The Renaissance mansion of Newark Castle as seen from the west is linked to the original 15th century tower house to the left .

For the castle in England see Newark Castle. Note: This page refers to the Newark Castle of Newark, Nottinghamshire, not the Newark Castle of Port Glasgow, Inverclyde Newark Castle from the north Newark Castle from the south Newark Castle, supposed to have been founded by Egbert, king of the West Saxons, was partly rebuilt and greatly extended by...

Newark Castle, Port Glasgow is a well-preserved castle sited on the south shore of the estuary of the River Clyde in Scotland where it gradually narrows from the Firth of Clyde and navigation upriver is made difficult by shifting sandbanks. For centuries this location was used to offload seagoing ships, and led to the growth of Port Glasgow close to the castle on either side and to the south. When dredging techniques made the Clyde navigable as far as Glasgow the port became a shipbuilding centre, and the castle was surrounded by shipyards. The last shipyard on the lower Clyde stands close to the west of the castle, but the shipyards to the east were removed around the 1980s and new landscaped areas formed to the east of Newark Castle, opening up scenic views of the castle and across the Clyde from a new bypass road. The main gatehouse of Harlech Castle, Wales. ... Estuaries and coastal waters are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing numerous ecological, economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits and services. ... The River Clyde, looking eastwards upstream, as it passes beneath the Kingston Bridge. ... ... The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. ... Port Glasgow is a burgh in Inverclyde, Scotland on the River Clyde. ...

History

The castle was built in 1478 by George Maxwell when he inherited the Barony of Finlanstone (Findlaystone). The original castle had a tower house within a walled enclosure or barmkin entered through a large gatehouse. All that remains of the outer defensive wall is from one of the original corner towers. It is thought that there would have been a hall and ancillary buildings such as a bakehouse and brew house inside the walled enclosure. A tower house stands on a hillock near Quin along the back road from Limerick to Ennis. ...

In the late 16th century the castle was inherited by Sir Patrick Maxwell, a powerful friend of king James VI of Scotland who was notorious for murdering two members of a rival family and beating his wife who left him after having 16 children. In 1597 Sir Patrick expanded the building, constructing a new north range replacing the earlier hall in the form of a three storey Renaissance mansion in the Jacobean style. This is linked on its south to the original tower house which was suitably modified, and the gatehouse. At this time the barmkin wall was demolished escept for the north east tower, which was converted into a doocot. (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... James VI and I King of England, Scotland and Ireland James VI of Scotland and I of England (Charles James) (19 June 1566–27 March 1625) was a King who ruled over England, Scotland and Ireland, and was the first Sovereign to reign in the three realms simultaneously. ... By region Italian Renaissance Spanish Renaissance Northern Renaissance French Renaissance German Renaissance English Renaissance The Renaissance, also known as Il Rinascimento (in Italian), was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution, religious reform and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ... Mansion near Almelo, The Netherlands A mansion is a large and stately dwelling house. ... The term Jacobean refers to a period in English history that coincides with the reign of James I (1603 – 1625). ... Dovecot is: a type of building, also known as a dovecote the name of a secure POP and IMAP server This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

In 1668 the Glasgow authorities purchased 18 acres (7 hectares) of land around Newark Castle from Sir George Maxwell who was then the laird, and developed the harbour into what they called "Port Glasgow". The last Maxwell died in 1694 and the castle had a series of non-resident owners. An early tenant was a ropemaker called John Orr who also dealt in wild animals such as big cats and bears which he obtained from ships visiting the Clyde and often housed in the castle cellars. The cellars and gardens were later rented by Charles Williamson who blocked access from the hall to stop the joiner John Gardner who rented the hall from stealing fruit stored in the cellars. Port Glasgow is a burgh in Inverclyde, Scotland on the River Clyde. ...

Visitor access

Newark Castle came into state care in 1909 and is now a property of Historic Scotland with excellent visitor facilities. Historic Scotland is the Scottish agency looking after historic monuments. ...

grid reference NS328745 The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ...

External links

• Newark Castle, Port Glasgow - site information
• Newark Castle Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland
• Places to Visit - Newark Castle, Port Glasgow

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