Newark Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Newark Park
The symmetrical front of the original lodge
Type	Hunting Lodge
Location	Ozleworth
OS grid reference	ST 78107 93111
Area	Gloucestershire
Owner	National Trust
Listed Building – Grade I
Official name: Newark Park, Ozleworth
Designated	6 Sep 1954
Reference no.	1227685
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Newark Park is a beautiful old country house in Gloucestershire, England. It was first built in the Tudor style. This means it has a classic look from the time of King Henry VIII.

The house sits on a huge piece of land, about 700 acres (2.8 square kilometers). It's located at the edge of the Cotswolds, a famous hilly area. From the park, you can see amazing views of the Severn Valley and the Severn Estuary. Since 1946, the National Trust has looked after Newark Park. They help protect special places like this for everyone to enjoy.

Discover Newark Park's Past

Newark Park started as a hunting lodge. This was a special house built for people to stay in when they went hunting. It had four floors, including a basement.

Building a Tudor Hunting Lodge

Sir Nicholas Poyntz built the lodge between 1544 and 1556. He was an important person who worked for King Henry VIII. Sir Nicholas already had a big house called Acton Court. He built Newark Park as a new, stylish place to visit.

The house was first called "New Work." Some of its building materials came from a nearby old abbey called Kingswood Abbey. This abbey had recently been closed down. The original lodge was quite simple, with one room on each floor.

• The basement had a kitchen.
• The ground floor had two living rooms.
• The first floor had a special banqueting room for big dinners.
• The top floor had small bedrooms.
• The roof was flat, so people could stand on it and enjoy the views.

How the House Changed Over Time

In 1600, the Low family bought the lodge. They made it much bigger in 1672. They added a second four-story building next to the first one. A passage and stairway connected the two parts, making the house look like the letter "H" from above.

Later, in 1722, the Harding family bought Newark Park. They made some small changes. Then, in 1790, the Clutterbuck family bought it. They hired a famous architect named James Wyatt to redesign the house. He made it into a more square-shaped building. They also created a special deer park and improved the gardens.

New Owners and Modern Updates

The Clutterbucks left Newark Park in 1860. After that, different families rented the house. Even though they were renters, they still made improvements.

In 1898, Mrs. Annie Poole King rented Newark Park. She was a widow with five children. She also had many staff members, like a coachman, cook, and gardener. The King family added rooms for servants. They also put in a hot-air heating system and hot water on the second floor. The Kings stayed at Newark Park until 1949. After that, the owner, Mrs. Power-Clutterbuck, gave the house and its land to the National Trust.

Bringing Newark Park Back to Life

When the National Trust first owned Newark Park, they rented it out. For a while, it was even used as a nursing home. By 1970, the house was in bad shape, and the gardens were overgrown.

Robert Parsons' Restoration Work

An American architect named Robert (Bob) Parsons decided to rent Newark Park. He loved the idea of fixing up an old English country house. Bob Parsons started a careful project to repair and restore both the house and its gardens.

Thanks to his hard work, people realized how important the house's architecture was. This led to it being given a "Grade I listed" status, which means it's a very important historic building.

Bob Parsons' partner, Michael Claydon, joined him in 1982. Michael also helped a lot with the restoration. After Bob Parsons passed away in 2000, Michael Claydon continued to look after the house and the parkland.

Visiting Newark Park Today

Newark Park is now open to the public during the summer. You can visit and explore this historic house and its beautiful grounds.