Newport
Encyclopedia
Newport is a city
and unitary authority area in Wales
. Standing on the banks of the River Usk
, it is located about 12 miles (19 km) east of Cardiff
and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire
and the preserved county of Gwent
. The City of Newport, which includes rural areas as well as the built up area, is governed by the unitary Newport City Council
, and has a population of 140,200, making it the seventh most populous unitary authority in Wales.
According to Census 2001
data the population of the core built-up area was 116,143, making it the third most populous city in Wales. For European statistical purposes, Newport is included within the Cardiff and South Wales valleys metropolitan area, which has a population of nearly 1.1 million.
Bronze Age
fishermen settled around the fertile estuary of the River Usk
and later the Celt
ic Silures
built hillforts overlooking it. In AD 75, on the very edge of their empire, the Roman legion
s built a Roman fort at Caerleon
to defend the river crossing. According to legend, in the late 5th century Saint Woolos church was founded by Saint Gwynllyw
, the patron saint of Newport and King of Gwynllwg
. The church was certainly in existence by the 9th century and today has become Newport Cathedral
, the seat of the Bishop of Monmouth
. The Normans
arrived from around 1088–1093 to build Newport Castle
and river crossing downstream and the first Norman Lord of Newport was Robert Fitzhamon
.
The settlement of 'Newport' is first mentioned as novo burgus established by Robert, Earl of Gloucester in 1126. The name was derived from the original Latin
name Novus Burgus, meaning new borough or new town. The city can sometimes be found labelled as Newport-on-Usk on old maps. The original Welsh language name for the city, Casnewydd-ar-Wysg means 'New castle-on-Usk' (this is a shortened version of Castell Newydd ar Wysg) and this refers to the twelfth-century castle ruins
near Newport city centre
. The original Newport Castle was a small Motte-and-bailey
castle in the park opposite Newport Cathedral
. It was buried in rubble excavated from the Hillfield railway tunnels that were dug under Stow Hill in the 1840s and no part of it is currently visible.
Around the settlement, the new town grew to become Newport, obtaining its first charter in 1314 and was granted a second one, by Hugh Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford in 1385. In the 14th century friars came to Newport where they built an isolation hospital for infectious diseases. After its closure the hospital lived on in the place name "Spitty Fields" (a corruption of ysbyty, the Welsh for hospital). "Austin Friars" also remains a street name in the city.
During the Welsh Revolt
in 1402 Rhys Gethin
, General for Owain Glyndŵr
, forcibly took Newport Castle together with those at Cardiff, Llandaff, Abergavenny, Caerphilly, Caerleon and Usk. During the raid the town of Newport was badly burned and Saint Woolos church destroyed.
A third charter, establishing the right of the town to run its own market and commerce came from Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham
in 1426. By 1521 Newport was described as having "....a good haven coming into it, well occupied with small crays [merchant ships] where a very great ship may resort and have good harbour." Trade was thriving with the nearby ports of Bristol
and Bridgwater
and industries included leather tanning, soap making and starch making. The town's craftsmen included bakers, butchers, brewers, carpenters and blacksmiths. A further charter was granted by James I
in 1623.
During the English Civil War
in 1648 Oliver Cromwell
's troops camped overnight on Christchurch Hill overlooking the town before their attack on the castle the next day. A cannon-ball dug up from a garden in nearby Summerhill Avenue, dating from this time, now rests in Newport Museum
.
took off in Britain in the 19th century, the South Wales Valleys
became key suppliers of coal
from the South Wales coalfield
, and iron
. These were transported down local rivers and the new canals to ports such as Newport, and Newport Docks
grew rapidly as a result. Newport became one of the largest towns in Wales and the focus for the new industrial eastern valleys of South Wales
. By 1830 Newport was Wales' leading coal port, and until the 1850s it was larger than Cardiff.
Newport was the focal point of a major Chartist uprising
in 1839, where John Frost
and 3,000 other Chartists
marched on the Westgate Hotel
at the centre of the town. The march was met with an attack by militia, called to the town by the Mayor: at least 20 marchers were killed and were later buried in Saint Woolos churchyard
. John Frost was sentenced to death for treason, but this was later commuted to transportion
to Australia. He returned to Britain (but not to Newport) later in his life. John Frost Square, in the centre of the city, is named in his honour.
