The claim
On Newport's High Street, the Castle Inn wears its claimed 1550 foundation proudly as the Isle of Wight county town's oldest pub, though the brick plaque over its door is dated 1684. Low ceilings, dark wood, stone floors and a winter fire set the tone, and local lore adds a secret passage to Carisbrooke Castle, supposedly linked to the imprisoned Charles I.
What the records show
The 1550 is the island's visitor board's: Visit Isle of Wight calls the Castle the oldest pub in Newport, dating back to 1550. The inn publishes nothing of its own that we could find, and the tunnel-to-Carisbrooke-Castle story is local legend. Historic England's listing has now been read: 91 High Street, the Castle Inn, was listed Grade II on 1 October 1953, and the entry records a brick plaque above the sign board over the door bearing the date 1684 and the initials R E A, two storeys of red and some grey brick in what it calls an early example of Flemish bond, an old tile roof with a saddle stone at the west gable, and a west gable wall of stone rubble with quoins breaking into the brickwork at the front. A date cut on the building itself is the firmest thing anybody has published about it, and it is 134 years later than the claim. No licensing record has been traced for either year.
What to look for inside
- Promoted as Newport's oldest pub (1550)
- Legend of a tunnel to Carisbrooke Castle and Charles I
- Beer garden and live music
Visiting
The Castle Inn is in Newport, England, at 91 High Street, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 1BQ. We do not list opening times, because they change; the pub’s own site is the place to check before you set out.
Sources
- www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/things-to-do/the-castle-inn-p143081
- isleofwightattractions.com/food-drink/pubs/the-castle-inn-newport
- historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1034581
- ratings.food.gov.uk/business/1094597
Know something we don’t?Suggest a correctionLast checked Sept 2026
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