The former Saracen's Head, 1721. [Its] size and prominent position [is] characteristic of towns on the Great North Road. (1)
An inn rebuilt in 1721, but with deeds going back to 1341 indicating a much earlier origin for the site. In 1591 the licensee is named as John Twentyman and the inn remained in his family until 1720 when it was sold to John Herring, who rebuilt it the following year. The inn closed in 1956 and was converted to accommodate a bank, shops and offices. The building is similar in scale and materials to its neighbour, the Clinton Arms. Built from red brick with a clay pantile roof, it is three storeys in height and eight bays wide. However, its frontage is plainer, decorated only with chamfered quoins and a second-floor band. On the first floor there is a central niche containing a bust of a ‘Saracen’. The ground floor features an eight-bay loggia with a continuous cornice which is supported by Tuscan columns. The upper storeys have sash windows, possibly modern replacements, although, he ground floor retains sash windows which may be older, along with a late 20th-century shopfront. There is a central carriage arch that originally gave access to the rear yard and stabling for the hotel, cleared in 1973 and rebuilt as part of the development of the St Mark’s Shopping Precinct. (2)

Listed buildings slides, 1 slides (Photograph). SNT2648.

<1> Pevsner N, 1979, The Buildings of England: Nottinghamshire 2nd ed., p 193 (Monograph). SNT4.

<2> Historic England, 2024, Newark on Trent, Historic Area Assessment by Historic England (Unpublished document). SNT6029.