Newark Park

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Newark Park was built around the year 1550 by Sir Nicholas Poyntz, who wanted a convenient hunting lodge. Poyntz lived at Acton Court, near Bristol, about 10 miles away, and created Newark Park to offer evening respite for himself and his guests after a day of hunting in the area. To supply his 'New Work' Poyntz used stone from the Abbey at Kingswood, which had been destroyed in Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries.

The lodge was built on four floors. In the basement were kitchens, reception rooms occupied the ground floor, a banqueting room took up the first floor, and the top floor was reserved for sleeping quarters.

The house occupies a location on the edge of a high cliff looking out over a lovely Cotswold landscape of trees and fields to the River Severn. The house is surrounded by over 700 acres of countryside, with peaceful walks available through the surrounding woods.

A long-lost summer house stands beside a small lake in the gardens

The Tudor hunting lodge was remodelled in 1790 by architect James Wyatt for the Clutterbuck family. Wyatt's design transformed Newark from a hunting lodge into an elegant house. The most immediately impressive aspect of Wyatt's interior work is the cantilevered stone staircase which rises from the entry hall to the first floor.

The interior of Newark is a fascinating mix of period furniture, modern art, and an eccentric jumble of collected artefacts from across the globe. This is very much a 'lived in' house; here you get none of the sterile feeling that sometimes occurs in stately homes.

Newark has the reputation of being haunted. One legend is that the spirits of the monks of Kingswood Abbey were brought here with the stone from their old abbey. If you are not put off by ghost stories you may want to consider staying in this historic house; the National Trust have converted part of the house into a self catering flat with space for 6 guests.

The grounds are largely undeveloped, consisting of informal woodlands split by paths, allowing for long and short circular walks. At the base of the cliff below the house itself is a small lake, fronted by a walled garden and a sumer house. The summer house was lost for many years behind a tangle of vines, and was only rediscovered when a tenant of Newark followed a pig into the undergrowth. The area has now been cleared and is in the process of being restored.

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Getting there
Newark Park is located on a very narow lane just off the A4135 at Ozleworth, just east of Wotton under Edge. Plentiful parking is available. The Cotswold Way long distance trail also passes through the property, making the house and grounds a good stop-off point on a longer walk.