While often overlooked in favour of its more famous neighbours such as Cardiff and Caerphilly, Newport has become a tourist destination in its own right and has several great attractions worth visiting.
From learning about its wealthy industrial past at Tredegar House to indulging in street food at Newport Market, there’s plenty to keep you occupied. In this article, I’ll share some of my favourite things to do in Newport.
Where To Stay in Newport
The Mercure, Newport - A modern and stylish chain hotel in the heart of Newport. Includes a fitness centre and rooftop terrace.
The Priory Hotel - An old monastery converted into a 4-star hotel in the historic village of Caerleon, about 15 minutes from Newport by car.
Where To Eat in Newport
- Newport Market - For a food court with lots of street food options
- Marenghi's - For the best Italian food in the city
- Gem42 - For one of the best fine dining experiences in Wales
1. Explore a Victorian house at Tredegar
Tredegar House was home to the extravagant and influential Morgan family who claimed lineage from the Welsh princes and played a significant role in social, political, and economic affairs in the Newport area.
The house is now a National Trust property and is one of the top attractions in South Wales. Many of the rooms have been decorated in the style that they would have been back when the family lived here in Victorian times.
For me, the highlight of my visit was the knowledgeable volunteers who really bought the story of the Morgan family alive. Telling tales about their crazy party and the unusual animals that also lived with them.
There are plenty of activities for children too including puppet shows and dressing up making this an excellent family activity.
The house and formal gardens are free for National Trust members or you can check the latest entry prices here. You can also wander the grounds of Tredegar House and there’s a lake walk which is free to visit anytime, just pay for parking but remember to arrive before 5pm when the car park entrance is closed.
2. Visit the lighthouse at RSPB Newport Wetlands
Newport Wetlands National Nature Reserve is located between the Severn Estuary and the River Usk where you’ll find habitats such as wetlands, reedbeds, and estuaries.
It is managed by RSPB and includes a visitor centre with a café and several walking routes of varying length with the shortest sculpture trail taking around 1 hour up to the Green Lanes and Coast trail which can take up to 3 hours.
Some of the birds you can spot here include Goldfinch, Kingfisher, Bearded Tit, and Marsh Harrier. I don’t know a lot about bird spotting but luckily there were helpful signs and illustrations to help us identify the birds. Other animals such as weasels and stoats as well as insects like butterflies, moths, and rare bees.
Entrance is totally free although you have to pay for parking which is £4 for the whole day. This is a very family-friendly attraction that’s also suitable for prams and wheelchairs. You can even hire mobility scooters for free too. However, the reserve itself is not suitable for dogs but staff are helpful in pointing out other nearby walks for dog owners.
3. Enjoy a performance at the Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre
If you’re looking for things to do in Newport at night, one of my favourite recommendations is to visit the Riverfront Theatre & Arts Centre. In this stunning building that sits overlooking the river next to the famous footbridge, you can see live performances, film screenings, ballet, and comedy performances.
During the day, the venue also offers classes and workshops, such as art and craft, music, and movement workshops. It boasts two theatrical spaces, a visual art gallery, a dance studio, a recording studio, workshop rooms, a licenced cafe, and a conference room.
From Abba tributes to science workshops, there is usually something suitable for all audiences and with shows on several times per week, there is bound to be something worth seeing. You can check upcoming listings here.
4. Make your way across the Newport Transporter Bridge
Newport Transporter Bridge is a grade I listed structure and is one of just 6 transporter bridges that still work around the world.
A transporter bridge allows you to cross a river like a ferry, only the bridge is suspended from a railway track high up in the air. They were mostly built in Edwardian times instead of a bridge when there was still a need for large ships to pass underneath. This animation explains it much better than I can.
The bridge is regarded as an ‘iconic emblem’ of Newport, notably as a reminder of the city’s industrial past.
2023 UPDATE: The bridge is currently closed for restoration and they are building a brand new visitor centre that explains its heritage. It’s currently due to open in Summer 2024 when you’ll also be able to walk across the top of the bridge.
5. Visit an award-winning brewery at Tiny Rebel
Tiny Rebel is one of the UK’s top craft microbreweries and it’s located in Newport. Their top-selling beer is Clwb Tropica and several of their other beers have won prestigious awards including Champion Beer of Wales.
Their brewery is located in an industrial estate on the outskirts of Newport, but don’t let this fool you, it’s a very cool establishment with industrial-esque décor and you can see right through from the taproom into the brewery itself.
They serve a large range of beers (all their own of course) as well as wines, ciders, and other alcoholic drinks. We also tried their food and it was the best thing we ate in Newport so I can highly recommend it.
You can sit indoors or outside on their terrace which has views overlooking the city. You can also book a tour and see exactly how they make their award-winning brews.
6. Explore the ruins of the ancient Roman town of Caerleon
Around 15 minutes from the centre of Newport by car is Caerleon, once home to a Roman Legionary fortress called Isca.
Wales was the Roman Empire’s farthest outpost so they built a stronghold at Caerleon in 75AD which would protect the region for 200 years.
There are three main things to see in Caerleon (all of them are free!):
- Careleon Amphitheatre – The amphitheatre would have once held 6,000 spectators as gladiators competed in blood-thirsty sports. Today, just the ruins remain but they are some of the most complete ruins of a Roman amphitheatre in Britain.
ㅤ - Caerleon Roman Fortress and Baths - Around the corner from the amphitheatre, you’ll find the ruins of the Roman Baths which are housed in a modern building and still filled with water to give you a real understanding of how they would have looked.
