Work on National Civil War Centre starts in Newark

WORK has started on a £5.4m National Civil War Centre that will see Royalists and Roundheads make an historic return to the heart of Newark.

The redevelopment of the Grade II listed Old Magnus Buildings on Appletongate will take a year.

The completed centre will focus on the struggle for power in 17th Century Britain. It will be the first of its kind in the country and is expected to attract 60,000 visitors a year.

The struggle for control of Newark — a staunchly Royalist town — was one of the defining events of the Civil War.

It was where King Charles I surrendered to the Scots Army that was allied to the Roundheads.

The chairman of Newark and Sherwood District Council’s leisure and environment committee, Mr Tony Roberts, said: “Our new museum will house a treasure trove of objects, many of which have never been seen before in public, and also activities showcasing the district’s history.

“As a former school, the centre will have vibrant galleries, trails and resources providing a thrilling experience for families and school groups.”

The social history of Newark and Sherwood will also feature strongly, tracing the history of towns and villages through the hundreds of artefacts on display.

Among the items on show will be the Iron Age Newark Torc, or necklace, an Anglo Saxon gold cross, paintings by Newark-born artist Sir William Nicholson and the Byron Press, used to print a number of the early works of the Victorian poet Lord Byron.

The project received a £3.5m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and support from Nottinghamshire County Council.

Bilsthorpe-based Woodhead Heritage has been contracted to carry out the work.

It will will involve conserving the building’s historic features, including schoolboy graffiti from the 1600s, and installing modern new galleries, lift, toilets, a reception area and gift shop.

Mr Simon Butler, from Woodhead Heritage, said: “During the works we shall be working with apprentices and work experience students from construction courses to provide learning opportunities in specialist heritage skills.”

Archaeologists are on site undertaking excavations before foundations are laid for the new building.