ONE of the most historically-significant buildings in Newport is going under the hammer.

The Grade II listed Westgate Hotel in Commercial Street previously went up for auction in March with a guide price of £2.1 million.

But it did not sell and is now going under the hammer for a second time on Thursday, May 25, with a guide price of between £1.5 million and £1.75 million.

The building sits on the site of one of the most significant events in the history of Newport, and UK democracy as a whole, when on November 4, 1839 activist John Frost led a march of 3,000 Chartists down Stow Hill to the hotel, where they believed several of their comrades were being held captive.

A stand-off outside the hotel ended with army troops firing on the protestors, killing more than 20 and wounding 50 more.

The original hotel was demolished in 1884 and the current five-floor building, which also includes six shops on the ground floor, was built. The current building is twice the size of the previous hotel and included an ornate ballroom.

But it has lain vacant for more the a decade, with only the shops, which are also part of this week’s auction, being occupied.

The building’s listing on the website of auctioneers Acuitus says the owner could gain £271,000 in rental from the six shops on the site.

A statement on the website reads: “The property is situated in a highly prominent corner location on the west side of pedestrianised Commercial Street, close to its junction with High Street in the heart of the city centre.”

It also says: “The property comprises an unbroken parade of seven retail units arranged as six shops and provides ground floor retail accommodation with ancillary accommodation on the lower ground and first floors.”

The auction is being held at the Radisson Blu Portman Hotel in London and will begin at 1pm.

Following the 1839 clash more than 200 demonstrators, including John Frost, were found guilty of high treason and sentenced to death.

But following an outcry this was changed to transportation for life. John Frost himself was given an unconditional pardon in 1856 and allowed to return to Britain.