Farndon is a small village and civil parish on the Fosse road, 2.5 miles (4 km) south-west of Newark-on-Trent, on the banks of the River Trent. The population of the civil parish as of the 2011 census is 2,405. The A46 previously ran through the village until the development of a new dual carriageway bypass. History The name Farndon means "Fern Hill". It is thought to be the site of the Roman fort Ad Pontem or "the place by the bridges." The village played a small part in the English Civil War. During the Siege of Newark in 1646, Farndon was occupied by a Parliamentarian regiment led by Sydnam Poyntz. In the 19th century, farming, malting, willow growing and basket making were the main source of employment for men and women. There was also a village blacksmith, butcher, baker, a general store, and a cobbler. Francis White's Directory of Nottinghamshire described Farndon in 1853 as follows: "Farndon is a well built village and parish on the Trent, 2 miles (3 km) west-south-west of Newark, and contains 590 inhabitants and of land, mostly freehold, a small part copyhold and leasehold. The principal proprietors are William Buck Esq. and W.R. Brockton Esq. There are also several smaller owners. The Duke of Newcastle is lord of the manor, but owns only a small portion of the land. The church, dedicated to St Peter, is a large and lofty edifice, with two side aisles, chancel and tower, in which are 4 bells. A good organ was put up in the church in 1851...on the Trent side in this parish are several malt kilns, also steam and wind mills. The Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists each have a chapel here." In the 1930s sand and gravel was needed to build aerodrome runways at RAF Syerston and RAF Newton. Excavations on parts of the river bank revealed ample supplies. Today, those worked gravel pits have been transformed into a marina, the river widened and the marshy fields alongside drained. St Peter's Church The parish church of St. Peter was built in Elizabethan times, and is thought to be the third such church built on the same site since Saxon times. Farndon Ferry Until 1974, "there used to be a ferry across the Trent from Farndon to Rolleston." In August 1948, "the title of Little Hero of Farndon was bestowed on 12-year-old Ronnie Ward, of Northgate, Newark, after