Newport Simple

Ancient market town and the Island capital. Newport has become the fastest-growing Island town in all respects except pubs, where successive ravages by Whitbread have denuded the town of many of its finest hostelries. Whitbread's contempt for local tradition was most evident when the axe was wielded over the town's most venerable hotel and best-known pub, the 200-year-old Bugle; it is now a branch of Mothercare. No doubt others would have followed but for the fact that the Beer Orders led to Whitbread offloading several local pubs to Gales and Ushers, which has provided welcome variety in the few pubs left open.
Newport is rich in history and contains many fine old buildings such as the almshouses in Crocker Street, the Roman Villa in Avondale Road, Gods Providence House in St Thomas' Square, the old King James VI Grammar School, now a youth club, in Lower St James Street, the old Nursing Association with its 'Blue Jenny' statue in Crocker Street and the 17th Century Castle Inn at the top of the High Street. Church Litten park contains the grave of Valentine Dyall, a chimney boy whose death at the hands of a cruel master led to the outlawing of that despicable trade.
When visiting Newport by car, remember that the town is saturated with traffic lights, which can be found almost everywhere except where they're needed. The daftest system is on the infamous Coppins Bridge roundabout, the busiest road junction on the Island, which frequently has motorists at screaming pitch.
List of Pubs
(click on pub name)
BARGEMANS REST
BARLEY MOW
CALVERTS
CASK AND CRISPIN
CASTLE INN
CHICAGO ROCK
FRASERS
GEORGE INN
HOGSHEAD
JO DAFLOS
MEDINA QUAY
PRINCE OF WALES
PRINCESS ROYAL
RAILWAY MEDINA
ROBIN HOOD
ST GEORGES
VINE INN
WHEATSHEAF HOTEL
WOODYS
WORLDS END

BARGEMANS REST
Little London
01983 525828
www.bargemansrest.co.uk
All bus services to Newport
Visible from the Road Bridge over the River, follow signs from the dual carriageway.
Weekdays 10.30 - 11 Sat 10.30 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
Badger Best
Badgers IPA
Badgers Tanglefoot
Plus at least 4 Guest Ales
This locally owned massive pub development, is located in what has been an animal feed store, a sail loft and a rigging loft for servicing the commercial barge fleet. The huge bar area has been well designed to provide intimate drinking areas and the nautical memorabilia, décor and ambience are what you would expect from a traditional, well-seasoned pub. The outdoor drinking area is only a few feet from the bustling River Medina. Beer and food are consistently good and the range varied. There is entertainment most of the week and beer festivals are held in conjunction with the other three pubs in the group.

BARLEY MOW
57,Shide Road
01983523318
Bus Route 2,3,3A,33
Leave Newport by Sandown, Ventnor road, first turn past football park
Weekdays 11 - 11 Sat 11 - 11 Sun 12 – 10.30
Greene King Abbott
Gales
GSB
Friendly local pub near Newport at Shide. Nearby stood the Newport – Sandown railway, which alas all that is left to remind us of those heady days of steam is, a footpath. Easily accessible off the main Newport – Sandown road just past Newport football ground. The pub is an attractive mock Tudor building and occupies the site of a much earlier model

CALVERTS
Quay Street
01983 525281
www.calvertshotel.info.
All bus services to Newport
By the side of the old Guildhall
Weekdays 11 - 11 Sat 11 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
BASS
Calvets which was originally know as Warburtons has recently been acquired by a young local entrepreneur who has thankfully reinstalled a real ale pump. Things can only get better! This is Newport's only town centre hotel after the idiotic closing of the Bugle. (No, Whitbread, we will not let you forget this!)

CASK & CRISPIN
Carisbrooke Road
01983 520666
All bus services to Newport
Top of the High Street by the old horse trough
Weekdays 11 - 3, 6 -11 Sat 11 – 3, 6 - 11 Sun 12 –3, 6 – 10.30
Ushers Best
Greene King Abbott
Goddard’s Fuggle de Dum
Conveniently placed at the top end of the town with rear entrance to large public car park. Sympathetic refurbishment of a local into a traditional but comfortable Town Pub, with extensive use of natural materials and no ubiquitous chintz. An excellent pub with a welcoming licensee though with its pool table and sports TV it is very much a young persons pub.

