Newtown River is a large natural inland harbour located on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

's northwestern coast, named after the nearby village of Newtown. It is sometimes also referred to as Newtown Creek. Newtown Harbour is the name given by

Natural England Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, ...

to the River and surrounding land, and this area is the only national nature reserve on the island. It is owned and managed by the

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

. Newtown River consists of a number of estuaries of small rivers, and has the form of several finger-like indentations in the coastline. The narrow entrance to Newtown River is 3/4 of a mile east of

Hamstead Point Hamstead may refer to: * Hamstead, Isle of Wight * Hamstead, West Midlands ** Hamstead Colliery **Hamstead railway station Hamstead railway station serves the Hamstead, Great Barr and Handsworth Wood areas of Birmingham, England. It is locate ...

, in the centre of

Newtown Bay Newtown Bay is a bay on the northwestern coast of the Isle of Wight, England in the western arm of the Solent. It is a subtle bay located around the exit of the Newtown River. It stretches about 4 km from Hamstead Point in the west to Salt Mead ...

. The entrance needs navigating with care as there is a bar across the entrance, strong cross tides and a fair flow of water in and out of the entrance channel at mid-tide. Although, much mud is exposed in the harbour at low water, there are a number of moorings in the deeper parts of the creeks and lakes and the anchorage can become crowded at weekends during the main sailing season. Scouts from nearby Corf Camp often make use of the Estuary for expeditions from the jetty on the shore. The harbour is loved for its unspoilt beauty and tranquility. The River and adjoining land are regarded as one of the best examples of an undisturbed natural harbour on the south coast of England with its varied habitats ranging from woodland, ancient meadows, mudflats and marshland. It supports a number of rare species, but its primary importance is as a wintering ground for seabirds. The River is part of the Isle of Wight's

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are designated in recognition of thei ...

(AONB), and is part of the

Hamstead Heritage Coast Hamstead may refer to: * Hamstead, Isle of Wight * Hamstead, West Midlands ** Hamstead Colliery **Hamstead railway station Hamstead railway station serves the Hamstead, Great Barr and Handsworth Wood areas of Birmingham, England. It is locate ...

. The area is also part of a biological

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...

(SSSI). It was notified in 1951. The villages of Newtown and

Shalfleet Shalfleet is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. it is located between Yarmouth and Newport in the northwest of the island. Background The name "Shalfleet" means "shallow stream". The stream in this case is the stream passing thr ...

lie close to its shore.

External links

Information on Newtown River from a poor sailor

Natural England entry

Isle of Wight Council entryIOW AONB mapEnglish Nature SSSI citation sheet
{{authority control Ports and harbours of the Isle of Wight Rivers of the Isle of Wight Estuaries of England Nature reserves on the Isle of Wight National nature reserves in England Sites of Special Scientific Interest on the Isle of Wight