A quiet backwater with a busy Medieval past, now bursting with wildlife and a town hall with no town...
Congratulations to Les Lockhart who has won the National Trust's 2020 Handbook photo competition. Les's striking photograph of the evening light at Newtown, Isle of Wight, was picked from thousands of entries to star on the cover of the 2020 Handbook.
The nature reserve
This is the only National Nature Reserve on the Isle of Wight. It is a beautiful retreat that has something to offer boat owners, walkers, wildlife enthusiasts and historians or just those in search of peace and tranquility. You can wander past flower-rich hay meadows, through ancient woodlands with rare butterflies and red squirrels, and look out over salt marsh and the clear waters of the harbour, bobbing with sailing boats in the summer and alive with birds in the spring and winter. For those on the water it is a beautiful place to explore and a good way to look out for wetland wildlife.
Newtown Harbour was saved in the 1960s from the threat of a nuclear power station being built near the harbour entrance. The efforts of local people conducting wildlife surveys proved to the authorities how special the place is. The landscape has remained little changed for decades and the pattern of fields reflects Newtown's Medieval origins.
The town hall
Tucked away in a tiny hamlet adjoining the National Nature Reserve, the 17th-century Old Town Hall is the only remaining evidence of Newtown's former importance.
It's hard to believe that this tranquil corner of the island once held often turbulent elections before sending two Members to Parliament.
| Gift Aid | Standard | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | N/A | £4.30 |
| Child | N/A | £2.15 |
| Family | N/A | £10.75 |
|
Group Adult
Minimum group size 10
|
N/A | £3.80 |
|
Group Child
Minimum group size 10
|
N/A | £1.90 |
Most of our places run the Gift Aid on Entry scheme at their admission points.
Under this scheme, if you're not a member you have the choice of two entry tickets:
If the place runs Gift Aid on Entry, we'll offer you a clear choice between the Gift Aid Admission prices and the Standard Admission prices at the admission point. It's entirely up to you which ticket you choose.
Gift Aid Admission includes a 10 per cent or more voluntary donation. Gift Aid Admissions let us reclaim tax on the whole amount paid - an extra 25 per cent - potentially a very significant boost to our places' funds.
An extra £1 paid under the scheme can be worth over £3 to the National Trust as shown below:
| Gift Aid | Standard | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount paid by visitor | £11.00 | £10.00 |
| Tax refund from Government* | £2.75 | £0.00 |
| Total received by the National Trust | £13.75 | £10.00 |
*Gift Aid Admissions let us reclaim tax on the whole amount paid - an extra 25 per cent - potentially a very significant boost to our places' funds.
Entry to the nature reserve is free. National Trust members can visit the town hall for free.
Last entry to the Old Town Hall is 30 minutes before closing time. The Seabroke hide is open in season (March-October) whilst the East hide is open all year round.
