The Newton River, also commonly referred to as Newtown Creek and Harbour, is located off the south coast of England within the Western Solent and on the northwestern shore of the Isle of Wight. It is an extensive nature reserve set into a river estuary with an anchoring area and swinging moorings in its channels.

The estuary's small and well-enclosed channels provide complete protection. Access is straightforward, but newcomers should enter in daylight and preferably on the lower half of the tide, when the banks of the channels can be seen.

This small and very popular location will likely get overrun on summer weekends during the sailing season.

Keyfacts for Newtown River

Position and approaches

Haven position

50° 43.409' N, 001° 24.420' W

This is the anchoring area in the Clamerkin Lake within Fishhouse Point.

What is the initial fix?

This is on the 10-meter contour and the 130°T alignment of the leading beacons. The front beacon is a post with a red and white banded 'Y' top mark; the rear is a beacon with a white disk with a red circle top mark.

What are the key points of the approach?

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What's the story here?

Newtown River, also known as Newtown Creek or Newtown Harbour, is a large natural inland harbour on the northwestern coast of the Isle of Wight. The estuary is centred on the site of a busy medieval commercial port that has long since returned to nature. The villages of Newtown and Shalfleet lie close to its shore. Today, the estuary is part of the Isle of Wight's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the Hamstead Heritage Coast.




Newtown River consists of several estuaries of small rivers that have the form of several finger-like indentations in the coastline. These channels provide leisure craft with excellent shelter within an unspoilt natural harbour, and a good anchorage that has at least 2 metres west of the entrance. There are five visitor buoys in Clamerkin Lake and twenty in the main arm leading to Shalfleet Quay. The buoys are all white, and all the other river buoys are private and red. Using an unoccupied red private buoy may be possible during busy periods at the harbourmaster's discretion.




The only consideration for deeper vessels is the bar at the entrance channel, which should be conservatively considered to have about 1.5 meters of cover at low-water springs (LWS). Consequently, deep-keeled vessels are advised to enter on a rising tide.




Anchoring is free, though the National Trust requests a voluntary donation (commonly around £5–£10 per night, depending upon the vessel size and season) to support the upkeep of the nature reserve. National Trust members may have the mooring fee waived in some cases. Mooring buoys are chargeable at rates that are about twice this. These fees are collected by the National Trust harbourmaster who patrols the estuary.

How to get in?

The Western Approaches to The Solent and the run-up to Southampton provides shoreline guidance and a tidal timer.




Vessels approaching from the east should keep outside the Salt Mead starboard hand buoy Fl(3)G 10s. This buoy marks the drying Salt Mead ledge that extends 500 metres offshore and is inclined towards Cowes. The outer end of the ledge terminates about midway between the buoy and the shore, and its foot is located where the Burnt Wood tree plantation comes down to the shore. It is only of concern for those coming inshore to make the best of an adverse tide.




On closing on Newtown River, stand well clear of the shoreline and resist the temptation to cut in. The Newtown Gravel Banks extend dry up to 500 metres from the shoreline, and the area remains shallow out to 650 metres. The West Cardinal fairway buoy marks its northwestern extremity, and by keeping to the north and then west of the marker buoy when approaching the entrance, clears this danger. Keeping Yarmouth Pierhead, situated 3 miles west southwest, open of Hamstead Point, skirts the edge of the Newtown Gravel Banks.




The low-lying entrance to Newtown River can be hard to pinpoint when approaching from the north or the centre of Western Solent.




The prominent Rowridge and Chillerton Down TV transmitter masts are good markers for its location, which are situated high up on the island about 3 miles south by southwest of the Newtown River. When the bearing to the masts is approximately 150°, the river entrance is directly to the south.




Vessels approaching from the west should keep outside Hamstead Ledge Green Starboard buoy FI(2)G.5s. It is possible to cut midway between the buoy and the shoreline as the Hamstead Ledge buoy marks a deep ledge of minimum depth 7.6 metres but do not close in on the shore as a steep-to ledge extends out 300 metres from the foot of Hamstead cliffs.




