For educational purposes<br /><br />The story of the battles for the strategically vital town in Nottinghamshire is a classic example of how a siege was conducted during the long and bitter fighting of the English Civil War. <br /><br />The town was the gateway to the north of England and was the site of three separate sieges, as the armies of the King and of Parliament fought for control. <br /><br />In February 1643 the Royalists beat back the determined Parliamentarian attacks but the town then had to be relieved by the dashing Prince Rupert a year later. <br /><br />Finally, in May 1646, Newark surrendered to Parliamentary forces on the explicit orders of King Charles I, who in doing so sealed his own fate and condemned himself to the block.
