

The Newark Torc is an Iron Age gold alloy object that was possibly as an offering to the Gods. Now at the British Museum.The doors of Newark Castle sometimes creak open for visitors.

Trent Vale's buildings and historic features tell the story of its rich and complex past.

The built heritage throughout the Vale is of national importance and includes sites such as Gainsborough Old Hall, Torksey Castle and Newark Castle, together with the many historic churches and chapels, farm and village buildings and numerous industrial and commercial buildings within the market towns.

There are currently 47 sites designated as Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Trent Vale. Some of these are buried remains, but many structures are still visible. The Trent Vale also has some of the densest concentrations of cropmarks anywhere in the country, providing tantalising clues to how past communities lived, thrived and died.

Trent Vale's parish churches have significant historic interest with many located on sites with previous spiritual or religious importance. There is a special relationship between the Trent Vale and Christianity as it is believed the Northumbrian missionary Paulinus baptised pagan men of Lindsey and Mercia at a place called Tiowulfingacaestir, which is usually associated with Littleborough. This opened up opening these kingdoms to Christianity, which had lapsed in the post Roman period. Some Trent Vale churches may demonstrate the potential for Christianity to have actually survived and continued through the transition to Saxon kingdoms.

Today, parish churches also still play an important community role often being the sole surviving social facility. Above all, it is the undeveloped nature of the Trent Vale landscape and its villages that makes it so special, enabling people to enter into a 'forgotten time'.