Chairman cuts the ribbon on polished park project

The completion of the £1.6m regeneration of Newark’s historic Sconce and Devon Park will be marked with its official unveiling this week.

The Chairman of the Council, Cllr Tom Bickley, marked the completion of the project which helps the town to capitalise on the tourism potential of the Queen’s Sconce, a 17thcentury Civil War earthwork fortification, by providing top-class facilities for visitors and locals alike.

The Scheduled Ancient Monument is one of the country's finest remaining earthworks from the English Civil War (1642-51). It is distinctively star-shaped when viewed from the air and is one of nine siege works remaining in a recognisable state in and around Newark. It’s considered an internationally important heritage feature, and is surrounded by open space and playing fields.

Newark and Sherwood District Council successfully applied to the Heritage Lottery Fund/Big Lottery Fund (HLF/BLF) under the Parks for People initiative for a £1.13m grant. The district council, Nottinghamshire County Council, WREN,

The Veolia Environmental Trust, the Alliance Sub-regional Strategic Partnership, and the Friends of Sconce and Devon Park have also contributed funding to the project. The grants from WREN and The Veolia

Environmental Trust, totalling £70,000, were awarded through the Landfill Communities Fund.

Work began in August 2009 on phase one of the project - the rangers’ office, toilets, cafe and play area. Phase two consists of resurfacing the footpaths and installing new signs guiding visitors around the park to explain its history and ecology. Phase three saw the new bridge for pedestrian access to the Sconce installed. Phases four and five included the planting and landscaping stage.