Newport, Isle of Wight North of its confluence with the Lukely Brook at the town's quay it becomes a navigable tidal estuary. Distance from surrounding settlements The town's suburb of Parkhurst is home to two prisons: the notorious Parkhurst Prison and Albany; together they make up HMP Isle of Wight, the largest prison in the UK. Parkhurst and Albany were once among the few top-security prisons in the United Kingdom. Camp Hill was another prison in the area, but closed in 2013. Seaclose Park in Newport, on the east bank of the River Medina, has since 2002 been the location for the revived Isle
Railways on the Isle of Wight thought to have used mechanical traction. The line is now abandoned. The first conventional railway line to open on the island was that from Cowes to Newport. The Cowes & Newport Railway Company began construction of the line in 1859 after an enabling Act of Parliament was passed earlier that year. The line opened to passengers in June 1862. Shortly after this, the Isle of Wight Railway (IWR) company built its initial line from Ryde to Shanklin, opening in 1864. Also in 1864, horse-drawn trams began running along Ryde Pier, connecting ferry services to the town. The IWR opened an