1.2 Isle of Wight Conservation Areas
Newport is a medieval market town in origin. People have been congregating and shopping in the town for over eight centuries. Hardly surprisingly, it has some precious historic shopfronts, especially in St Thomas’ Square and Holyrood Street.
However, much of the High Street has lost its architectural heritage. The stretch west of St James’ Street is particularly affected. Sadly, it is characterised by run-down or bland, wide modern shopfronts associated with national retail chains. These shopfronts don’t showcase the heritage of their buildings or of what lies within the town.
Ryde grew into a seaside resort in the 19th century and much of the town’s impressive architecture can still be seen from the seafront today. In Ryde, approaching the town from the seafront, visitors to the town are greeted by Union Street as they climb the hill to the town centre. It’s a vibrant, heritage-rich street. However, some of that sense of history and vibrancy is lost as one crosses Cross Street onto Ryde High Street.
Although half of the High Street is pedestrianised and busy with people throughout the day, Ryde High Street lacks the same “place appeal” as Union Street. A few fine, historic shopfronts, especially on the south end, are interrupted by large, national chains which don’t always honour their building’s history.
