Event - Savour flavours of medieval food (Newark)

An exhibition about medieval food has opened in the undercroft of Newark Castle.


The display has been created by the Friends of Newark Castle and Gardens.

It provides information about food production between 1066 and 1566, when produce from the Continent and the new world was introduced to Britain.

The exhibition is in what would have been the castle storeroom.

The room is linked by stairs to a water gate that leads directly on to the River Trent, where supplies to the castle were delivered.

Beer barrels, imitation fruit, and period cups, plates and jugs create the feel of a medieval food store.

A variety of birds and a rabbit hang from the pillars as they would have done in the Middle Ages, although those in the exhibition have been stuffed.

The chairman of the friends group, Mr Allan Towler, said the stuffed animals attracted attention from children.

He said they hoped to add to the exhibition over time as more money became available.

The project has been supported by the Trent Vale Landscape Partnership, an initiative funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Money has also been provided by Yorkshire Bank, Lincolnshire Co-op, and Nottinghamshire county, Newark and Sherwood district and Newark town councils.

The exhibition can be viewed as part of castle tours every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 1pm, or at other times by arrangement.

The tours, which cost £2.50, can be booked at the tourist information centre.
  From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Savour-flavours-of-medieval-food

Event - Time Travel with a cast of thousands at Newark Castle

Thousands of people will have the chance to sample some living history at Newark Castle on july 28 when Romans, Saxons and more will be in action for the third and possibly final Time Travel Trent Vale event.


The family event attracts re-enactors from Roman, Saxon and Viking periods right through to World War II as well as featuring storytellers, a chance to explore normally closed castle rooms, storyteller Thor Ewing, medieval heritage and combat group Team Falchion, medieval music and much more.

Re-enactors include The Lone Legionary, English Civil War Camp and Conroi de Vey, a group of enthusiasts who re-create aspects of life in Nottinghamshire from around 1,000 years ago.

Nottinghamshire County Council Conservation Projects Officer Gill Grayson, organising the Heritage Lottery-funded event on behalf of the Trent Vale Partnership, said: “The re-enactors interact with the crowds and put on displays in the arena as well, so you might hear English Civil War muskets firing at some point!”

The first Time Travel event in 2010 attracted around 3,000 people and about 4,000 attended last year. Gill says this year’s event could be more popular than ever: “We took on board the feedback we had last year that people wanted more children’s activities, so we’ve got a lot more children’s activities this year.”

These include face painting and children’s craft activities. There will be talks, demonstrations and displays by local history groups too. “It’s about getting people to find out about the heritage of the Trent and the villages and towns along it,” said Gill.

Volunteers are also wanted to help with the running or stewarding of the event, including people willing to conduct tours of the castle, and drama students willing “to be left to rot in a damp and dingy dungeon.” Give the team a call on 0115 969 6525 if you are interested in helping.

But what promises to be the best Time Travel event yet at Newark Castle could also be the last: “This is probably the final year unless we can find someone who will take on the organising of it. It doesn’t cost a lot of money to put on but that money has to be found from somewhere,” said Gill.

From: http://www.newarknotts.co.uk/time-travel-with-a-cast-of-thousands-at-newark-castle/

Event - Exhibition marks custodian's death at Newark Castle

The death of a Newark Castle custodian who swallowed weedkiller after his collection of artefacts was removed is being marked by an exhibition.

John Mountney who died in 1912, was the second custodian of the Nottinghamshire castle and spent years collecting items to illustrate the history of Newark.

In a dispute with the council, the castle's owners, Mr Mountney lost the collection and was left "heartbroken".

The exhibition of photographs is open from 13 to 17 February.

Mr Mountney became the castle's second custodian in 1901 and worked enthusiastically to promote the castle as a tourist attraction.

He turned a room in the south-west tower into a museum, displaying artefacts and curiosities which had been given to him by various people in the town.

The tragic story of Mr Mountney's death unfolded after King Edward VII paid an impromptu visit to Newark Castle in September 1909.

In the absence of civic dignitaries to welcome the King, it was left to Mr Mountney to show him around the castle. On leaving, the King signed the visitors' book.

Mr Mountney then set about producing a commemorative postcard to mark the visit but the borough council deemed it distasteful and ordered Mr Mountney to surrender the page with the signature so it could be displayed at Newark Town Hall.

Relations between Mr Mountney and the council deteriorated and on 12 February 1912, as the council was planning a new museum for the town, council workmen arrived at the castle and removed the exhibits.

The following day, Mr Mountney went to work as usual but when he did not return home for lunch, his wife Elizabeth went to look for him.

She found her husband lying dead in the south-west tower having taken some arsenic-based weedkiller.

'Tragic consequences'

At his inquest, it was revealed Mr Mountney had been offered £2 for his entire collection and left a note which read: "Might is not always right. Broken hearted."

Allan Towler, chairman of the Friends of Newark Castle and Gardens, said: "We couldn't just let the centenary of such a story pass by, a story of unforeseen tragic consequences.

"John held the visitors' book while the King signed it. He was happy and glorious afterwards, quite understandably.

