| NEWARK | Market town in Nottinghamshire, noted as a Royalist stronghold in the English Civil War (6) |
| ALFORD | Small town in the north-east (pop about 2,000), the site of a Royalist victory in 1645 (6) |
| EMIGRE | Political refugee, especially a royalist fleeing the French Revolution (6) |
| GOTHAM | Village in Nottinghamshire associated with the folk tale of a group of "wise men"; or, the city where Batman lives (6) |
| FORMAT | Layout of stronghold in which the old woman is imprisoned (6) |
| KASBAH | Has a king's backing about British stronghold in North Africa (6) |
| FOREST | Former hunting ground in Nottinghamshire, site of the Major Oak (8, 6) |
| EFFORT | Try abandoning forced entry etc storming stronghold in determined attempt (9,6) |
| KELHAM | 5904 number of 'Hall' in Nottinghamshire designed by Gilbert Scott (6) |
| STLO | Market town in north-west France, a Calvinist stronghold in the 16th century (2-2) |
| CAVALIER | Based of the Latin for "horse", a knight or armed horseman; a gallant or courtly gentleman acting as a lady's escort; a Royalist supporter of Charles I; or, a breed of spaniel (8) |
| CHOLMELEY | The Parliamentarian Sir Hugh ____ later became a Royalist leader during the English Civil War |
| MANSFIELD | Market town in Nottinghamshire north of Nottingham (9) |
| RETFORD | Market town in Nottinghamshire (7) |
| FOREMOST | A number return into stronghold in the van (8) |
| TIBBERMORE | Site in Perthshire of a Royalist victory over the Covenanters (1644) |
| MEASUREFORMEASURE | Play's action set repeatedly outside stronghold in the main |
| KEEPING | Retaining possession of stronghold in the capital of Germany (7) |
| TOWER | Trump stronghold in the Big Apple going down too? (5) |
| CARLTON | Transport lot off to new town in Nottinghamshire (7) |