CASTLE INN
91 High Street
01983 522528
All bus services to Newport
Top of High Street
Mon - Sat 10.30 - 11 Sun 12-10.30
Fullers London Pride
Guest Ales
17C stone built single bar pub abounding in flagstones and beams and full of character. It was reputedly the last pub in England with cock fighting and was authorised at one time to conduct marriages. The area of Castlehold in which it stands refers to nearby Carisbrooke Castle and was once the home for every thief, rogue and beggar in Newport and existing outside the law. Parking in the High Street for short stay or two large Public Car Parks within one hundred yards. Traditional food is served from noon throughout the day. The pub boasts the larges selection of real ales in Newport.

CHICAGO ROCK
Furlongs 01983 537111
Town Map Ref 28
All bus services to Newport
At the bottom of the Town
NO REAL ALE
Late Opening – trendy Pub come nightclub with good selection of food and roast on Sundays.
Hugely popular with the younger element.

FRASERS
St Thomas’s Square
All bus services to Newport
Weekdays 11 - 11 Sat 11 - 11 Sun 12-10.30
NO REAL ALE
Previously called the “Moulin Rouge” this is a very popular bar, café with seating in St Thomas’s Square.

GEORGE INN
Upper St James Street
01983 522557
All bus services to Newport
Adjacent to the bus station
Weekdays 10.30-11 Sat 10.30-11 Sun 12-10.30
Boddingtons Bitter
Flowers Original
Old Speckled Hen
Wadworth 6X
Guest Ales
Comfortable Georgian Town Pub, much renovated and refurbished but still maintaining a traditional atmosphere. Heavy emphasis on food, which is available until 10.30. Piped or live music is fairly discreet and un-intrusive. Disabled toilets and baby changing facilities.

HOGSHEAD
High Street
01983 530150
All bus services to Newport
Near bottom of High Street, opposite County Hall
Weekdays 10.30-11 Sat 10.30-11 Sun 12-10.30
Boddingtons Bitter
Flowers IPA
Flowers Original
Fullers London Pride
Hook Norton Old Hookey
Wadworth 6X
Greene King Abbot
Guest Beers (4)
Trendy High Street Pub at the Lower end of Town with a good and manageable range of beers. This tasteful conversion of a bookshop opened in 1997 but has already undergone one make over. Those beers behind the bar are usually found to be well below room temperature. Typical Hogshead beer and food range but none the worse for that. Surprisingly in spite of the heavy accent on real ales, the pub is much favoured by younger drinkers.

JO DAFLOS
22 High Street 01983 532220
www.joedaflos.co.uk
All bus services to Newport
Just below Guildhall
Weekdays 10 - 11 Sat 10 - 11 Sun 12-10.30
NO REAL ALE
Unique café, bar, combining the sophistication of a city bar and the elegance of a European cafe. The coolly painted interior, high ceiling fans and the large green palms provides a lively and bustling atmosphere with a romantic and charming ambience

MEDINA QUAY
Seaclose, Fairlea Road
01983 825082
Bus Route 1,5
Entering Newport from Ryde, Turn right at the traffic lights
Weekdays 11 – 11 Winter 12 - 11 Sat 11 - 11 Sun 12-10.30
Flowers Original
Ten minutes walk from the centre of Newport along the banks of the River Medina or drive following the directions in Fairlea Road. This a Brewers Fayre pub and restaurant, the pub is on the Quayside and faces the River Medina adjoining the only Travel Inn on the Isle of Wight

PRINCE OF WALES
Town Lane
01983 525026
All bus services to Newport
Opposite Safeway supermarket
Weekdays 10.30 - 11 Sat 10.30 - 11 Sun 12-10.30
Usher Best
Goddard’s GSB
Oakleaf Wholehearted
Guest Beers
Formerly the Tap to the adjacent but now demolished ‘Green Dragon’, this excellent mock Tudor single bar street corner local has built a fine reputation for well kept ale and tasty food. Although in the centre of Town, opposite the Bus Station and Safeway Supermarket, this is very much a locals Pub and has resisted the temptation to be ‘tarted up’. Still retains the feel of the Public Bar.

