Newport
Created | Updated Sep 22, 2003
Cathedral and University City; Port; Largest conurbation in Monmouthshire
Population: c. 140,000.
Also known as: Newport-upon-Usk
Motto
Terra Marique (By Land and Sea)
History
The river Usk at Newport has always proved an attractive
place to make a home. Bronze Age fishermen settled around its fertile
estuary and later the Celtic Silures built hill forts overlooking it.
On the very edge of their empire, the Roman legions built a fortress at
Caerleon to defend the river crossing.
The Normans arrived to build a castle and river crossing downstream. Around
the settlement, the New Town grew to be become Newport, and was granted a charter in 1385.
Key Dates
- AD75 Roman military settlement established in Caerleon
- AD864 St Woolos church founded by St Gwynllyw
- 1140 The first wooden castle is built on Stow Hill
- 1385 Newport is granted its first charter by Hugh, Earl of Stafford
- 1672 Tredegar House completed
- 1796 Opening of the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal
- 1810 Commercial Rd & Commercial St built by Sir Charles Morgan's Tredegar Wharf Company
- 1839 Chartist uprising
- 1842 Town Dock opens - able to accommodate the largest ships in the world
- 1870 W H Davies, renowned poet born in Portland Street, Pillgwenlly
- 1877 Athletic grounds at Rodney Parade open
- 1894 Belle Vue Park opens
- 1906 Transporter Bridge opens
- 1909 Disaster strikes during the construction of Alexander Dock - 39 men are killed
- 1937 King George VI visits Newport and cuts first sod of new Civic Centre building
- 1949 St Woolos achieves full cathedral status
- 1962 Spencer Works, Llanwern open
- 1974 Tredegar House and 90 acres of parkland bought by the Council
- 2000 Newport wins Wales in Bloom for the fourth time
- 2002 Newport awarded city status
Present
Standing at the 'gateway between England and Wales, Newport is a vibrant, forward-thinking city steeped in a rich industrial heritage, dating from
the nineteenth century when its important strategic location was first
recognised. Today it is a multi-cultural community
with its own unique atmosphere, where traditional industries exist alongside
new electronics and financial service sectors.
Newport is home to two of the architectural wonders of Wales - the seventeenth
century Tredegar House, and the impressive 177ft high Transporter Bridge,
which dominates the skyline and demands attention even from those who
pass it daily. (The only other similar bridge in Britain is in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire.)
The city is also widely known for its lively and diverse artistic, leisure, sporting and cultural scene, appealing to all ages and all tastes - the local music scene was once dubbed 'The New Seattle'.
Sport, Culture, &c.
The city is going through a cultural reneissance in 2002 with work starting on two new culural centres - on the Left Bank of the Usk the new Municipal Theatre and Arts centre, and on the right bank the new Newport City Live Arena.
Famous Newportonians
- WH Davies the 'supertramp' poet - most famous for his poem 'Leisure' which contains the oft-quoted line 'What is this life if full of care? We have no time to stand and stare'
- Desmond Llewellyn, who played 'Q' in the Bond films (legend has it he wore a Newport-related tie in each film)
Sport
Newport County FCNewport Rugby FC founded in 1875 are founder members of both the RFU and WRU.
Geography
The city stretches from the flat Severn Estuary shoreline to the fringes of the Monmouthshire valleys. Much of the southern half of the city lies on the reclaimed Caldicot and Wentloog levels and the rest is laid out over a series of hills.
Stow Hill, right in the centre of the city is the oldest - the site of the present cathedral was orginally the site of the first castle.
Administration
Newport is administered by Newport City Council, which is responsible for all major services. Despite major local government changes in 1835, 1888, 1891, 1974 and 1996 the administration has managed to retain it's own identity throughout.
The city is presently divided into twenty wards:
- Ally-yr-yn
- Alway
- Beechwood
- Bettws
- Caerleon
- Gaer
- Graig
- Langstone
- Liswerry
- Llanwen
- Malpas
- Marshfield
- Pillgwenlly
- Ringland
- Rogerstone
- Somerton
- Stow Hill
- St. Julians
- Tredegar Park
- Victoria