Newport probably had a Welsh-speaking majority until the 1830s, but with a large influx of migrants from England and Ireland over the following decades, the town and the rest of Monmouthshire became seen as "un-Welsh", a view compounded by ambiguity about the status of Monmouthshire. In the 19th century, the St George Society of Newport (a group largely consisting of English settlers and businessmen) asserted that the town was part of England. It was at a meeting in Newport, attended by future Prime Minister David Lloyd George
, that the Cymru Fydd
movement received its death blow in 1896 when politician Robert Bird stated “You will find, from Swansea to Newport, a cosmopolitan population who will not submit to the domination of Welsh ideas!”. In 1922 Lloyd George was to suffer a further blow in Newport, when the South Wales Liberal Federation, led by David Alfred Thomas
, an industrialist and Liberal politician, and Robert Bird moved that Lloyd George "be not heard" in the 1895 General Election. The Conservative
capture of the recently created Newport constituency in a by-election helped lead to the end of his coalition government.
The late 19th and early 20th century period was a boom time for Newport. The population was expanding rapidly and the town became a county borough
in 1891. The dock
system was completed in 1892: the newly built South Dock was the largest masonry dock in the world. Although coal exports from Newport were by now modest compared to the Port of Cardiff
(which included Cardiff, Penarth
and Barry), Newport was the place where the Miners' Federation of Great Britain was founded in 1889, and international trade was sufficiently large for 8 consuls
and 14 vice-consuls to be based in the town. Urban expansion took in Pillgwenlly
and Liswerry
to the south; this eventually necessitated a new crossing of the River Usk, which was provided by the Newport Transporter Bridge
completed in 1906, described as "Newport's greatest treasure".
On 2 July 1909, during construction of Newport's Alexandra Dock, supporting timbers in an excavation trench collapsed, instantly burying 46 workers. The rescuers included 12-year-old paper boy Thomas ‘Toya’ Lewis who was small enough to crawl into the collapsed trench. Lewis worked for two hours with hammer and chisel in an attempt to free one of those trapped. Several hundred pounds was later raised through public subscription in gratitude for the boy's efforts, and he was sent on an engineering scholarship to Scotland. Lewis was awarded the Albert Medal for Lifesaving
by King Edward VII
in December 1909. A Wetherspoons
pub in the city centre is named "The Tom Toya Lewis" after the young hero. The building in which the pub is housed was formerly the Newport YMCA
, the Foundation Stone for which was laid by Viscount Tredegar
, also in 1909.
, and local unemployment peaked at 34.7% in 1930: high, but not as bad as the levels seen in the mining towns of the South Wales Valleys
. Despite the economic conditions, the council re-housed over half the population in the 1920s and 30s.
The post-war years saw renewed prosperity, with Saint Woolos Cathedral (now Newport Cathedral
) attaining full cathedral status in 1949, the opening of the modern integrated Llanwern steelworks
in 1962, and the construction of the Severn Bridge
and local sections of the M4 motorway
in the late 1960s, making Newport the best-connected place in Wales. Although employment at Llanwern steelworks declined in the 1980s, the town acquired a range of new public sector employers, and a Richard Rogers
-designed Inmos microprocessor factory
helped to establish Newport as a 'hotspot' for technology companies. A flourishing local music scene in the early 1990s led to claims that the town was "a new Seattle".
The county borough
of Newport was granted city status
in 2002 to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee
. In the same year, an unusually large merchant ship, referred to locally as the Newport ship
, was uncovered and rescued from the bank of the Usk during the construction of the Riverfront Arts Centre
. The ship has been dated to some time between 1445 and 1469 and it remains the only vessel of its type from this period yet discovered anywhere in the world.
Newport has long been the largest town in the historic county of Monmouthshire and became a unitary authority
in 1996, although it was also a county borough
between 1891 and 1974. The Local Government Act 1972
removed ambiguity about the legal status of the area by including the administrative county of Monmouthshire and the county borough of Newport into all acts pertaining to Wales, and in 1974 the borough was incorporated into the new local government county of Gwent
. Gwent itself was abolished in 1996 but remains in use for ceremonial functions as a preserved county.
The city is historically industrialised with a large working-class
population and a strong support for the Labour Party
.
Labour lost control of Newport City council in the 2008 local elections
to a Conservative
/Liberal Democrat
coalition.
