It’s time we started to do some museums before we leave Newark. So today to avoid storm Henry buffeting the boat for a few hours we headed to the Town Hall Museum and Art Gallery.
John Carr’s original design for the Town Hall
This isn’t the best advertised or easily found museum as the entrance is in the middle of the Buttermarket, through a door covered in posters and up in a lift. But once we came out of the lift we were greeted by two ladies. One lady, Jenny from Sydney, showed us where to start in the museum and was available to answer questions. There is a gallery that currently has an exhibition of calligraphy art which was pleasing. Another room covers some of the history to do with the Town Hall and the mayors.
The mayor opens the gates to the grounds every morning, so Mick believes!
Cells still visible from the police station, recently used as changing rooms in a bridal shop
By the 18th Century Newark was a thriving commercial centre. It’s position on the Great North Road was a good staging place between London and York. In the height of the coaching age, 7 coaches passed through Newark a day. The town was becoming wealthy with it’s manufacturing and the well to do townsfolk needed somewhere to socialise and hold functions such as concerts and balls. A suitable building was needed and John Carr was employed to design the town hall and Buttermarket. The building was originally three, the central section being the hall and market, one the police station, the other a house. The house had to follow on as the landlord of a public house which occupied the site refused to move for some time.
Bible
There are old mayoral robes on display along with Hercules Clay Bible. Hercules Clay, the mayor in 1643, dreamt three times that his house was on fire during the second siege of the Civil War. He is said to have moved his family in the middle of the night just before a fire ball was sent flying over Newark which hit and burnt down his house. On his death he left £100 to the parish church so that a sermon would be said on 11th March each year, he also left another £100 for bread to be given to the poor on the same day. A service is still held on the nearest Sunday to the 11th March each year when his family bible is processed to the church for the sermon to be read and bread handed out.
A wood block and print by Nicholson
Miss Morgan by Kiddey
Nicholson’s son married Barbara Hepworth
Another room displays the councils collection of art, including that from local artists. Works by Robert Kiddey, William Nicholson and William Cubley adorn the walls. Jenny gave us a brief bit of history on the artists. Along with various wood block prints of Nicholson’s there was also a family tree, at the bottom of which was a rather famous sculptor.
This was the main exhibition area done, now came the guided tour. I had let slip about my connection to John Carr which paid off as when we entered the Ballroom I was given special dispensation to be able to take a photo. I have however promised not to put it on the internet, so here are a couple of photos I found of it on the internet! What a fantastic room influenced by John Adams, the plasterwork is really stunning. Two fireplaces sit on the side walls with large sash windows above, the chimneys split and go behind the walls either side of the window.
The Ballroom photo by Gilly Walker
Fantastic ceiling Photo by Gilly Walker
In the 70’s the decor was done to the taste of the time, by the 80’s the building was in disrepair and £1.5 million was raised to renovate it. They did a good job, returning it to it’s Georgian splendour. Portraits and photographs of mayors look down on you as you are guided round. In the Mayors chambers his chains, various Maces and silver wear are on display. We were shown the council meeting room, the narrowest building in Newark (about as wide as a narrowboat) and the twinning room, where on display were the gifts from twinned towns and other Newarks across the world.
Jenny was a very jolly and knowledgeable guide, we meant to ask how long she had lived here to have picked up so much local history, but it was hard to get a word in edgeways. So if you find yourself in Newark the Town Hall is definitely worth a visit, don’t be put off by it’s entrance as you will be warmly welcomed once upstairs if Jenny is on duty.
0 locks, 0 miles, 2nd floor, 1 antipodean volunteer guide, 1 stunning ballroom, 1 good view over the square, 1 Humber Bridge closed, 1 lorry drivers scratched thumb, 1 day of swaying in the wind, 2 be followed by 1 night of the same, Thanks Henry!
NB Lillyanne 