:Commercial Street, Newport

Commercial Street and Commercial Road were created in 1810 across open pasture land{{Citation|last=Matthews |first=James |title=Historic Newport |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hHM1AQAAIAAJ&q=%22Commercial+Street%22+ |publisher=Williams Press Limited |pages=169/240 |year=1910 }} which had to be raised several feet using ship ballast so that it no longer flooded at the high Spring tides.{{cite web |title=Historic Survey: Lower Dock Street |url=http://www.newport.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/report/cont034274.pdf |publisher=Newport City Council |page=2 |access-date=5 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208071504/http://www.newport.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/report/cont034274.pdf |archive-date=8 December 2014 |url-status=dead }} This was part of a plan by Charles Morgan, 1st Baron Tredegar to increase Newport's importance and develop his land; in 1807 he had granted a lease on 200 acres of land to allow the Tredegar Wharf Company to create the new mile-long road. The new road led approximately south-southeast from the junction with High Street (and Westgate Hotel), linking the town centre with Pillgwenlly and the early Newport Docks.

Notable buildings on Commercial Street were the Westgate HotelNewman, The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire, [https://books.google.com/books?id=knRf4U60QjcC&pg=PA449 page 449] (now on what is called Westgate Square), Newport's Town Hall (1885 by T. M. Lockwood,Newman, The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire, [https://books.google.com/books?id=knRf4U60QjcC&q=T.+M.+Lockwood&pg=PA422 page 442] demolished when it was replaced by the 1940 Civic Centre), the Empire Theatre (which burnt down in the 1940s),{{cite news|title=Now and Then: Commercial Street, Newport |url=http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/the_archive/11252382.NOW_AND_THEN__Commercial_Street__Newport/ |work=South Wales Argus |date=10 June 2014 |access-date=5 December 2014 }} and several banks and large department stores.{{cite news|title=Now and Then: Commercial Street, Newport |url=http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/the_archive/now_and_then/10898891.NOW_AND_THEN__Commercial_Street__Newport/ |work=South Wales Argus |date=7 January 2014 |access-date=5 December 2014 }}

The northern half of Commercial Street, from Westgate Square as far as Hill Street, is part of the Town Centre Conservation Area, including many listed buildings rising to three or four storeys, dating from the Victorian period to the early 20th century.{{cite web|title=Town Centre Conservation Area |url=http://www.newport.gov.uk/_dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=planning.conservation&contentid=cont331573 |publisher=Newport City Council |access-date=5 December 2014 }}

In the 2010s several large national stores left Commercial Street, amongst them Marks and Spencer, Burton and Monsoon leaving empty shop units, charity shops or bargain stores in their place.{{cite news|author=Steven Morris |title=Newport fails to curb retail exodus as big names pack up shop |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/may/20/newport-retail-exodus-big-names |work=The Guardian |place=London |date=20 May 2013 |access-date=5 December 2014 }}{{cite news|title=Welsh high streets hit back at Tesco boss's claims of 'progress' |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/welsh-high-streets-hit-back-2504598 |work=Wales Online |date=9 February 2013 |access-date=5 December 2014 }}

Joining Commercial Street to John Frost Square is Llanarth Street, the shops on which include shoe shop A. G. Meek, trading since 1912{{cite web |url=https://agmeek.co.uk/pages/about-us |title=A G Meek Home/ About Us |date=2021}} and Vacara's Fish and Chip shop, which opened around 1900.{{cite news |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/iconic-newport-chip-shop-vacaras-17775903 |first=Joshua |last=Knapman |title=The iconic Newport chippy with table service that'll take you back to your childhood |date=22 February 2020}}

• {{Citation|last=Newman |first=John |title=The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire |publisher=Penguin Books|year=2000 |isbn=0-14-071053-1 }}

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{{Commons category|Commercial Street, Newport, Wales|Commercial Street, Newport}}

Category:Streets and squares in Newport, Wales

Category:Shopping streets in Wales

Category:Shopping in Newport, Wales