THIS is Newport’s indoor market that encompasses the square block from High Street to Dock Street .

In its heyday and certainly into the 1950’s & 1960’s it was full of activity.

On the ground floor were the permanent traders, several butchers stalls, fishmongers which included Flooks & Limbricks, a sweet stall that sold every sort of sweet (a child’s delight), stalls where you could have a cup of tea or faggots and peas.

Upstairs were the temporary stalls. These were trestle tables that could be rented for the day. The WI always had a table selling home made jam and cakes, local and market gardeners always had tables selling fruit, veg and eggs.

There used to be a pet stall selling puppies, kittens & rabbits also an antique stall where someone bought a watch that had been owned by TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia).

There used to be a water-powered goods lift that ran from the basement to the top floor, there were no gates, you could lean into the unguarded shaft and yank the rope and up would come the lift.

On one of the side streets is Market Street there were two pubs, the Black Swan (the Dirty Duck) and the Trout which had one of the first neon signs in Newport. The other side street is Griffin Street used to have nose to tail lines of horse drawn carts unloading into the market basement.

Sadly the Market is a shadow of its former self. The ground floor is almost empty, many of the ‘permanent’ traders have gone. The ‘Now’ photo says it all, closed & shuttered stalls, not a person in sight.

Dave Woolven, Newport

I grew up in Lliswerry, Newport, in the 60’s and 70’s and while looking through the old photos in the Argus I came across the now and then photo section. I recognised the photo shown on September 16th which is, if my memory serves me right, the old Newport market, looking from the old gallery towards Dock street and the old bus station.

Doug Withey, Newport

The picture is of the indoor market in High Street. Nowadays the market has a lovely new entrance in High Street and as you enter you’re able to have tea, coffee etc in a nice sitting area.

Outside the Dock Street entrance there’s a hairdressers’, fruit stall and the stops for the current buses. Upstairs there used to be many fruit and vegetable stalls.

Mrs M Reardon, Newport