There are two Wetherspoons on the Isle of Wight: The Man in the Moon in Newport and S. Fowler & Co in Ryde. Both were listed as open on the Wetherspoon website in October 2026. There isn't a Wetherspoons in Cowes, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor or the West Wight, so if you're staying in one of those, you'll need to travel to Newport or Ryde.
| Pub | Town | Address | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Man in the Moon | Newport | 16-17 St James Street, PO30 5HB | 8am daily | Midnight (1am Fri & Sat) |
| S. Fowler & Co | Ryde | 41-43 Union Street, PO33 2LF | 8am daily | Midnight (1am Fri & Sat) |
The Man in the Moon, NewportSection titled The Man in the Moon, Newport
Address: 16-17 St James Street, Newport, PO30 5HB Phone: 01983 530126 Hours: 8am to midnight Sunday to Thursday, 8am to 1am Friday and Saturday Children: allowed with an adult between 8am and 10pm
The Man in the Moon is in Newport's former Congregational church. The Gothic-style chapel was built in 1848 to a design by Francis Pouget. After the church was sold in 2002, the building was used by several bars, including a nightclub. Wetherspoon opened it as The Man in the Moon in May 2014. The name goes back much further: an inn called The Man in the Moon is recorded in Newport in 1739, and the name appears in a will from 1680.
Inside, the old church character has been kept, and there's a modern glazed extension alongside it. There are several separate drinking and eating areas, including an upstairs gallery. Outside, there are licensed outdoor areas on both sides of the building, and smoking is limited to an area by the front wall.
It's a food-led pub: breakfast from 8am, then the standard Wetherspoon menu all day. CAMRA's listing (last surveyed February 2026) describes it as having well-kept beers. Alongside the regulars (Abbot, Doom Bar and Ruddles), it often has guest ales from island brewers Goddards and Island Brewery.
Getting there: It's in the town centre, a short walk from Newport bus station, where most island bus routes stop. Buses run to Newport from Cowes (route 1), Ryde (route 9) and Sandown (route 8). There's step-free access and an accessible ground-floor toilet. In 2024 its toilets were given a Platinum grade in the national Loo of the Year Awards.
S. Fowler & Co, RydeSection titled S. Fowler & Co, Ryde
Address: 41-43 Union Street, Ryde, PO33 2LF Phone: 01983 812112 Hours: 8am to midnight Sunday to Thursday, 8am to 1am Friday and Saturday Children: allowed with an adult between 8am and 9pm
S. Fowler & Co is named after the business that occupied the building for more than a century. Samuel Fowler opened a drapery and hardware store here in 1863, and the 1881 census lists him as a linen draper at this address. Fowlers became a Ryde landmark. The building was gutted by fire in the 1990s, then restored and reopened as the pub.
Union Street is Ryde's main shopping street. It was built to join the old villages of Upper and Lower Ryde, and the pub is partway up it. Wetherspoon lists step-free access, baby changing and a meeting room, but no outside area, so on a sunny day The Man in the Moon is the better bet for sitting outside. Its toilets were graded Gold in the 2024 Loo of the Year Awards.
Getting there: The pub is a short walk up Union Street from Ryde Esplanade. Ryde Interchange (the bus station and Island Line station) and the hovercraft terminal are both there. If you've come over on the FastCat from Portsmouth, either walk down Ryde Pier or take the Island Line train one stop from Ryde Pier Head to Ryde Esplanade. Newport is about six miles away on the number 9 bus.
Which Wetherspoons is nearest to me?Section titled Which Wetherspoons is nearest to me?
| If you're in… | Nearest Wetherspoons | How to get there |
|---|---|---|
| Newport, Carisbrooke | The Man in the Moon | Walk into the town centre |
| Cowes, East Cowes | The Man in the Moon | Bus route 1 from Cowes to Newport |
| Ryde, Seaview, Binstead | S. Fowler & Co | Walk or a short bus ride into Ryde |
| Sandown, Shanklin, Brading | S. Fowler & Co | Island Line train to Ryde Esplanade, then a short walk up Union Street |
| Sandown (alternative) | The Man in the Moon | Bus route 8 to Newport |
| Ventnor, Godshill | The Man in the Moon | Bus to Newport |
| Yarmouth, Freshwater, Totland | The Man in the Moon | Bus to Newport. Route 12 runs from Totland and Freshwater via Brighstone and Shorwell |
Bus times change seasonally, so check the current Southern Vectis timetable before you travel, especially in the evening.
Dogs, children and other practical pointsSection titled Dogs, children and other practical points
- Dogs: Wetherspoon allows only assistance dogs, including in outside areas. If you've got a dog with you, The Castle Inn on Newport High Street is a dog-friendly pub, also in the town centre.
- Children: both pubs welcome children with an adult, until 10pm in Newport and until 9pm in Ryde.
- Breakfast: both open at 8am, so they're a dependable early breakfast stop if you've arrived on an early ferry.
- Ordering: you can order at the bar or through the Wetherspoon app from your table.
Prefer an independent pub?Section titled Prefer an independent pub?
The island has plenty of independent pubs that are worth the extra effort:
- The Castle Inn, Newport: Newport's oldest pub, licensed since 1550 and dog friendly.
- The Crown Inn, Shorwell: a country pub with a trout stream in the garden, on the route 12 bus.
- The best pubs in Newport: our shortlist for the island's county town.
- All our Isle of Wight pub guides
If you're planning the rest of your day, see things to do on the Isle of Wight or our guide to Newport.
SourcesSection titled Sources
- The Man in the Moon, Newport: J D Wetherspoon (hours, facilities, history)
- S. Fowler & Co, Ryde: J D Wetherspoon (hours, facilities, history)
- Man in the Moon, Newport: CAMRA (last surveyed February 2026)
- Isle of Wight pubs praised in Loo of the Year Awards: Isle of Wight County Press
- Ryde Social Heritage Group: 1881 census transcription for 41-42 Union Street
- Wetherspoon dog policy: The Morning Advertiser