The City of Newport is divided between the UK Parliamentary constituencies
of Newport West and Newport East and elects one Member of Parliament
(MP) in each constituency. The two constituencies cover a similar area to that of the city area controlled by Newport City Council. The city formerly had only one constituency
until 1983 when the city was split into Newport West and Newport East due to population growth. In the United Kingdom general election, 2010, Labour held Newport West with a reduced majority of 3,544 votes over the Conservative Party. The Labour Party also held Newport East with a reduced majority of 1,650 votes over the Liberal Democrats.
In the National Assembly of Wales Newport is also divided into Newport West and Newport East constituencies and elects one Assembly Minister (AM) in each constituency. In the National Assembly for Wales election, 2011
, Labour held Newport West with an increased majority of 1,401 votes over the Conservative Party. The Labour Party also held Newport East with an increased majority of 5,388 votes over the Conservative Party.
Newport is part of the Wales European Parliament Constituency
. The Wales constituency elects four Members of the European Parliament
(MEP). In the 2009 European Parliament election
the Wales constituency elected one MEP from each of the Conservative, Labour, Plaid Cymru
and UKIP parties.
is a ceremonial honour, given by the city council to those who have served in some exceptional capacity, or upon any whom the City wishes to bestow an honour. Recipients include (in chronological order):
links: Heidenheim, Germany since 1980 Kutaisi
, Georgia
since 1989 Guangxi Province, China since 1996
reaches 310 metres above sea level). Areas in the south and east of the city tend to be flat and fertile with some housing estates and industrial areas reclaimed from marshland. Areas near the banks of the River Usk
, such as Caerleon
, are also low-lying. The eastern outskirts of the city are characterised by the gently rolling hills of the Vale of Usk and Christchurch has panoramic views of the Vale of Usk and the Bristol Channel
. Ridgeway at Allt-yr-yn
also has good views of the surrounding areas and Bristol Channel. Brynglas
has views over the city centre and Twmbarlwm
to the west. The suburb
s of the city have grown outwards from the inner-city, mostly near the main roads, giving the suburban sprawl of the city an irregular shape. The urban area is continuing to expand rapidly with new housing estates continuing to be built.
The city boundaries include a number of villages in the rural areas surrounding the built-up area.
The city is divided into 20 wards. Most of these wards are coterminous with communities (parishes) of the same name. Each community can have an elected council. The following table lists city council wards, communities and associated geographical areas. Communities with a community council
are indicated with a '*':
climate
, with the weather rarely staying the same for more than a few days at a time. The city is one of the warmer and sunnier locations in the UK and its sheltered location tends to protect it from extreme weather. Like the whole of the British Isles, Newport benefits from the warming effect of the Gulf Stream
. Newport has warm summers and cool winters.
Thunderstorms may occur intermittently at any time of year, but are most common throughout late-spring and summer. Rain falls throughout the year, Atlantic storms give significant rainfall in the autumn, these gradually becoming rarer towards the end of winter. Autumn and summer have often been the wettest seasons in recent times. Snow
falls nearly every winter and usually settles on the ground several times, but it is often light and usually melts immediately or after a few days. Newport records few days with gale
s compared to most of Wales, again due to its sheltered location. Frost
s are common from November to April.
On 20 March 1930, the overnight temperature fell to −16.1 °C (3 °F) – the coldest temperature for the whole of the UK during that year, and the latest date in spring the UK's lowest temperature has been recorded.
People from Newport are known as Newportonians. In census 2001, 93.1% described themselves as White, 1.2% as Mixed-race, 2.6% as Asian, 0.5% as Black, 0.2% as Chinese and 0.3% as Other group.
In 1929 St Woolos Church became the Pro-Cathedral of the Diocese of Monmouth
, becoming a full cathedral in 1949. When Rowan Williams
was appointed Archbishop of Wales
in 2000, the Cathedral became the Metropolitan Cathedral of Wales.
In 1850 Newport was recognised as the chief centre of Roman Catholicism in Wales when the town became the seat of the Bishop
of Newport and Menevia; however Newport lost its bishop with the creation of the Archdiocese of Cardiff in 1916. When Fulton J. Sheen
, an American bishop who pioneered preaching on television and radio
, retired as Bishop of Rochester
, New York
, he was named the titular archbishop of Newport by Pope Paul VI
.
