Updated 19/11/2024
At the beginning of the 19th Century, Newport had over 20 public houses. An early reference (1790’s) to a pub in Newport mentions the Green Dragon in East Street, another reference from 1812 mentions that a John Hughes was then the licensee of the Green Dragon. By 1830 the Green Dragon had been renamed to the Golden Lion.
In Market Street there were 2 pubs, the last of these closed its doors around 1920.
At Parrog there were 4 licensed premises, and with the Mariners at Bettws there were 5 to choose from. Many other properties at Parrog and along the Quay Wall would have been rum houses, only opening when ships were docked on the beach.
Newport these days houses just 4 of the original pubs that once straddled the whole of the Town. There is also the Boat Club at the Parrog which is situated in one of the old warehouses built when Newport was a busy port.
On a list of persons licensed to keep Alehouses in 1812, there are 8 people mentioned for the Town of Newport: John Jenkins, William Owen, Thomas Mathias, Elinor Harries, Thomas Jenkins, Thomas Lloyd, David Jenkins and a John Hughes.
For Dinas, there is only one entry: John Lewis.
For Nevern there are four entries: Benjamin Lloyd, Martha Lloyd, Stephen Jenkin, and a Jane George.
We’ve put a list together of as many of the old pubs in and around Newport and their modern counterparts as we can find. Included are a few in Dinas Cross, Nevern, Cilgwyn and the Gwaun Valley.
In Newport
- Green Dragon – now the Golden Lion (East Street)
- Mason’s Arms – now Llysmeddyg (East Street) – in 1812 the licensee was a Thomas Mathias
- Globe Inn – now private (Upper St Mary’s Street)
- Rose and Crown – now private (Upper St Mary’s Street)
- Plough Inn – now private (Unknown location)
- Angel Hotel – now Angel House (Long Street)
- London House – now private (Bridge Street)
- Jolly Tar – unknown property (Market Street)
- Ship and Castle – now private (Market Street)
- Llwyngwair Arms – still Llwyngwair Arms (East Street)
- Pig and Whistle – now private (Church Street)
- Commercial Castle Inn – now Castle Inn (Bridge Street)
- Royal Oak – still Royal Oak (Bridge Street)
- Plough Inn – now private (West Street)
- Farmers Arms – now private (West Street)
- Tavern Spite – now private (Pen y Bont & East Street)
- Britannia Inn – now Pwnc Cafe (East Street)
At Parrog
- Queens Head – now private (Parrog Road)
- Sloop Inn – now private (Parrog)
- Parrog Arms – now Morawelon Cafe (Parrog)
- Ship Afloat – now private (Quay Wall Parrog)
- Mariners – now private (Bettws)
Outlying Pubs
- Rising Sun – now private (Cilgwyn Road)
- Bridgend Inn – now private (Cilgwyn)
- Llwyngwair Manor Hotel – still Llwyngwair Manor Hotel (off A487)
- Square and Compass – now private (A487 just beyond Llwyngwair Manor)
- Trewern Arms – still Trewern Arms (Nevern)
- Bridge End – now private (A487 0.5 miles towards Newport from Dinas Cross)
- Dolphin Inn kept by a Mally’r Hooper – now private (Cwm-yr-Eglwys)
- Freemasons Hotel – now Freemasons Arms (Spencer Buildings, Dinas Cross)
- Ship Aground – still Ship Aground (Feidr Fawr, Dinas Cross)
- Sailors Safety – then Old Sailors (to mid 2024), now Sailors Safety (Pwllgwaelod)
- Rose Cottage Inn 1860s – then Black Horse 1880s – now private (Near playground in Dinas Cross)
- Star Inn – now private (Bwlch Mawr, Dinas Cross)
- Clover Hill – now private (between Bwlch Mawr and Iet-y-bontpren, Dinas Cross)
- Llwyn Celyn – now Dyffryn Arms or Bessies (Pontfaen, Gwaun Valley)
- Smiths Arms – now private (road from Pontfaen to Llanychaer, Gwaun Valley)
- Bridge End Inn – still Bridge End Inn (Llanychaer, Gwaun Valley)
A reference to a pub ‘The Waterman’s Arms’ with a Charlotte Roach as the licence holder is listed on the GENUKI website as an extract from an 1844 Pigot & Co directory of South Wales, I’ve not been able to find any further information on this public house as yet (June 22 – 2023).
Reference to the Dolphin Inn at Cwm-yr-Eglwys was found on the Pembrokeshire Historical Society website.
Some references taken from ‘The Ancient Borough of Newport in Pembrokeshire’ by Dillwyn Miles. Others from memory and scouring old maps.
Fancy exploring Newport to find all the old pubs? Checkout where to stay below.
The building far right no longer exists, and the Mariner’s pub (white) is now a store shed.
