Newport s Handpost pub THE Handpost Hotel, on Risca Road, is one of Newport s oldest pubs and came into being roughly during the 1820s. It was built as a lodge, where postmen would rest before heading off on their journey to deliver post throughout the Welsh valleys. The Handpost Hotel became a pub sometime between the late 1890s and early 1900s. From the early 1950s to 2001, The Handpost Hotel was owned by brewery Ansells. During that period, it was managed by a number of landlords.