PRINCESS ROYAL
Cross Lane
01983 522056
Bus Route 3B,7,7A,7B
Left by Saint Pauls church
Weekdays 11 – 4, 6 - 11 Sat 11 – 4, 6 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
NO REAL ALE
Delightful back street local which is a few minutes walk from the centre of Newport. Formerly it was on the outskirts of Newport when Cross Lane was a narrow country byway, lined with terraced cottages. The pub now stands alone among less attractive modern housing, yet still retains the atmosphere of a country local. Recently under new stewardship there has been an extension – but not to the detriment of this fine old relic of the past,

RAILWAY MEDINA
1 Sea Street
01983 528303
All bus services to Newport
Opposite Curry’s superstore
Weekdays 11 - 11 Sat 11 - 11 Sun 12 – 10.30
Gales HSB
Webster’s Green Label
2 Guest Beers
Excellent, popular and comfortable unspoilt street corner local with pleasant, cosy atmosphere and regular GBG entrant. Its name comes from being the closest to the now demolished Newport Railway Station and the pub contains many old IW railway photographs and artefacts.

ROBIN HOOD
Robin Hood Street
01983 523071
All bus services to Newport
Head for Barton village not 400 yards from the notorious roundabout
Weekdays 11.30 - 11 Sat 11.30 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
Ushers Best
Excellent council estate pub, recently refurbished. This was the last pub to be built by W.B.Mew Langton before selling out to Strongs and stands adjacent to the site of a much smaller and older pub of the same name which was demolished along with most of Robin Hood street in the flurry of new building in the late 50's and early 60's. Nowadays, it is a comfortable, welcoming community pub, enjoying a rebirth in popularity after a period of decline.

ST GEORGES
St Georges Park 01983 525027
Bus Route 2,3,3A,33
Home of Newport FC
Times vary
No Real Ale
What was once the supporter’s bar of Newport FC, now has a full on-licence. Full conference facilities, very large bar and as you would expect a TV for all the sporting events. Erratic opening mostly tied to the home games

VINE INN
Holyrood Street
01983 529220
All bus services to Newport
Opposite Guildhall, corner High Street and Holyrood Street
Weekdays 11 - 11 Sat 11 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
No Real Ale
Sadly, this young persons' pub recently made the final concession to that genre and lost all its hand-pumps under the present incumbent. What a waste of a good Town pub.

WHEATSHEAF HOTEL
St Thomas Square
01830 523865
www.wheatsheaf.iow.co.uk
All bus services to Newport
St Thomas Square opposite parish church
Weekdays 10.30 - 11 Sat 10.30 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
Boddingtons Bitter
Flowers Original
Wadworth 6X
This is an old coaching inn of great antiquity, and was the last island pub to have no bar counter (service was from a corner of the bar), before this interesting feature disappeared with successive refurbishments, although there are still many authentic features such as old beams and flagstones. In recent years it has undergone a major rebuild, which has vastly increased its size. The children’s room is actually the old courtyard and the far side of the bar was once the shop next door.

WOODYS
16 Lower St James Street
01983 522324
Town Map Ref 165
All bus services to Newport
Late
No Real Ales
Young peoples bar with nightclub extension and facilities.

WORLDS END
Holyrood Street
01983 821082
All bus services to Newport
Weekdays 10.30 - 11 Sat 10.30 - 11 Sun 12 - 10.30
Beer Range Varies
Very pleasant modern pub with single bar. Back room available for Pool and Darts and actively entered into the Newport Leagues. Big screen TV and occasional live music. Bar snacks and Sunday roast.