Camping in Newport

Newport Campsites

Newport is a small region bursting with surprises. It was once the largest town in Wales, and its position as a port gave it power and significance to the Romans — and though those days are now gone, remnants of its history pervade the atmosphere and the ground beneath your feet.

Camping in Newport is an experience that brings you close to Roman soldiers, amphitheatres once filled with screaming crowds and centuries of trade, transport and ship-building. Here and now, its wetlands and canals stretch for miles, providing some of the richest environments for birdlife in Wales — and an opportunity for exploration you won’t get anywhere else.

Traditional Wales is easy to find here, from the Welsh cakes in the town’s market to the graves of the Chartist protestors who were killed by soldiers in 1839 as they demanded the right to vote. However, Newport is also thoroughly a part of the 21st century, with the art and culture to prove it. One glimpse of the cascading Wave sculpture, which has loomed over the harbour in curling steel since 1990, gives you a hint of Newport’s character: ever-changing, ever-adapting, for thousands of years, and always proud of its ancient heritage.

Reasons to visit Newport

Whether you want to walk in the footsteps of a Roman soldier or take to the wheel of a canal boat, our campsites in Newport are the perfect place to start.

Roman revelations

Newport’s Roman roots are strong. It was one of only three permanent Roman legion settlements across the UK, and you can still see the remnants of the fortress at Caerleon that heralded the farthest reaches of the Roman Empire. Caerleon contains the ruins of a lavish bathing complex, complete with cold and heated baths, and a second century amphitheatre that feels as if the Roman audience has only just vanished.

Inside the fortress, the National Roman Legion Museum will capture the imaginations of history-lovers big and small. It has temples, ruins and plenty of exhibits on display, kid’s armour, make-your-own mosaics and gladiator fights, and a “latrine game” that little ones will make a beeline for. The quiet areas of the ruined fortress reward walkers, and it’s easy to see why the remains of the vast complex were mistaken for King Arthur’s round table by archaeologists.

Rolling wetlands

The RSPB has set up one of Wales’s most expansive wetland sanctuaries in Newport, and it offers a day out that will delight nature lovers. It has 438 hectares of lagoons and wetlands between the River Usk and the Severn Estuary that provide a paradise for peregrine falcons, otters and other exciting species. Children’s guided walks and “wildlife explorer” backpacks are on hand to make sure everybody gets the most out of the experience.

The quiet stretches of fen on the Magor Marsh have a winding path to let you try to catch a peek of a kingfisher or wander through fields of wildflowers. More active types, meanwhile, will love the Llandegfedd Reservoir, a water park built on the wetlands to give visitors the chance to sample all kinds of water sports, from kayaking and sailing to angling in its placid lakes.

Stunning canals

The canals around Newport have been the source of its industry and wealth for hundreds of years, and still reward explorers. Tredegar House – in the grounds of which you’ll find our campsite in Newport – is an impeccably preserved 17th century mansion with seriously flamboyant interiors, but part of its draw is the nearby Transporter Bridge, which was built by the Morgan family who owned Tredegar in 1906. It’s an eccentric contraption that carries cargo across the River Usk — and your car, if you part with one pound.

Walks and boating along Newport’s canals are a spectacular way to see the landscape, and the Fourteen Locks Canal Centre is a great way to start; it has a fascinating series of ponds and weirs controlled by 14 different locks, plus picnic areas and occasional boat trips. However, the series of canals around Newport and Shrewsbury are also fantastic for self-oriented ramblings, with loads of spots for picnics, dog-walking and tow paths full of wildflowers. The Allt-yr-Yn Nature Reserve bordering on the canals is an excellent place to go frog-watching in the old ponds.

Why choose Experience Freedom?

Newport’s compact nature belies its many options for visitors, and camping and glamping in Newport with Experience Freedom can give you the best vantage point for striking out across its wetlands, stepping onto a kayak, or venturing into its Roman past. Select a campsite in Newport to discover more about its facilities, or use the Search and Book function to see the available dates at your chosen site.