Newark Castle Gardens

The Castle Gardens are small (1ha) formal gardens that are bordered by the remaining walls of Newark Castle (the Castle having been partly destroyed in 1646 at the end of the English Civil War). The Gardens, which are Grade II listed by English Heritage, were designed by an eminent Victorian landscape Architect H E Milner and opened in 1887.

A 1997 Heritage Lottery Fund grant, together with funding from the District Council and other partners, allowed for an £800,000 improvement scheme to be carried out between 1998 and 2000. Paths were resurfaced, thousands of trees and shrubs planted, access to the Castle’s walls and dungeons improved and a new bandstand added.

The gardens, as well as being a quiet area for rest and relaxation, are also used for events (including a popular series of Sunday brass band concerts in the Summer) and regular guided tours of the Castle and Gardens are conducted by the Castle and Parks Ranger.

The gardens also contain the Gilstrap Heritage Centre, which houses historic and cultural exhibitions as well as public toilets and the Newark Tourism Information Centre.

Full details of guided tours and events being held in the Gardens can be obtained by contacting the Newark TIC on 01636 655765 or e-mail gilstrap@nsdc.info.

To view a location map using Map24

The Friends of Newark Castle and Gardens is group of volunteers which assists the Council with the management and maintenance of the site. The Friends meet monthly and new members are always welcome. For further details please contact the Parks section on 01636 655290.

 Newark Castle Gardens Information Leaflet (PDF 192kb)

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The District Council seeks to maintain the Castle Gardens to a high standard and in recognition of these standards and the involvement of the local community the Castle Gardens have gained a prestigious Green Flag Award for 2008, its seventh year of success in this prestigious nation-wide scheme, supported by the Government and managed by the Civic Trust. .  For further details of the Green Flag award visit http://www.greenflagaward.org.uk/

NEWARK CASTLE GARDENS MANAGEMENT PLAN

In May 1997 the Heritage Lottery Fund, under its Urban Parks Programme, awarded a grant of £525,000 towards the £800,000 restoration and refurbishment of Newark Castle Gardens
A condition of the grant was that a Management Plan for the Gardens be prepared and Newark and Sherwood District Council appointed landscape architects SGS Environment to prepare the first draft of the Plan.

The SGS draft plan has been amended and added to by the District Council's Environmental & Technical Services Department, with input from the Department of Development and Planning, and the draft plan has been circulated to appropriate groups and individuals for their comments.

Following further amendments and additions as a result of the consultation exercise the Plan was formerly adopted by the District Council and serves to guide the management and maintenance of the Castle Gardens until 2010.