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A lost treasure

Over the years redevelopment and urban clearances have accounted for the destruction of many fine old corners of historic Newark.

Few of these vanished treasures, however, could compete for originality with the former terrace of early 19th Century housing known as Regent Street.

Although demolished in 1967, the site of Regent Street may still be easily recognised today.

It ran between Albert Street and Victoria Street, on part of the site now occupied by the Co-op superstore.

And although designated a street, in literal terms at least, Regent Street cannot be considered a street at all.

It possessed no road and was really nothing more than a row of houses (albeit of a rather superior kind) with gardens and a walkway at the front and a passageway behind.

The period of the Regency in English history - when because of George III's illness, George, Prince of Wales, acted as Prince Regent - lasted from 1811 to 1820.

Regent Street in Newark, however, is of slightly later date with construction having begun in 1828. It was the work of a local man, William Kelk, who, during the early years of the 19th Century rose to become one of Newark's most influential citizens.

Born in 1800, Kelk's family lived on Portland Street, where his father, also called William, had workshops for his joinery and cabinet-making business.

We do not know the circumstances which lead the young William into the building trade, nor how he succeeded in amassing the necessary funds to become such a successful property developer.

For although Regent Street may be considered his single most impressive development in the town, Kelk was also responsible for at least three other large-scale schemes.

Off King Street, for instance, he was responsible for an extensive development of three blocks of back-to-back workers' houses originally named Kelk's Buildings (subsequently re-named Queen Street Square and Kings Arms Yard and now all demolished).

Fronting onto Victoria Street, meanwhile, he built a further group of three houses - most distinguished - known as Union Terrace featuring elegantly carved lintels, a delicate cast iron balcony, and projecting bowed pavilions at either end (pictured below).

Behind this terrace he built still more houses, ten in number, which became known as Union Row. (Union Terrace and Union Row have now also been demolished - in 1967 and 1972 respectively - with the site now being partially occupied by the Bishop Alexander Court sheltered housing complex).

While William Kelk's authorship of these projects is well documented, we know frustratingly little about other aspects of his life in the town.

Trade directories show that by 1822 he was operating as a builder with premises on Portland Street. By 1830 his business address is given as Stodman Street.

The town's Electoral Register for 1832, meanwhile, records him as living in Regent Street, although by 1834 his home address is given as Union Terrace.

His name appears once again in the Electoral Register for 1836, although in the copy of this document held at Newark Library his entry has been crossed out and a note added to the effect that he had, by that time, left the town.

Attempts to trace Kelk's movements after his departure from Newark have so far proved fruitless.

While living in Newark, however, he certainly seems to have moved within the best circles becoming particularly involved in town politics - in those days very much a rich man's game.

In 1829 we find Kelk as chairman of the Blue Independent Committee proposing Mr Serjeant Wilde as parliamentary candidate for Newark, and in 1832, when W. E. Gladstone was first elected as MP for the town, Kelk is recorded as presenting some very searching questions on the behalf of the Blues as to Gladstone's father's involvement with the slave trade.

It was around this same time, of course, that Kelk was also creating his most lasting mark upon the town in the form of his housing developments at Union Row, Union Terrace and Regent Street.

Regent Street appears to have marked the midpoint in Kelk's building around Newark being commenced in 1828 when he purchased 1,697 square yards of land in the area and immediately erected seven house upon it.

Two years later (after further purchase of land) he built another ten houses, naming the entire development Regent Street.

Although many people may remember Regent Street towards the end of its life as being rather run down and neglected, when first built its imposing size and fine architectural detailing - notably its carved stone lintels and quoin stones - marked it out as a noteworthy addition to the town.

The centre house, taller than the rest with an impressive pediment and imposing internal stone staircase, was built for Kelk himself, although he lived there for only a few short years before his removal to Union Terrace and subsequent departure from the town.

In later years Kelk's residence in Regent Street became known as Regent House and, by the 1880s, was divided into two small dwellings.

In next week's article I will continue the story of Regent Street drawing on the memories of one later resident, Mrs Doreen Rawson (nee Aldridge) who lived there in the 1920s.

In compiling this article I am indebted to Mr Michael Gill of Newark and Mr Peter O'Malley of Southwell for their assistance. Union Terrace, like Regent Street pictured above, was built in the late 1820s by local builder and entrepreneur William Kelk.

Both pictures were taken in the 1960s shortly before the houses were demolished.

ABOVE: Regent Street.

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