The historic East Midlands town of Newark has been an important place, ever since medieval times when it became a major centre for wool and cloth production. The town grew around its once-impressive castle, built in the eleventh and twelfth centuries but later destroyed in 1646 following the town's surrender to attacking Parliamentary forces during the Civil War. In Victorian times, the town grew and developed and a number of new industries were established, among them sugar refining, which is still in evidence today. During the Second World War, Newark was home to several RAF bases from which Polish Air Force squadrons operated. A memorial to the sacrifice made by the hundreds of Polish airmen who lie buried in the main cemetery was unveiled in 1941 by President Raczkiewicz, ex-President of the Polish Republic and head of the wartime Polish Government in London, supported by General Sikorski, head of the Polish Armed Forces and wartime Polish Prime Minister. Today, Newark is well known as a centre of the antiques trade and, since 1985, has hosted the largest antiques fair in Europe. Presented here in these photographs is a fascinating portrayal of Newark from the mid 19th to the early 20th centuries.