Newport, Isle of Wight Walk: Town Centre【4K】

Located just north of the centre of the Isle of Wight, which is separated from the south coast of mainland England by the Solent Strait, is the town of Newport (not to be confused with the city of Newport near Cardiff, or several other places called Newport in the UK).

Geographically, the town is situated along the River Medina at its most upstream navigable point as it thins out dramatically here. It is one of just two of the nine towns on the island that are inland (the other being Brading). As such, it acts as the central hub of the island, both in the literal sense and in the capacity of being the Isle of Wight's county town/administrative headquarters.

The origins of Newport go back to the late 12th century, when Richard de Redvers, Lord of Carisbrook Castle (about a mile southwest of the town today), granted it a charter. Also during the late 12th century a church dedicated to St Thomas Becket was built. This was rebuilt in the 1850s, and is seen in detail at the 17-minute mark. Today it is known as Newport Minster or The Minster Church of Sts Thomas, in dedication to both Thomas Becket and Thomas the Apostle.

In November of 1647 during the English Civil War, King Charles I escaped captivity at Hampton Court, and came to the Isle of Wight seeking refuge. Here he was betrayed and ended up a prisoner at Carisbrooke Castle (to reiterate, about a mile southwest of Newport). During his time here, Charles made several unsuccessful escape attempts, and was eventually transported back to the mainland in December of 1648. The following month he was executed at Whitehall in London.

In 1862 a railway station opened in Newport. This initially provided a link to Cowes, but was extended in 1875 as it became a junction station with services to Ryde. In 1966 the station closed as part of the Beeching Cuts - a controversial scheme to promote road travel by shutting down over 2,000 railway stations across Britain. Today, Newport has direct bus services to and from all eight other towns on the Isle of Wight, as well as the smaller settlements.

In 2002 the Isle of Wight Festival made a comeback at Seaclose Park (less than a mile north of where this walk ends). This iconic festival made its debut in 1968 and ran for three years consecutively, and in separate locations across the island in each case. In 1971 the Isle of Wight County Council Act prohibited overnight open-air gatherings of more than 5,000 people on the island without a special licence from the council. As the 1970 festival had reached an estimated attendance figure of between 600,000 and 700,000, this litigation effectively killed it on the spot, at least until its revival over 30 years later. Seaclose Park remains its annual host to this day.

Famous people from Newport, Isle of Wight include comedian Phill Jupitus.

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Filmed: 26th September 2023

Link to the walk on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/oqZDuhMJcQvrk...

Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 St James' Street
3:32 Pyle Street
6:00 High Street
13:14 East Street
14:00 Pyle Street
16:51 St Thomas' Square
17:43 Pyle Street
18:42 St James' Street
19:36 High Street
20:05 St James' Street
21:21 Lugley Street
23:03 Holyrood Street
23:37 Watchbell Lane
24:06 Quay Street
26:06 Sea Street
26:17 The Quay / River Medina