City Guide 7 min read

Things to Do in Newport

Published Nov 30th 2021

Newport is the third largest city in Wales and is one of the most popular cities for students to study in, in the UK.

In this guide, we will show you the location of the city, give you an idea of the various things to do in Newport, show you what universities are in the city, give you a brief overview of its history, give you an idea of the kind of sport you can see in the city and even tell you which famous people are from Newport!

Location

Located on the River Usk, Newport is Wales’ third largest city and also one of the most densely populated, with an estimated population of 145,700 according to the most recent figures. It is also a university city, which means it’s more catered for students.

Things to do in Newport

Part of being at university is the nightlife that comes with the city that you’re studying in. Newport has a vast array of places for you to go to. Whether you want a night out at the club with live DJ sets or just a chilled out night in the pub with your friends, Newport has got you covered. We’ve compiled a list of three places that we think could be right up your alley!

First up we have, The Ruperra Arms, Bassaleg, which is a local pub and offers some of the most sumptuous food that you’ll ever see and the most enticing atmosphere that you could ask for, all of this adds up to a great night out. Secondly, we have Warehouse 54, which is one of the best nightclubs in Newport and features a broad range of live music and DJ sets every day. They run a Battle of the Bands as well which will keep you coming back again and again, just make sure you’re there for the sports action that they show too, nothing quite beats the atmosphere! Third and final we have The Loft Club, which is located on Market Street and has an enormous diversity of the people that visit. The club offers live DJ sets that are unrivalled in Newport and have you begging for more. A great night out and the drinks are something that has to taste and be tested and be experienced properly!

Newport is one of the oldest cities in the history of Wales, gaining its first charter in 1314. The city celebrates their history at the Newport Museum and Art Gallery. The museum is open from 09:30am until 17:00pm and is readily available for all members of the public and has some incredibly good reviews from visitors.

If you’re looking for some of the latest and greatest from Hollywood, don’t worry Newport has you covered! The city has its own Cineworld, which has tiered seating and means you’ve got optimal comfort for when you’re watching your films. However, if you’re looking for more independent features, then we recommend joining one of the city’s many film societies.

Newport has a number of festivals that it runs too with everything from the Newport Folk Festival which features some of the best on the folk scene right now. The Newport Music Festival is a little more mainstream and features some big chart-topping acts on their roster; both festivals do sell out relatively quickly, so you better book your tickets as soon as possible!

Transport

The transport of Newport is very good and has an expansive array of different transportation systems available for everyone.

The city’s buses are serviced at the Newport Bus Station and have services provided by Newport Bus, FoxStar, Stagecoach in South Wales, First West of England, Cardiff Bus and New Adventure Travel (NAT). There is also a number of national services, such as National Express and Megabus.

The city’s main railway station is Newport Railway Station, and is the third busiest train station in Wales. The train travels around the city, however, there are also national services that link to Bristol, Cardiff, Gloucester, London and Portsmouth.

The city does not have an airport, the closest airport for the city is in Cardiff with Cardiff Airport.

Universities in the City

There are two universities in the city.

The main university in the city is Harper Adams University. Harper Adams University is actually based in Edgmond, which is a few miles outside of Newport, however, Newport is the most likely destination for those looking for things to do in Wales or even things to do in Newport.

Harper Adams University was originally formed as Harper Adams College in 1901, though the college gained university status in 1998 and re-branded as Harper Adams University in 2012.

The student body are represented by the Harper Adams Students’ Union, the union holds four themed events a year: the Fresher’s Ball, Christmas Ball, Paddy’s Ball and the Summer Ball.

The university takes part in a number of sports and regularly competes in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Leagues. The university also takes part in the Countryside Alliance Cirencester Cup Competition (a Shooting competition) and also competes against the Royal Agricultural University and St. Andrews University in a variety of other sports as well, both varsity and non-varsity.

The University of South Wales is a public university and has a number of campuses spread across a number of cities such as Cardiff, Pontypridd and errr...Dubai. However, the university has one of its main campuses in Newport.

The university was founded in 2013, although it has connections to a number of colleges and was originally traced back to the Newport Mechanics' Institute in 1841.

The students of the University of South Wales are represented by the University of South Wales Students' Union.

History

Though the area itself was established and lived in for many years prior, the settlement was not named as Newport until 1126, the name itself being derived from the original Latin name Novus Burgus, meaning new borough or new town and was occasionally referred to as Newport-on-Usk, with the original Welsh name for the city being Casnewydd-ar-Wysg, which translated roughly as New castle-on-Usk.

As the Industrial Revolution started around the turn of the 19th century, Newport was essential for the country’s distribution and importing of coal and as a result, Newport became one of the largest towns in the city and was the biggest coal port in the country, until Cardiff finally caught up.

The city did however see the Newport Rising in 1839, which was a huge rebellion in the city against the authority in Britain. In fact, the rebellion required military intervention in order to stop the rebellion from going any further.

Just before the 29th century started, the town had a number of big booms happen, such as the opening of The Alexandra Docks in 1875, which became the largest masonry dock in the world at that time in 1892.

Newport was eventually made into a city in 2002.

Sport

The city has a proud and renowned sporting culture.

The city’s main sporting team is Newport RFC, a Rugby Union side, who play in the Welsh Premier Division. The club has the very proud honour of being one of the few clubs to have beaten all the major southern hemisphere touring sides. The city’s main Rugby League team are the Newport Titans, who play in the Welsh Conference Premier.

The city’s main football club is Newport County, who play in League Two in the English footballing pyramid, rather than the Welsh. Over the course of their history, Newport County have reached the last 16 of the FA Cup and have also won the Welsh Cup, not to mention reaching the quarter-finals of the old European Cup WInners Cup in 1981. For those looking for teams that compete in the Welsh footballing pyramid, there are Caerleon, Newport City, Newport Civil Service, Lliswerry and Newport YMCA.

The city also has a number of golf resorts, such as the Celtic Manor Resort, which is a five-star conference resort and also plays host to the Wales Open and was also the venue of the All*Star Cup Celebrity Golf Tournament in 2005 and the 2010 Ryder Cup.