The lost pubs of Newport and what replaced them

Like other parts of Wales, Newport has lost some of most historic and cherished pubs over the last couple of decades. Recent years have seen a host of local public houses fall victim to changing habits and rising costs which have forced people to drink at home more often.

The city has undergone major changes to its high street including the building of the £90m Friars Walk shopping centre, the major redevelopment of the Newport Market and a move towards a more mixed-use city centre. You can read more about how Newport changed in 2022 and what is in store this year here.

There are countless memories of nights down your favourite local which are now lost, as many former haunts have been knocked down or redeveloped in some way. From the Hornblower to the Corporation Hotel and the Ferns, Newport has been no different to other cities like Cardiff in seeing some old favourites razed to the ground or left idle. Here are some of Newport’s lost pubs and what replaced them after they closed.

Read more: Newport’s changing identity: The city that always seems to take one step forward and two steps back

The Hornblower

Located on 126 Commercial Street, the Hornblower was once hugely popular but it was announced in the summer of 2016 that the pub was to be demolished to make way for a housing complex. Demolition work completed in 2018 and the new complex, called Central View, opened in 2020.

The block of 38 flats is a world away from its former guise, with courtyards, communal gardens and private balconies. You can get a glimpse of what the former pub looks like now here.

The Corporation Hotel

Known fondly as the Corpa, this place was the definition of a traditional pub with its classical facade and family atmosphere on Corporation Road. Sadly it closed around ten years ago and plans to turn it into 16 one-bed flats were approved by the city council in March 2010 despite nearly 200 objections from residents.

The Six Bells

This pub on Stow Hill, across from Newport Cathedral, went under a number of different names before it closed. It was well-known as the Six Bells and later became the Church House Inn when it was last open in 2012. Since then the building has become run-down but it could face a more prosperous future as plans were submitted last year to convert it into a mixed-use hub with a café and bar, shops and flats. You can read more about that here.

The Engineer’s Arms

The former Engineer’s Arms was once the home of a bustling jazz scene on Albert Terrace, having had the longest running jazz band tenancy in Newport as well as weekly popular Jazz nights. However, like many it suffered due to the economic crash and closed in mid-2012 for the final time.

Today little remains of the pub many knew, with the site converted to housing in 2013.

The Ferns

The Ferns on Lliswerry Road was popular in the city and was open for more than 20 years before it shut for good during the pandemic in 2020. At the time a message shared by the pub’s management said it was “no longer financially viable due to the high business overheads and zero income for several months resulting in huge losses.

“We as a business have tried everything we could to keep things going even to the point of taking losses and investing our own money,” they said in a statement, adding that they had surrendered their lease back to the landlord and laid off staff. Since then the pub has been cleared out and boarded up but there has been little movement at the site since.

However, that could be set to change as plans to demolish the pub and build eight affordable houses and 12 affordable flats were submitted to Newport City Council back in August. A decision is yet to be made but you can read more about the plans here.

The Angel Inn

Another once-popular corner boozer at the bottom of West Street and Blewitt Street, the Angel went through other iterations such as Friends Lounge before reopening in 2016 under its original Angel name, though it later closed for good.

The building went up for sale in June 2022 with an existing planning application allowing for a mixture of one- and two-bed flats, but it could also be retained as a pub or converted into a restaurant or shop. It was sold that same month but redevelopment plans have yet to be lodged.

The Ivy Bush

Another pub which went through several iterations, this one on Clarence Place later became Bar Amber, the official supporters’ pub of Newport County AFC. But before that it was known as the Ivy Bush for many years. In a nod to its past, Bar Amber was known as ‘Bar Amber @the Ivy Bush’ while it was open.

The pub didn’t reopen after the pandemic and Bar Amber is now located on High Street having opened its doors last year. Its former Clarence Place site remains empty.

The Alexandra Inn

The Alexandra was a busy spot on Commercial Road to sink a few on your way into (or out of) town, but closed a number of years ago and is now privately owned, having been for sale on at least one occasion.

The Globe

This haunt on Chepstow Road haunt closed sometime in 2013, and has gone through a number of changes since, most recently operating as a Chinese takeaway.

The King

The King on Somerton Road in Lliswerry was a historic building in the city and once served as the headquarters for Newport County AFC due to its close proximity to the old Somerton Park. It was purchased in 2013 for £140,000 at auction and today a new row of housing is on the site.

Langtons

This pub on Charles Street was once run by one of Newport’s most renowned figures, former TJs owner John Sicolo. Its existence was relatively short lived in the mid-2000s however, although it briefly reopened in 2014 as an antiques and crafts centre. More recently plans were submitted in 2021 to reconfigure the building to have flats and retail units, work on which has been ongoing.

The Black Horse Inn

The Black Horse Inn on Somerton Road was once a favourite in the Lliswerry area but closed for good back in 2008. It was demolished in 2014 and has remained empty ever since despite several failed efforts to develop the site.

Plans by Tesco to open a store on the site never came to fruition, while a planning application by Harrod Homes to build housing back in 2016 was eventually scrapped due to parking concerns in the area. The site has also attracted anti-social behaviour, having been illegally accessed on a number of occasions.

However, an application to build eight homes on the site of the former pub was formally approved by Newport City Council in January 2022, allowing the site to finally be developed.

The Angel

This pub had plenty of passing trade over the years due to its prime location on Caerleon’s Goldcroft Common. In 2012 controversial plans to transform the long-running pub into a Sainsbury’s mini supermarket, despite objections from some local traders in the area, were given the green light and the store opened the following year.

The Royal Mail

The Royal Mail once traded as the White Lion before changing its name when the then new Royal Mail sorting office – now offices – opened on the nearby site of the old railway station and yard. It later closed and is now the Royal Mail Cafe.

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