MILLGATE NEWARK
Map of Millgate and environs
Millgate lies along the line of the Roman Fosse Way which connected their capital cities which now are Leicester and Lincoln. For many years it formed part of the A46 trunk road between those cities, and was on the approach from Leicester, latterly as a one-way NEwards road, until the Relief Road was opened in 1990.
Millgate was strategically placed close to the River Trent and was developed as a trading centre with mills and tanneries during the Middle Ages, but lay outside the Borough of Newark until until the time of the Civil War. Millgate reached its heyday in the late 18th-early 19th centuries, with the land adjacent to the Trent and Devon being drained. Millgate became a busy trading centre with wharves, many fine houses and businesses, especially maltings (an important Newark industry) and a brewery.
The opening of the railway in 1847 was the death-knell for Millgate. No new building took place after 1861 and many of the shops, business and wharves went into decline. By the 1950s the area was badly run-down. Since the Newark Act for Conservation in 1968 the area has been restored as a residential area. Many new housing developments have been erected, skilfully using architecture in sympathy with the industrial styles of 200 years ago. It is now a designated Conservation Area, with many listed buildings, and an active Millgate Conservation Society.
Properties adjacent to Millgate Coopers Yard
This most recent housing development occupies the site of the Trent Brewery which operated for much of the 19th century. It was sold to Warwick's Northgate Brewery, resulting in its closure. For many years subsequently the site was occupied by the engineering company, Wakes and Lamb. The brick pillars at the entrance to Coopers Yard are of the same design as those which formed the entry to the Trent Brewery.
Tannery Wharf
New houses were built in the early 1980s on the site of what was a tannery: when the tannery closed, the site became a scrap yard
Museum Yard
The imposing building occupying the west side of Museum Yard was at one time a mill, and was owned by the Navigation Canal Company. The northern block of this building houses a collection of offices and also the 'Navigation Waterfront' public house and restaurant.
The greater part of the building is home to the Millgate Museum , which exhibits a large collection of folk material from the early-mid 20th century. Together with gift shop, entry is free of charge. Visitors are invited to pay a voluntary fee on leaving.
The courtyard is a cobbled surface. Millgate Museum


Huddleston's Yard
Behind the main houses on both sides of Millgate, were yards where poor people could live, and where business was conducted. The yard where Huddleston's Wharf is was owned by Thomas Creswick Huddleston, Town Treasurer during the 19th century and also a timber merchant. Some old blocks of building were renovated in the 1970s

Navigation Yard
This yard is dominated by the Egg Packers' wharehouse, founded in 1931 for selling agricultural produce

Riverside Walk
This is an amenity created by the Council as a tourist attraction in the 1970s. It links all the developments from Tannery Wharf up to a footpath leading out on to the top end of Millgate.

Entry to Riverside Walk Millgate- from town end
Millgate properties The Spring House
This public house which has recently closed is situated on the right side as one enters Millgate from the Leicester direction. It is an elegant Georgian building, at one time standing on the edge of the rural parish of Hawton, and is opposite the Sconce Hills, a Civil War fortification

King Street junction
This junction was the site of Civil War fortifications, which defended Newark from beseiging Parliamentarians from 1645-6. Just on the town side is an elegant row of Georgian properties.

Lenton Terrace
On the west side of Millgate opposite the Old Hall is an imposing block of three-storey houses dating from 1861. Through an archway a yard-way leads to this terrace which is Millgate's last surviving 'yard' At the river end is a disused warehouse.
No66-68: a plaque was unveiled on May 25 2002, commemoratin that this was one-time residence of atrist William Cubley, who was also mayor in 1866.

The Old Hall
This 17th century imposing building was erected on the site of St Guthred's Hermitage. Guthred became a hermit after slaying a fellow knight, and reputedly was cured by the waters of St Catherine's Well. In the 19th century it was the Catholic presbytery, adjacent to the (now demolished) Catholic church. The Old Hall

The Watermill
This is Millgate's only surviving public house (of which there were seven in 1872)

The Watermill from opposite Mill Lane

The Old Methodist Chapel

On the town side of the 'Watermill' is a house, converted to office. Originally it was Newrk's first Methodist chapel, built by the Newark Methodist Soicety in 1776. Before that Wesley had preached in the open air off Millgate. There is a commemorative plaque on the wall

Squire's Garage

Next along from the old chapel is a building which was a Salvation Army Barracks in 1887. The building had been a Wool and Flax Hall and Ropewalk. General Booth conducted the opening cveremony. For many years it was a garage and filling station the then (then) A46

The Old Chapel No 55: old cottage

55 Millgate
Moving along from the old garage is No 55, which dates from the 16th century (or earlier). For many years it was divided into two shops- a grocer and a tobacconist.

Pelham Street junction.
The building now a pine furniture warehouse and showroom was originally one of many maltings, which is still clear from its design.
Various other buildings, mainly 19th century occupy the space to the top end of Millgate.

Castlegate
At its town end Millgate runs into Castlegate, a busy thoroughfare with many small businesses- mainly pubs and eating places, also a newsagent, togetjher with Newark's Tourist Information Centre. To find out more about Castlegate click here

Watch a video of Millgate

Much of the information on this page has been gleaned from Newark's Riverside Heritage- Millgate, by David Maracombe and Ann Borrill (The Continuing Education Press, University of Nottingham) - now out of print.

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