle Gate during the18th century. Like most of the buildings onthis tour, it has windows that date from

This short walk around the town centre passes by many of the town’smost interesting timberframed buildings

21

D&P 11.12/EXT/5956

Printed on 80% recycled paper

Co-authors: George Wilkinson and Bill Davidsonof Newark Civic Trust

Registered Charity Number: 1015046

Oak becomes harder as it seasons, soit has to be worked soon after felling.This means that dendrochronology(tree-ring dating) of the timbers canprovide a very precise date for abuilding’s construction. For furtherinformation on building styles

Newarkmedieval timber

frame buildings trail

much later than its construction date ofabout 1650.

Cross Castle Gate at the zebra crossingand make your way to the far end ofBoar Lane and Stray’s Books (2) -another white painted building. It is easy

to see that the premises were originallythree cottages. They date from 1588, andthe ground floors were converted intoshops in the early 19th century. A furtherrow of cottages (now the coffee shop)stood beyond them across a yard, withoutbuildings in between.

Turn left along Middle Gate and, at thejunction with Kirk Gate, turn left to lookat 18 Kirk Gate (Galerie) (3). Thecoloured render hides a ‘close-studded’structure (indicating that it was built for awealthy owner). If the shop is open, youcan combine a browse among the antiqueswith a good look at the internal dividingpartitions, most of which, unusually, arestill in place.

Newark Castle

This is the third leaflet in a series of eight and the full range may be viewed on our website www.newarkcivictrust.org.uk

This trail was made possible by the following organisations:

Newark Town Council

Retrace your route to the junction withMiddle Gate to look at the impressiveblack-and-white building on the corner, (4),with its huge diagonal braces readily visible.Note that the upper storey has jetties ontwo sides - this means that the floor joistshave to run in both directions and these aresupported by a diagonal timber (visibleabove and inside the entrance door) knownas a ‘dragon-beam’. The building dates from1337 - a period when the ‘hall’ was thefocus of daily life and was commonly locatedon the ground floor (see The Woolpackbelow); however, Country Scene is a rare example of an ‘upper hall’ house, with the living quarters atfirst floor level.

Continue along Kirk Gate beyond The OldPost Office and look across at a pair ofblack-and-white buildings now known asCharles 1 Coffee House (5). They providea practical illustration of the evolution inconstruction methods as timber becamescarcer and more expensive, with the (later)left hand house’s ‘box-framing’ showingmuch less timber than the (earlier) righthand one’s ‘close studding’. In a roomupstairs an ancient wall painting is exposedto view.

Some 20 yards further on, turn rightthrough the second archway to reachQueen’s Head Court and find the OldBakery Tea Rooms (6). Formerly a bakehouse, when the surrounding area wasredeveloped in 1961 this was the only one(of three) shops that was restored andretained.

Turn towards the Market Place and The Queen’s Head pub (7). Alsoextensively restored in the 1970s, it wasoriginally a coaching inn. Many of the originaltimbers are visible inside, dating from longbefore the reign of Good Queen Bess forwhom it was named.

Make your way diagonally across theMarket Place (negotiating the stalls if amarket is in progress) to reach thecomplex of buildings fronted by TheNottingham Building Society (8). Thiswas once The Old White Hart Inn - its frontrange identified by Niklaus Pevsner in 1979as “one of the paramount examples of late15th century timber-framed architecture inEngland”. Subsequent dendrochronologyconfirmed this date, but also established thatthe rear range is much earlier, dating from1313. The entire building was saved fromcollapse by a masterly restoration in the1970s, which included establishing theoriginal colouring of the elaborate frontage,including traceried windows. The small

plaster figures depict Saint Anthony of Paduaand Saint Barbara, repeated over and over.The walls of the building society officedisplay medieval wall painting (vines withgrapes) referring to the room’s originalfunction.

Pass through the carriageway to see thestair turret, giving access to the uppergalleries of the front range, the 1320 hall toits side, and the extensive rear range, whichonce provided for the needs of travellersand carters in the pre-stagecoach period.

Return to the Market Place, turn left andgo past the former Saracen’s Head andClinton Arms coaching inns to reachStodman Street and Greggs (9), knownfor many years as ‘The Governor’s House’.The front range of the complex wasconstructed in about 1475 for a wealthymerchant who showed off by using a greatdeal of timber in the ‘close studded’ style, bybuilding to a great height on three jettiedstoreys (each jetty coved), and by having‘billeting’ on the ‘bressumers’ (decorativecarving on the horizontal timbers). Theinterior is glorious, retaining much of its16th century painted decoration, andviewing it is well worth the cost of (another)cup of coffee. The entire first floor was theliving room (known as a ‘solar’) with verticalsliding shutters to the original windows.About 1500 the rear wing - visible via thepassageway to the left - was added,including a grand full height hall. Legend hasit that the impressive building wascommandeered by the town’s militarygovernor during the Civil War and that theking stayed here during his many visits. Aplaque on the front refers to the king’squarrel with his nephew Prince Rupert - atalented cavalry commander. Charlesdismissed Rupert from his service and, in theview of many, thus hastened his owndownfall.

Make your way down Stodman Streetaway from the Market Place, past thejunction with Middle Gate, and on yourleft you will see The Prince Rupert inn(10). Rendering conceals almost all of thetimber frame, which has been dated to1452. Another apparently wealthy family hadthis house constructed in the ‘Wealden’ stylewhich originated in Kent. On the groundfloor, the right hand bay provided forkitchen and other domestic activities whilethe centre bay housed the hall, open to thethatched roof, whose original rafters are stillin situ. The left hand bay was removed longago, probably because of fire damage, butwould have provided private quarters. Anupper floor was added at some time tocover in the hall and create two bedrooms.

Go on to the junction of Stodman Streetand Castle Gate, cross the zebra crossingand turn left. About 30m further on yourright is a row of three cottages (11) (nowconverted into two) with jettied upperfloors and brick lower walls. These buildingsdate from around 1330 and, althoughextensively restored, retain much of theiroriginal structure and all of their charm. Onthe other side of the road, 57-59 CastleGate (12) is currently Salt seafoodrestaurant and dates from about 1700, itswalls bricked up some 100 years later. Notethe rather eccentric chimney stack,extended upwards in recent times.

Retrace your route along Castle Gate andgo on to regain the Castle Grounds andthe end of the trail. Alternatively, go toCarter Gate, Barnby Gate, Balderton Gateor Mill Gate to see if you can spot moretimber frames. Did you notice the one inStodman Street, opposite The Prince Rupert?

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Map ©Newark and Sherwood District Council

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