ㅤ - The Roman Legion Museum – This is a Roman Legion Museum in Caerleon containing artefacts from the periods including Roman currency, pottery, utensils, and uniforms. You can also examine the oldest piece of writing ever discovered in Wales and see the bones of a 2nd or early 3rd-century man.
7. Visit the Food Court at Newport Market
Newport Market’s multi-million-pound regeneration scheme has created a classy space to enjoy a diverse food and shopping experience. The market is home to more than 100 permanent independent traders and many pop-up shops that can be found throughout the year.
My favourite part of the market is the food court which has a range of elegant street food offerings from around the world, from Malaysian to Italian cuisine.
A few favourites include Meat & Greek with their Authentic Greek Cypriot Souvlaki (that’s the skewers in the above image to you and me) and Dirty Gnocchi which serves up deep-fried Gnocchi – don’t Gnocchi it until you’ve tried it!
The market is located near the train station in Newport City centre. The food court has different opening times to the actual market. It’s open from midday until 10pm from Wednesday to Saturday and until 5pm on Sundays. However, keep in mind that last entry is about 2 hours before closing time.
8. Walk around Belle Vue Park
Belle Vue is Newport’s biggest and best public park. It’s full of walking routes and scenic spots for relaxing. From certain parts of the park, you can see as far as the Transporter Bridge which makes an excellent backdrop to a picnic.
The park has everything you’d expect from a typical Victorian park including a bandstand, a pavilion, and conservatories. The park has a green flag award which recognises accessible and clean parks in Britain.
There is a tearoom in the old orangery, however, this was closed when I visited as it was in the evening. The tearoom also hosts regular craft and street-food markets, you can check their Instagram page to find out about upcoming dates.
There is a pay and display car park at Belle Vue, costing just £1 for two hours, you won’t need more than this.
9. Discover local history at Newport Museum and Art Gallery
Newport Museum and Art Gallery is a small museum depicting the narrative of Newport from prehistoric times to the twentieth century and possess over 7,300 works of art.
The art collections illustrate the changing agricultural and industrial environment of South Wales.
Entry to the museum and art gallery is free but booking is required. Dogs are not permitted.
10. Walk along the historic Fourteen Locks Canal
The Cefn Flight of Locks is a series of 14 canal locks that sees the Crumlin arm of the Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal rise by 50m (160ft) in just 740m (0.5 mile). This is the steepest rise of any canal in the UK.
Although the canal and the 14 locks are no longer operational, they are still an important wildlife corridor through Newport and I enjoyed walking along the canal footpaths and admiring this might of industrial revolution engineering.
Although there is a visitor centre, this is mainly for school visits and isn’t open to the public but I did spot information about the locks on panels around the area. There are plans to revive parts of this canal so keep an eye out in future.
11. Take a tour of the Spirit of Wales Distillery
Yes, Newport sure knows how to make alcoholic drinks. As well as the Tiny Rebel brewery, the Spirit of Wales distillery in Newport produces a range of award-winning Welsh gins, vodkas, and rums. On a visit to the distillery, you can see for yourself exactly how they are made and meet the team behind them
Of course, no visit to a distillery is complete without a tasting. After the 1-hour tour, you can visit their speakeasy-style bar and put your tastebuds to work with 3 free samples included in the basic package.
If you fancy trying your hand at making some top-quality spirits yourself, then sign up for their spirit-making experience where you’ll spend 3 hours concocting your very own rum or gin to take home. Find out more about their different packages here.
12. Escape to nature at Cwmcarn Forest
Just outside of Newport, about 20 minutes away by car, is Cwmcarn Forest. The forest has grown over a former mine, transforming it from an industrial area into a hotspot for nature and panoramic views.
Here, you’ll find mountain biking and walking routes starting from the visitor centre (there’s even a cycle repair shop). However, the most popular way to experience the forest is along the Cwmcarn Forest Drive, a 7-mile road that meanders through the forest with viewpoints, picnic areas, and children’s play areas.
Without stopping, the drive would take around 30 minutes, however, you can easily turn this into a full-day activity for the family. Check out the forest drive leaflet for more information.
13. See Newport’s medieval ship
The Newport Medieval Ship is the remains of a medieval fifteenth-century merchant ship which was discovered in the River Usk in 2002. The ship was estimated to be 35m in length and likely belonged to the Earl of Warwick. It had only been in use for 20 years by the time it sunk during a refit.
The vessel is currently being preserved and will eventually be placed on display in a prominent position in the city. You can visit and see how the restoration is going but don’t expect to see a completed ship until at least 2025.
Personally, I would recommend that you wait until the ship is complete before visiting so that you can see it in all of its glory.
But, if you’re desperate to see it sooner, you can find it in Queensway Meadows Industrial Estate. It might seem like an odd place for a tourist attraction (we thought we were in the wrong place to begin with), but as you get closer, you’ll spot tourist signs pointing towards it.
Related Questions
Is Newport Worth Visiting?
Yes, Newport is a small city and often overshadowed by nearby Cardiff, but it has a lot to offer and is worth a visit to enjoy Tredegar House or the RSPB Wetlands. Keep in mind that Newport is a city best enjoyed when the weather is good because most of the best attractions in Newport are outdoors.
Is There a Beach in Newport?
No, Newport does not have a beach. The nearest one is Splott Beach in Cardiff, but this is small and muddy. For a better beach, travel a little further to Barry Island beach.
What is Newport Famous For?
Newport is famous for the last large-scale armed uprising against authority in mainland Britain in 18395. Newport is also famous for being the largest Welsh coal exporter until Cardiff took over in the mid-1800’s.
Published: 25 June 2022 · Last updated: 26 August 2023