Newtown River
Encyclopedia
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
's northwestern coast. It is sometimes also referred to as Newtown Creek.
Newtown Harbour is the name given by Natural England
Natural England
Natural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
to the River and surrounding land and this area is the only National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
on the island. It is owned and managed by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
.
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, in the centre of Newtown Bay
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 Ledge to the east...
. 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 a lot of mud is exposed in the harbour at low water there are a number of moorings in the deeper parts of the creeks
Creek (tidal)
A tidal creek, tidal channel, or estuary is the portion of a stream that is affected by ebb and flow of ocean tides, in the case that the subject stream discharges to an ocean, sea or strait. Thus this portion of the stream has variable salinity and electrical conductivity over the tidal cycle...
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
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
(AONB), and is part of the Hamstead Heritage Coast.
The area is also part of a 619.3 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSI). It was notified in 1951.
The villages of Newtown
Newtown, Isle of Wight
Newtown is a small hamlet on the Isle of Wight, in England. In medieval times it was a thriving borough.Newtown is located on the large natural harbour on the Island's north-western coast, now mostly a National Nature Reserve owned and managed by the National Trust.The Caul Bourne stream running...
and Shalfleet
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:...
lie close to its shore.