History of the Newark Showground

The Newark Showground makes up 200 acres of the former RAF Winthorpe Airfield which was purchased in 1964 by the Newark and Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society and it is one of the oldest showgrounds around.

The first show to be staged at Newark grew out of the centuries old Newark May Fair and, among the older generations, it is still referred to as such. It was originally organised by local people with an interest in agriculture and for the first two years it was a one day affair. In comparison to the large number of trophies that are now awarded, there were just two in those early days – both presented by local traders and both of them for sheep.