Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Newark Castle, Port Glasgow
Port glasgow

Newark Castle, Port Glasgow

Scotland
HES SM90230
Site type
Port glasgow
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Newark Castle is a substantial defensive structure situated on the Firth of Clyde in Port Glasgow, Renfrewshire. The castle was constructed in the late sixteenth century, with the main tower house built around 1597 by Patrick Maxwell of Newark. The fortress comprises a multi-storied tower house with adjoining gun batteries positioned to command the river, reflecting its role as both a defensive stronghold and a statement of aristocratic power during the period of Scottish feudalism's transition to the early modern era. The castle remains substantially intact and stands as a significant example of late sixteenth-century Scottish fortification, demonstrating the military architectural practices of the period.

Newark Castle, Port Glasgow is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90230. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Newark Castle, Port Glasgow?

Newark Castle is a substantial defensive structure situated on the Firth of Clyde in Port Glasgow, Renfrewshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90230.

Who is responsible for protecting Newark Castle, Port Glasgow?

Newark Castle, Port Glasgow is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM90230.

What other scheduled monuments are near Newark Castle, Port Glasgow?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Craigmarloch Wood,fort (3.1 km), High Castlehill, enclosure 55m WSW of (3.1 km), Pennytersal Farm, motte 235m SW of (3.4 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Newark Castle, Port Glasgow

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Newark Castle, Port Glasgow's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Craigmarloch Wood,fort
Iron Age · Fort3.1 km
High Castlehill, enclosure 55m WSW of
Post-Medieval · Enclosure3.1 km
Pennytersal Farm, motte 235m SW of
Medieval · Motte3.4 km
High Mathernock, AA battery 350m WSW and camp 360 SW of
Aa battery 350m wsw and camp 3603.7 km
Steel Cottage, anti-aircraft battery 480m NW of
Anti-aircraft battery5.4 km
Whitelees Cottage, bombing decoy control bunker 230m NW of
Bombing decoy control bunker5.4 km
Muiredge, cairn 1050m W of
Cairn5.7 km
Duchal Castle
6 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Newark Castle, Port Glasgow

Newark Castle, Port Glasgow stands on Inverclyde Group, bedrock that formed in the Osagean. The rock here is sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.

All Scheduled Monuments