Newark

Newark-on-Trent (generally shortened to Newark) is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It is located on the River Trent, with the River Devon also running through the town. Situated at the intersection of the Great North Road and the Fosse Way, Newark originally grew around Newark Castle - now ruined - and a large market place - now lined with historic buildings. According to the 2001 census, it had a population of 25,376, but Newark forms a continuous built-up area with the neighbouring parish of Balderton. The combined population of the two is 35,674. Newark's position as one of the few bridges on the Trent in the area, its location along the Great North Road, (the A1), and later with the advance of rail transport being at the junction between the East Coast Main Line, and the route from Nottingham to Lincoln has informed its growth and development. Originally a centre for the wool and cloth trade, it industrialised to some extent during the Victorian era, and later with an ironworks, engineering, brewing, and a sugar refinery. It was a major town standing for the Royalist cause during the Civil War, only surrendering finally when Charles I himself ordered it.