Buildings of Newport (37)

The West of England pub

Imposing Victorian dockside boozer, with a fine view of Newport's famed Transporter Bridge. The interior is fairly spartan, but has some fine old etched windows. The main bar has a pool table, dartboard and displays trophies and boxing memorabilia, while next door is a function room, and and skittle alley with a 2nd pool table. A shove halfpenny table is in the lounge area.
In Kelly's 1838 Directory the West of England is listed as a beerhouse, the Beerhouse Act of 1830 was a boost for the pub industry and it is very unlikely the pub dated to before that time.
“a Grade 1 listed building”
The West of England was rebuilt in the 1880s and a lean-to extension was built in the 1980s using bricks of a different colour to the original. If it was a Grade I (NB to their webmaster: Roman numerals are used in listing descriptions not Arabic numerals) listed building it would rank alongside the Abbey Hotel in Llanthony as one of the most important buildings in Wales.