From the initial fix, the West Cardinal fairway buoy off the Newtown Gravel Banks and the Newtown River's leading beacons will be seen.




The front leading mark is a wooden pile with a red/white banded 'Y' topmark. The rear of the marks, located on the eastern point of the river's entrance, Fishhouse Point, has a red post carrying a white disc with a red circling edge topmark. Brought into alignment on 130° T, they lead past the cardinal to port and inward over the sand bar outside the entrance. This has about 1.4 metres of water chart datum, and the helms should be watchful of cross currents.




Once the front 'Y' marker comes within about 200 metres, the helmsman should drift off the marks to starboard, allowing the beacons to open, to find the best water.


Once abeam of the front 'Y' beacon, the narrow entrance to the Newtown River will be seen to open between two shingle spits. Turn a little to starboard and steer directly for the middle of the spits.





The entrance is very narrow, just about 60 metres wide, but the spits are very steep, and it carries at least 1.5 metres of water at low water springs. Expect a fair flow of water, in and out, but especially on a Spring Ebb, in the entrance channel at mid-tide. Within the entrance, the harbour speed limit is five knots.



The river is divided into two main channels, two hundred metres from the entrance. Four key marks need attention here because they shape the course to the intended channel. Two starboard buoys on the channel's west side mark a dangerous gravel bank encroaching upon the western edge of the channel. Corresponding with these, from the opposite east side of the channel, are an isolated danger mark, black with two red bands with a top mark of two black balls, and there is another starboard buoy close south of this.





The isolated danger buoy, marking a small shallow hump with 0.5 metres of cover over it chart datum. The eastern starboard buoy, on the southern side of the isolated danger buoy, marks the ruins of an old seawall and a drying bank extending from it, which is the south boundary of Clamerkin Lake.



Those heading for the Newtown River, which continues south by southwest, should come between the two western starboard marks and the opposite eastern isolated danger mark, then turn about 40° to starboard to continue upriver. Do not be tempted to cut inside the western starboard marks as the gravel bank dries and lies close to the marks.




Those heading for Clamerkin Lake, which turns abruptly eastward, should again pass between the two starboard marks and the opposite isolated danger.




Then, when alongside the isolated danger, initiate a hard 90° turn to port (eastward) to round its southern side and pass between it and to the north of the eastern starboard-hand buoy.



Beyond this, the channels are well marked by small buoys and red and green plus cardinal marker withies. Withies, also called with, are traditional Isle of Wight markers made from willow that indicate safe channels but now correspond with the IALA system. The helm should always keep an eye on these marks and the echo sounder. However, don't be overly concerned; if you go astray, it is mostly very soft mud that poses little issue, and it's easy to back off.




Clamerkin Lake, on the eastern side and bound to the south by the ruins of an old sea wall, has an anchoring area with at least two metres of water immediately within. It has six moorings starting at its northern end, with the ones located around the north cardinal at the northern point of the ruined sea wall being shallower, where a draft of 1.7 metres can be expected.




No anchoring should occur in Clamerkin Lake beyond the two 'Anchorage Prohibited' notice boards where oyster beds are located. Anchoring is in clay and is typically exceptionally good when well dug in. However, holding can be less certain later in the season when the bottom has been thoroughly ploughed up and is loose. The author returned to find their vessel, which had its anchor well towed in, drifting back through the anchorage with considerable ado and poling off from the downwind boats. Similarly, we observed many vessels stuck in the mud at the rear of the anchorage during that stay. However, all is soft mud, and little harm will come to a vessel here.




Indeed, if the anchorage is overwhelmed, it may be possible to use the soft mud in the margins of the deep-water channels. The mud is soft enough for a fin keel to sink in and deep enough to allow a vessel to sit upright. Choosing the tidal cycle and location carefully is essential, and the harbourmaster is best placed to advise on this. This will normally prohibit tender access or exit during the lower tide cycles.

Newtown River has a line of 20 marked visitors' moorings in its deeper waters. In all cases, white buoys are visitors' moorings, and the red buoys are local private boat moorings. Rafting on the visitor moorings is allowed, provided the first occupants and the harbourmaster agree.




