Perhaps the finest extant example of a rectangular fort of the Civil War period. It has a "diamond" bastion at each corner and the breastwork is preserved almost in its entirety round them. The ramps for guns to be drawn up to them are also well preserved. The existing entrance path is modern and originally access to the interior was through the centre of the W side. The S and E sides have well preserved varquetter or fire steps for muskets. These did not exist on the other 2 sides, which faced friendly soil. The fort is plainly a work of the beseiged Royalists since it is placed on an outlying knoll, which if not occupied would have given the enemy a point of vantage. The Kings Sconce (now built over) at the W end of the town probably served the same purpose. The massiveness of this fort contrasts with the slightness of the besiegers' works, some of which remain. (2)
This impressive sconce was laid out and engineered on the "star" plan of military earthworks originating in the Low Countries. The fort itself was one of 2 which constituted the forward defence of the Royalists at Newark. Restored 1957. Situated on a plain some 400m from Newark town centre with excellent all round visibility including coverage of the River Devon and the main Nottm-Newark line of march. No external defences without the perimeter surrounding ditch are now evident and the NE "platform or shelf" is the result of gravel digging coupled with a C19 light mineral railway. Neither are there traces of revetting, and, despite the steepness of the scarp, this would hardly have been necessary had the slopes been either grassed or bound with weed. The whole is in good condition and is probably the finest example of Civil War engineering in the country. (3)
Earthworks are the finest in Newark and form part of a public park and recreation centre (RCHM Survey Mon 2). Traces of outer works on N edge not in scheduled area. These are in the form of ditches of slight proportion. (4) ?
Morph: 194.17.1. Fort, 194.18.1 ditch. (7)
Earthworks. (8)
See (1) for full description. Was SAM 17.

Data Held (Document). SNT2647.

(1), Arch office

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

FXH 3330/19

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

2 BW prints, CPE/UK2009/2418, 2419

<1> RCHM, 1964, Newark on Trent - The Civil War Siegeworks, pp 31-3 (Published document). SNT1176.

<2> DOE, AM7 - undated, no author (Unpublished document). SNT52.

<3> Colquhoun FD, 1974, Pers Comm (Personal comment). SNT582.

<4> Hart CR, 1984, AM107 (Unpublished document). SNT754.

<5> Samuels JR, 1985, AM107 (Unpublished document). SNT1230.

<6> Kinsley G, 1989, Newark's Archaeological Resource, App 1, pp 1-2 (Unpublished document). SNT40.

<7> RCHME, National Mapping Programme, Notts - Morph Data (Unknown). SNT1470.

<8> RAF, 1947, Air photographs (Aerial photograph). SNT2001.

Other Refs: CPE/UK2009/2418, 2419