Why are so many places across ‘the pond’ named after Newark-on-Trent?
There’s a Newark in New Jersey, one in Delaware, another in Maryland and another one in Ohio (pronounced ‘Nerk’)
There was a time two centuries ago, when these new Newarks, were nothing but small towns and villages. They were often named after the hometowns of the settlers who had come from England and elsewhere in search of a new life. Back in the Eighteenth and early Nineteenth centuries there were many who left everything behind to migrate to ‘the New World’. I know a number of my family members went around that time.
Several years ago, I was utterly fascinated when a distant American relative got in touch and told me about those early years, the hardships they faced and their eventual successes. Some however were ‘unsettled settlers’ who found it all too much and eventually came back home.
Newark is that kind of place you want to come back to. It feels like home. There’s a real sense of belonging. Some say, ‘Home is where the heart is.’
Recently Newark as a destination has been picked up by The Guardian Travel Section and the Guardian’s Let’s Move to (Newark).
There are no ‘Sopranos’ (well, other than the Newark Music Club!) in Nottinghamshire’s Newark and that’s the point – it’s homely, charming and The Guardian called it a ‘genuine surprise’. Drivers even stop at pedestrian crossings!
Newark has a numerous historic buildings, a stunning market square, a Georgian Town Hall, a river, a castle, an impressive, proud spire (St Mary Magdalene) that makes your heart soar, a thriving jazz scene (there must always be music!) and a mix of interesting, independent shops, coaching inns, enviable restaurants and great B&B's! It’s also very well connected – just off the ‘magical’ A1 and has easy access to fast East Coast mainline links.
There is a quiet beauty about Newark that lifts the spirit. It is the Newark of the ‘Old World’ which exudes an unpretentious charm, but it is the original Newark and in my view, the best.