Land by tender up the Newtown River that leads up and opens into four branches, Western Haven, Corf Lake, Causeway Lake and the river itself, which continues through Shalfleet Lake to Shalfleet.
Shalfleet Quay dries beyond its head 1.5 hours on either side of LW springs. Newtown Quay is only accessible for three hours on either side of the high water.




The Hamstead Jetty is accessible at all tide states except low water Springs. However, it is in poor repair, and funds are being raised for its replacement. A sign on the jetty warns that the structure is unsafe to use and will be "completely removed in the near future".




Should that be the case, if the jetty is found to be removed, it is always possible to land on the Hamstead Duver, on the western side of the entrance.

Why visit here?

Newtown River, sometimes also referred to as Newtown Creek, got its name from a medieval settlement of Newtown that once existed here. Originally called Francheville, meaning Free-town, it was later renamed Newtown to inspire a hoped-for resurrection of its fortunes after being sacked by the French in 1377.




Human habitation of this beautiful estuary goes back to prehistoric times. Numerous flint finds have been uncovered on the lands bordering the estuary, along with evidence of Roman activity. It has been said that it once hosted a Saxon town that was destroyed by a Danish raid in 1001. The assignment of this attack to Newtown has largely been discredited, but it is not disputed that a small settlement existed here during these times. Unfortunately, almost all evidence of earlier settlements was wiped away by the construction of the medieval town and Francheville harbour.




Francheville was founded by the Bishop-elect of Winchester, Aymer de Valence, who granted the town its charter in 1256. At the time, the site of Newtown lay within the manor of Swainston, which was known as Calbourne after the village near the source of one of the branches of the Newtown River. This manor covered 13 square miles and included a large part of the northern shores of the Isle of Wight. The tract of land had been granted to the Bishop of Winchester, initiating the long connection between Winchester and the manor, by King Egbert of Wessex in a charter dated 826.




Francheville’s first known mention appears in a court roll for the bishop's manor for the year 1254-55, noting the work at a house 'in the new borough of Francheville'. The Bishop of Winchester had high hopes for his town, naming his streets Gold Street and Silver Street. He granted the burgesses the same liberties enjoyed by the bishop's towns of Taunton, Witney, Alresford, and Fareham. The town was to be an early medieval success, but not for the clergy. In 1284, Edward I forced the bishop to hand over his lands on the island, and despite the bishop paying a fine of £2,000 to recover them, the king retained Francheville as a royal borough.




Francheville was one of three planned 12th-century boroughs, along with the towns of Newport and Yarmouth, established by members of the ruling de Redvers family. The locations of all these towns are centred on their proximity to navigable estuaries and their sheltered harbours. Their capabilities as trading centres were far more crucial than having access to high-quality agricultural land. By the start of the 14th century, Francheville was thriving and was the only one of these towns to achieve early successful urban status. It is believed to have been home to 60 families at that time. It had the twin advantages of being centrally located and having a harbour reputed to be the safest on the island, capable of accommodating vessels of up to 500 tons. Within the harbour was an abundant supply of oysters and a prosperous saltworks. By the middle of the 14th century, it was gradually maturing into a thriving commercial centre. By 1344, the town was assessed to be the most important port on the island and worth twice the value of Newport, which would ultimately become the island's capital. But then, disaster struck.




In 1349, the Black Death came to Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, with coastal areas bearing the brunt of the suffering. Losses of over 50% of coastal populations were experienced in several cases. Although it is not certain how Francheville fared, its situation on the coast made it particularly vulnerable, and it can be expected that it suffered severely. The Black Death was not the only devastating blow, as the plague recurred throughout the 14th and 15th centuries. When the town was already on its knees, the French raid of 1377 was the coup de grâce.




With the Isle of Wight on the front line of the wars with France, the town was subjected to a raid, which resulted in its burning down and extensive killings. The blow to the population can be seen in its tax receipts: 57 burgesses in 1255, 66 in 1298-99, 196 'taxpayers' in 1377, and then only 31 taxpayers in 1379, two years after the attack. These figures suggest that the raid may have reduced the population by as much as three-quarters. Despite renaming the town to 'Newtown,' there was little recovery afterwards.




