Newtown brings together historical and cultural attractions with routes through the Montgomeryshire countryside. Walking Newtown’s walks start and finish near the town centre. This means you can plan around both specific cultural interests and a range of walking and cycling options.

History and culture

The Newtown Heritage Trail includes the remains of a castle mound built in the 13th century and introduces John Roberts. Roberts was a Romani harpist, known as the country’s leading performer on the Welsh triple harp. The trail thus brings together a medieval landmark and the musical biography of a harpist.

Oriel Davies Gallery is a public art gallery based in Newtown. It holds around ten exhibitions each year across three gallery spaces and, alongside its exhibition programme, offers workshops, courses, talks and events. If you are planning your trip around a particular event, check the date in advance.

Newtown Textile Museum shows the process from raw wool to flannel, taking you from the original material through to the finished fabric. The Robert Owen Museum celebrates Robert Owen’s life and ideas. Newtown is both his birthplace and the place where he died. The museum is housed in an impressive half-timbered building opposite the Town Clock.

Market and weekly planning

The Newtown Tuesday Market takes place every Tuesday from 7 am to 3 pm on Broad Street and High Street in Newtown, Powys. Traders include sellers of fruit and vegetables, fresh fish, meat, flowers and takeaway food. This makes it easy to fit a visit into your schedule: the market is a Tuesday event, not a daily one. Check the opening times and range of traders before your trip.

Walking and cycling

Walking Newtown’s walks follow public rights of way through community woodlands, nature reserves, riverside paths and canal towpaths, as well as across the gentle hills of the Montgomeryshire countryside. The range therefore extends from woodland and protected areas to waterside paths and open hills. The different types of route give you a useful starting point when deciding which landscapes you are most interested in exploring on a walk.

Another way to get active is to walk or cycle along the Montgomery Canal towpath between Newtown and Welshpool. Unlike the description of Walking Newtown’s walks, this refers to a specific stretch of canal and explicitly mentions both activities. Check the condition of the towpath locally before planning your route.

The Montgomery Canal in its regional context

The Welsh section of the Montgomery Canal is internationally recognised as a Special Area of Conservation, particularly for its diversity of aquatic plants. This conservation designation applies to the Welsh section. It provides additional regional context for the routes and canal described here.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Llanllwchaiarn, Llanidloes, Pontrobert, Ystradgynlais, Llanymynech, Clyro, Aberhosan, Cwm-twrch Uchaf

Back to the main travel guide: Powys.