A new forest of lime trees, and a year of events and exhibitions, are amongst the plans to mark the 850th anniversary in 2023 of the granting of a Staffordshire market town’s first charter.
Newcastle-under-Lyme was awarded its first royal charter of incorporation in 1173 and eight and a half centuries later, a packed calendar of cultural and heritage activities will celebrate the historic milestone.
The town – which has links to Philip Astley, the father of the modern circus, and writer Arnold Bennett among others – was decreed a ‘Loyal and Ancient Borough’ by King Henry II after a settlement grew around a “new castle” built by the Normans.
Today, Newcastle-under-Lyme still hosts markets six days a week in the heart of the town centre, Monday to Saturday, while every third Sunday of the month the Castle Artisan Market features food, crafts and products from across Staffordshire and beyond.
Celebrating its market heritage and charter milestone, events and activities are being planned for every month of the year in 2023, each with a different theme.
And, for a lasting legacy, the former Keele Golf Course is being earmarked as the site for a commemorative woodland containing 850 lime trees to be called Lyme Forest – a modern reminder of the ancient forests that gave Newcastle-under-Lyme part of its name.
The plans are part of a strategy to turn green spaces into “carbon capture woodlands”, boosting the number of trees to contribute to net carbon zero goals. In addition to Lyme Forest, other sites are also set to be planted with a range of native trees in early 2023.
Among other plans in the pipeline is a celebration of famous and influential residents – past and present – at Brampton Museum involving exhibitions, film showings, talks, displays and a range of family-friendly activities.
As well as being the birthplace of Philip Astley and Arnold Bennett, who was educated in the town, Reginald Mitchell, designer of the Spitfire, was born in Kidsgrove, in the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme; while former Motorhead frontman Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister was born in nearby Burslem and lived in Newcastle-under-Lyme as a child.
Summer 2023 will see a Celebrate Newcastle event at Brampton Park, in association with popular arts and cultural organisation Appetite, followed by a medieval battle re-enactment of Blore Heath in September.
In addition to one-off events, there are plans for a special subway mural at Queen’s Gardens, and a new statue of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
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Tourist information about visiting, and staying in, Staffordshire is available at http://www.enjoystaffordshire.com