Newark’s Thinnest House:
A Slice of Georgian Whimsy
Tucked like a bookmark between the stately Newark Town Hall and the NatWest bank in the Market Place, Newark’s Thinnest House—also known as The Little House—is a marvel of architectural minimalism. Measuring just 6 feet 9 inches wide, it’s one of the narrowest houses in the UK, and possibly the most charmingly improbable.
The origins of this three-storey sliver remain delightfully mysterious. While its exact construction date is unknown, a pen and ink drawing from 1776—the same year John Carr of York built the central part of the Town Hall—shows the house already standing. This suggests it predates the Town Hall, making it a rare survivor of Newark’s Georgian streetscape.
It’s believed the house was once part of a row of Georgian shops, and the Green Dragon Pub, gradually sacrificed to the expansionist ambitions of the bank and the Town Hall. Somehow, this narrow plot escaped demolition.
Fun fact. The wing tavern pub was opened in protest by the landlord who was forced to close the green dragon pub to allow the final wing of the town hall to be built, renaming it so no one would forget the trouble caused to him.
Despite its modest width, the Thinnest House boasts a full three-storey structure. Its internal layout is as quirky as its exterior, with access to the upper floors requiring a staircase from the adjacent townhouse. At some point, it was formally incorporated into the Town Hall complex, likely to serve as accommodation for the hall’s keeper—a snug but central posting.
The house’s most regal moment came in the 1970s, when Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, visited Newark to open Southfield House on Millgate, a facility for elderly residents. As part of her visit, she stopped by the Thinnest House to collect donations for Save The Children, of which she was president. In honour of her visit, a toilet was specially installed—because even royalty needs a proper pit stop.
The archway underneath the house would have led to stables for the private house and town hall.
Today, it leads to the town council’s markets and carparks office.
A photograph taken before 1902, which was unearthed by museum volunteer Mr Godfrey Cozens, shows the thinnest house was once adjacent to a printing firm owned by the Perfect family.
In the last 30 years, the sitting room of the first floor, adjacent to the Mayor’s Parlour, has been used as a robing room. It is used by the Mayor of Newark, deputy mayor, mace bearers and town crier before and after civic functions.