"Perhaps after the council took ownership of the book, the matter should have ended there but it didn't and the rest is history."

Due to present-day conditions in the castle, the actual exhibits cannot be displayed but photos of them all have been taken.

Images include paintings, photographs, models, sculptures as well as fossils, clothes, weaponry and ancient maps.

Mr Mountney is buried in Newark Cemetery.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-17011301

News - £50,000 for castle repairs (Newark)

A £50,000 grant has been given to Newark and Sherwood District Council to help pay for urgent restoration work to Newark Castle.

The grant was made by Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd (WREN) through a Heritage Fund launched in 2010.

It will be used to help pay for the first phase of work to fence off parts of the gardens where there are concerns about falling masonry.

A survey, by Cliveden Conservation, found that sections of the castle walls, dating to the 12th Century, need urgent repairs and restoration.

The survey also found that the castle will need long-term repair work costing more than £1/2m over the next five years.

The work is being done with the support of English Heritage and heritage groups in Newark, including the Friends of Newark Castle and Gardens.

The district council cabinet member responsible for the castle, Mrs Nora Armstrong, said the grant would be matched by the council to enable the essential work to go ahead.

She said: “The project shows that the council is committed to protecting and enhancing Newark Castle and is providing value for money by bringing in partnership funding.”

Louise Brennan, Nottinghamshire team leader at English Heritage, said: “Newark Castle is an important landmark and one that is on our Heritage at Risk register.

“We hope the funding from the dedicated Heritage Fund will help to complete further repairs at the castle and move it towards coming off the register.”

Extensive work to restore the castle was carried out between 1979 and 1994 by the council at a cost of more than £1m.

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/news/view.asp?id=b85e5100-82b3-102f-ad62-73917bb4195d&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Event - Dungeons open for business (Newark Castle)

Explore Newark Castle and its dungeons on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays each week.

DUNGEON TOUR – 11 am

Includes two barrel vaulted dungeons and a bottle dungeon.

Includes ladder climb and confined spaces. Suitable clothing and footwear must be worn.

TOWERS & UNDERCROFT TOUR – 1pm

Investigate the archaeology and history of Newark castle and discover the different types of architecture associated with the castle. Visit the South West and Gatehouse Towers, Galleries and Undercroft.

Involves climbing 77 stairs to the top of the Gatehouse.

Adults: £2.50, Children £1.25, family £7.

Please pre-book your tour to ensure availability by calling the Newark Tourist Information Centre on 01636 655765.

From: http://trentvale.wordpress.com/2011/10/31/dungeons-open-for-business/

News - £175k for repairs to eroded castle (Newark)

NEWARK Castle is to undergo urgent repair work costing £175,000.

Small pieces of stone have been falling from the castle and a recent structural survey found it was suffering from erosion.

Part of the 12th century building has been fenced off to protect people from falling masonry.

Newark and Sherwood District Council, who are responsible for the upkeep of the building, has allocated £130,000 towards the repairs.

The remaining £45,000 will come from a heritage grant.

The survey also found that the castle will require future repair work costing more than £500,000 over the next five years.

The council carried out extensive work to restore the castle between 1979 and 1994 at a total cost of more than £1 million.

Most of this money came from English Heritage, but it has warned it would not be able to guarantee a grant due to Government cuts.

The historic castle was partly destroyed during the English Civil War, though many parts of the original Norman structure have survived.

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/pound-175k-repairs-eroded-castle/story-13411456-detail/story.html

News - Castle in need of £1/2m repairs (Newark)

About £175,000 is to be spent on urgent repairs to Newark Castle.

A report by an expert building conservation company has identified high priority repairs that are needed on the walls of the 12th Century monument.

Two areas of the castle gardens have been fenced off to protect the public from risk of falling stones.

Newark and Sherwood District Council, which is responsible for the castle, has decided to allocate £130,000 towards the repairs. The rest of the money will come from a heritage grant via the Landfill Communities Fund.

Further repairs have been identified that are less urgent. Some will be carried out within two years and others within five years, depending on their priority.

The total cost of all the repairs required is about £1/2m.

The district council’s cabinet member with responsibility for the castle, Mrs Nora Armstrong, said: “We can’t do anything other than look after this wonderful asset.

“It just can’t be allowed to deteriorate.”

The council leader, Mr Tony Roberts, said it was an important part of the history of the district.

He said it was a concern that over the years it was evident that plants had started growing in the mortar at the top of the walls. He said regular yearly inspections were needed.

The castle was partially destroyed at the end of the Civil War siege of Newark in 1646, exposing soft blue lias stone, which has been refaced in some areas but not others.

Areas of the riverside curtain wall and gatehouse tower have been particularly affected by weathering, resulting in small pieces of stone frequently falling to the ground.

The district council carried out extensive restoration work costing nearly £1m between 1979 and 1994.

The majority of the money for that work came from English Heritage, which is now considering whether to increase the risk status of the castle from low to medium.

This would open up the possibility of the castle receiving a grant, although restrictions in funding due to the Government’s spending review mean it would not be guaranteed.

From http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Castle-in-need-of-1-2m-repairs