Enjoy the estuary... Newtown walk
Our gentle stroll will take you through the varied habitats of the Island’s only National Nature Reserve. Along the way you can pass a Town Hall with a colourful past, discover butterflies flitting through the meadows in summer or spy flocks of visiting birds in the cooler months.
Especially good for butterflies. This article was created before the coronavirus crisis, and may not reflect the current situation. Please check our homepage for the most up to date information about visiting.
Map
Elevation
Start:
Newtown National Nature Reserve car park, grid ref: SZ423906
1
Turn right from car park entrance and follow road down the hill, past the Old Town Hall.
Newtown Old Town Hall
Built around 1699, the Old Town Hall gradually fell into disrepair from 1832, when the town lost its right to elect Members of Parliament (MP). With two MPs and an electorate of only 39 voters, the Newtown constituency was declared a 'Rotten Borough'. The building was saved in the 1930s by the mysterious Ferguson Gang, a group of young women who used false names. Disguised with masks they delivered money to the National Trust to save and restore threatened old buildings.
2
Take the signed CB16a footpath on the right, just before Cassey Bridge. Follow the hedge line to the right, go through a gate and follow the path across two fields. Go through another gate and continue along the gravel track to a road. Walk straight ahead down the road and turn right down a gravel track by Marsh Farm House to the Mercia Seabroke Bird Hide.
View from Cassey bridge
The peaceful setting and timeless beauty of the Newtown National Nature Reserve, as seen from Cassey bridge. This is a great spot to watch water birds, such as ducks and waders, in the autumn and winter. Listen out for nightingales singing in May and June.
3
Turn left through a gate and cross to opposite corner of field, then turn right onto footbridge to the boathouse. Bear left and follow the gravelled harbour wall round to reach a kissing gate. Follow the right-hand boundary of the field to a gate in the top corner and the gravel path to the road.
Newtown wildflower meadows
We try to keep things as natural as possible at Newtown. We don’t use any artificial fertiliser on our meadows, which means that many different species of wild flower and grass are able to flourish. It makes the perfect environment for butterflies too, such as the common blue, meadow brown, small heath, marbled white and small skipper. You might spot them dancing across these fields in summer.
4
Follow the tarmac road to a T-junction by the visitor point. Return to the car park if following the shorter route option, otherwise carry on.
Newtown
This small village with its tranquil estuary was once a thriving new town with a busy harbour and was also known as Francheville. Its inhabitants were free men with no feudal duties. Instead, they rented strips of land known as 'burgage plots'. The pattern of woodland and meadows reflects the original planned Medieval town and strip fields. Sadly Newtown fell into decline after a French raid in 1377. But it retained its political significance and returned two Members of Parliament until 1832.
5
Cross straight over and take the grassy footpath (signed Coastal path and CB13a) through the gate to the left of Noah’s Ark to another gate. This path bends right, then left after 20yd (20m) across a field to a gate. Go straight on across a second field and through a gap in the hedge. Go through a belt of trees into another field to reach a gate by the road. Turn right.
Noah's Ark
The Newtown (Francheville) seal adorns the front of Newtown's oldest house, which was built before 1630. It was formerly a public house and we know it operated as a pub called the Newtown Arms Inn until it closed in 1916. The name 'Noah's Ark' refers to the boat and lion, illustrated in the seal above the front door. The building was purchased by us in 1961.
6
After 220yd (200m) enter Walters Copse on the left, just opposite the last bungalow. Take the second path on the right, about 220yd (200m) from the road. Carry straight ahead on this path until the edge of the copse is seen after about 250yd (230m). Turn left and follow the boundary path. The path bends left, keeping to the edge of copse and marsh. At all junctions keep close to the edge of the copse, but do not venture out into the marsh. A sign warning that path CB9 leads only to the bird hide is reached at Town Quay. (For a recommended half mile (800m) detour, go through the kissing gate ahead and keep to the right of a field to another kissing gate. Follow the old harbour wall and board walk to visit East Bird Hide overlooking Clamerkin lake. Retrace your steps to Town Quay).
Abundant wildlife
Newtown National Nature Reserve has a wonderful mixture of habitats. The salt marsh is stabilised by plants specially adapted for life in salt water. The mud flats teem with invertebrate life which provides rich feeding for many water birds in the winter. The meadows abound with colourful flowers and butterflies and the woods have lovely sunny glades humming with fascinating insects. Traditional coppicing allows woodland flowers to bloom and provides plenty of hazelnuts for red squirrels and dormice.
7
Take the broad track heading away from Town Quay through Town Copse, eventually reaching the road.
8
Turn right and follow the road back to the Visitor Point.
End:
Newtown National Nature Reserve car park, grid ref: SZ423906
