Newtown area guide

Sitting on the picturesque upper stretches of the River Severn, Newtown was founded at the end of the 13th Century but boomed and grew somewhat in the 18th and 19th centuries on the back of the textile and flannel industry and the arrival of the Montgomeryshire Canal.

A beautiful view of Newtown and the surrounding area.

Today, the town has expanded further along the Severn and is a buoyant and active market town retaining much of its character yet lending itself well to modern living. The heart of the town is Broad Street where, on Tuesdays, one can purchase anything from fresh fish, fruit, vegetables and meat to plants, hardware and antiques from one of the many, increasingly cosmopolitan market stalls which fill the town centre.

On the outskirts of the town there is a business park and a number of commercial/industrial estates offering good employment potential. Infrastructure is good with a good road network and rail links to the rest of the UK within the town. Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham airports are all accessible with an hour and a half’s drive.

In terms of entertainment, Newtown offers Theatre Hafren, The Orriel Davies Gallery and a number of museums. There are a number of good restaurants, cafe’s and bars in the town and surroundings which should cater for most tastes. The natural surroundings also offer endless opportunity for a whole host of outdoor activities from fishing and walking to ornithology and sailing.

Surrounding Newtown are countless, charming towns and villages, many of which retain a feeling from yesteryear. Of particular merit are Berriew and Montgomery, real gems within the Mid Wales Countryside. Newtown is something of a gateway into Mid Wales with the stunning coastline of Cardigan bay just an hours drive away and the Snowdonia national park accessible within half an hour.

Transport