Newark and Sherwood District Council expected to approve £1.5m Newark Castle gatehouse restoration plans with funding from the National Lottery

The restoration of Newark Castle’s gatehouse as the main entrance to the historic landmark is due be given the go-ahead by planners.

The new approach and restored entrance on Beastmarket Hill will be constructed as part of an overall project costing more than £1.5 million.

The improvements have been drawn up by Newark and Sherwood District Council to improve access to the castle, boost visitor turnout and better communicate the landmark’s history.

The application is now recommended for approval by the council’s planning committee next week.

An accessible entrance pavilion, a visitor reception and an events facility in the grounds would also be created at the 12th century fortress.

The Watergate gardens would be replaced with a flower meadow, and the Terraced Gardens would also be improved.

The plan has been welcomed by local historian Dr Stuart Jennings.

“People don’t realise how crucial Newark was during the English Civil War, and the castle played a leading role in that,” Dr Jennings, an advisor to the town’s National English Civil War Museum, said.

“Hopefully the changes at the castle will help more people to appreciate what an important site it is and visit it.

“It was originally constructed as a Bishop’s palace which was later transferred to the Crown.

“It lay at the junction of two major roads – the Great North Road and the Fosse Way, and also gave control of the Trent crossing.

“It was of critical importance during the English Civil War, when it linked the King’s two headquarters in Oxford and York.

“It has been used by royalty a lot over the years and many major characters have stayed there, including James I and Charles I.

“It was quite luxurious, showing the close relationship between church and state at the time.

“It’s currently in the middle of a [further] restoration project. The curtain wall has been capped, which should stop water getting in between the mortar and secure it for another 30 to 40 years.”

The application is due for approval by the planning committee at Castle House, Great North Road — just a stone’s throw away from the castle — on Thursday, January 18.

David Lloyd, council leader when the application was submitted, said it would “restore and enhance what is arguably one of the town’s most beautiful and well-known treasures”.

A National Lottery bid for £1.3m to support the castle’s improvements was made in October.