It is entirely possible that Newtown had a declining community even before this, with the Black Death and competition from Yarmouth and Newport all taking their toll. The town lingered in its derelict 1377 state for nearly 200 years. In a 1559 survey, it was noted that Newtown no longer had a market and did not have a single good house still standing. The harbour slowly became clogged with silt, prohibiting access to larger vessels. Then it finally sank to its post-medieval condition of semi-desertion and was declared a 'rotten borough' until the Reform Act of 1832. The town church was in ruins by the 18th century and was replaced by another building dedicated to the Holy Ghost in 1835. The town hall was restored in 1813 and again in the 1930s.




However, Shalfleet village, whose name means "shallow stream" and was first recorded as early as 838 AD, was to see a new lease of life. An Act of Parliament in 1890 authorised the construction of the Shalfleet Harbour Railway, which connected the Freshwater, Yarmouth, and Newport Railway to Shalfleet Quay. This railway line was built to facilitate the movement of coal and other goods, and the quay became the primary source of coal for the west of the island during its heyday in the late 1920s and early 1930s. After that, it once again fell into decline. The Newtown Arms Inn closed in 1916, and the two large salt pans ceased salt production in the 1930s.




Newtown Harbour was saved in the 1960s from the threat of a nuclear power station being built near the harbour entrance. Most of the Newtown River estuary, covering an area of approximately 88 hectares, is now a nature reserve owned by the National Trust. The eastern shore of the Newtown estuary (Clamerkin Lake) is an 810-acre firing range operated by the South East Reserves Forces and Cadet Association (SERFCA).




This National Trust area encompasses 14 miles in total, including four miles of foreshore along the Solent, as well as Newtown and Shalfleet Quays and many farms. Under their stewardship, they have preserved the estuary as a natural place, keeping it in its timeless and unchanged state, just as it has existed for centuries. With varied habitats that include woodland, ancient meadows, mudflats, and marshland, it supports 95 different species of wildlife, some of which are rare. Its primary importance lies in serving as a wintering ground for seabirds. The River is part of the Isle of Wight's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and is included in the Hamstead Heritage Coast. Additionally, the area is designated as part of a 619.3-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).




Today, it is difficult to imagine that this tranquil landscape was once a thriving medieval commercial harbour; the history is palpable. The earthworks remain around the harbour, and the medieval town, with its streets and houses, can be explored on foot. It is still possible to trace the outline of the old town within the mainly pastoral fields that make up the site today. The 18th-century brick and stone building, Old Town Hall, survives from the ancient borough and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Another survivor is the 17th-century, unusually shaped stone and tile building, locally referred to as Noah's Ark, that was formerly The Francheville Arms inn. The two square ponds by the boathouse are the salterns.




From a boating perspective, the Newtown estuary is a peaceful natural haven for sailors, just as it is for its wildlife. It represents an excellent berth and one of the best examples of a natural estuary in southeast England. It is cherished for its unspoilt beauty and tranquillity.

What facilities are available?

There are no real facilities in this nature reserve. Water can be had at the end of the footbridge at Newtown Quay. The quay is accessible three hours either side of High Water after which it dries. From the quay it is possible to walk south down Shalfleet Quay Lane that joins Mill Lane and which leads to Shalfleet.

Arriving at the New Inn pub, at the head of the lane, turn east on the A3054 to walk to the garage located about five minutes' up the road with a deli nearby. The garage has gas, fuel plus some basic food provisions. Turn west from the New Inn on the A3054 to walk to Warlands Lane, at the next crossroad nearby take the south leg to Shalfleet post office and shop that opens 0900/1300 Mon/Sat. Yarmouth or Cowes provide better provisioning options.

Buses from Shalfleet on average every 2 hours.

Any security concerns?

Never an issue known to have occurred to a vessel visiting Newtown River. When busy be prepared for unprofessional anchoring and protective sparing that can be irritating.

With thanks to:

Davie Flannagan, Newtown River Harbour Master.