High Street, Newport

Street guide, Isle of Wight

The main shopping street in the island's county town, running south from St James's Square towards the River Medina. Newport High Street has the island's strongest concentration of retail, with national chains alongside independent shops, banks, cafes and service businesses. The street is partly pedestrianised, and the buildings are a mix of Georgian, Victorian and twentieth-century frontages. The Minster of St Thomas stands at the top of the High Street, and the ancient God's Providence House, a sixteenth-century timber-framed building, survives partway along. Market days bring stalls to the square. The High Street is the commercial heart of the island and busy throughout the week, serving locals rather than tourists.