In 2001, 71.9% of Newport residents considered themselves Christian, 2.6% Muslim
, 1% Other religions (including Hindu
, Buddhist, Jewish, Sikh
and Others), 16.8% were non-religious and 8.1% chose not to answer the non-compulsory religion question on the 2001 census
. The city is home to 16 per cent of the Welsh Muslim population.
Newport has more than 50 churches (including Welsh, Chinese and Urdu speaking services), 7 mosques, and one synagogue
; the nearest Gurudwara is in Cardiff.
incorporates much of south Monmouthshire; the new 2001-based area also includes Cwmbran
. The city itself has three major centres for employment: the city centre, and business parks clustered around the M4 motorway
junctions 24 in the east and 28 in the west. The Civil Service
is the biggest employer in the city.
Organisations based in the city include Cassidian - the defence and security division of aerospace giant EADS
; the Passport Office for much of the south and west of the UK; and the Wales headquarters of the Charity Commission
and British Red Cross
; the headquarters of the UK Office for National Statistics; the headquarters of the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (formerly known as the Patent Office); the headquarters of Wales and West Utilities; a large Panasonic
manufacturing plant; a manufacturing plant for International Rectifier
; the shared-service centre for HM Prison Service
.
In 1997, Newport secured what was then thought to be Europe's largest-ever inward investment when the LG Group
announced a £1.7 billion project creating 6,100 jobs, and supported by public sector grants. Facilities were built on the Celtic Lakes business and science park, but market conditions led to the semiconductor plant never opening, and the CRT
plant eventually closed in 2003. In 2005 Irish radiator manufacturer Quinn Group bought the former LG Phillips building, which became its European base.
Industry in the east of Newport was formerly based at the Corus
Llanwern steelworks
, and although the rolling mill is still active, steel manufacture ceased in 2001. Permission has been granted to transform the 600 acres (2.4 km²) former steelworks site into a £1bn mixed-use development comprising housing, office and industrial space, public open space and a range of community facilities.
At the mouth of the River Usk
, the Sims Metal Management plant hosts the world's largest industrial shredder
for scrap metal
with access by road, rail and sea. The plant, which is also the world's largest car crusher
which was featured in the TV series 'How do they do it'.
Newport Cattle Market
, in the Pillgwenlly
area of the city, closed in 2009 and was demolished to make way for a new supermarket.
The city is undergoing a major regeneration programme led by Newport Unlimited
.
s. A new foot and cycle bridge called the Newport City footbridge
opened in 2006, linking the east and west banks of the river. Further downstream, the Southern Distributor Road
to the south of the city opened in 2004, including the new City Bridge
over the River Usk, improving access and opening up new areas for development.
Newport bus station
and Newport railway station
are being extensively redeveloped. The £200 million development of the bus station is underway, whilst the lengthened Platform 4 of the railway station was opened in July 2007 and a new terminal building opened in 2010 with a futuristic design. The railway station's reconnection with the Ebbw Valley Railway is due to be completed by 2011. There are plans to reopen many suburban stations in the near future – as part of phase one of the Ebbw Valley reopening, Rogerstone
was re-opened in February 2008. Phase two will see Pye Corner
re-opened, and four others are planned in the city's Unitary Development Plan
.
A state-of-the-art hospital is planned to be built. Many local residents have suggested that the new District General Hospital be built at the Whiteheads site
now the old Corus
facility has closed, but no final site has been approved. A new £11 million five-star Ramada Plaza
hotel will be built at Celtic Springs Business Park in the west of the city.
A new M4 bypass toll road
skirting the southern edge of the urban area of Newport was proposed as a means of reducing the congestion on the existing M4 motorway (presently squeezed through the Brynglas Tunnels
) and making Newport and the surrounding areas more accessible. There have also been calls for a barrage across the River Usk to be incorporated with the M4 bypass, so that the level of the river would stay permanently at high tide level, although possible plans for a Severn barrage
across the River Severn
would reduce the need for an Usk barrage. The bypass scheme was eventually cancelled in July 2009.
into luxury apartments.
Due to the Late-2000s recession, some redevelopment projects were cancelled. Specific projects cancelled include a £210 million city centre shopping complex known as Friars Walk
including a Debenhams
department store
and a multiplex cinema, which were originally planned to be created in time for the 2010 Ryder Cup
in Newport, but was scrapped in 2009, and City Spires, which would have included a 30-storey, 101 metre (332 ft)-tall block of 238 apartments and four-star hotel, and a 10-storey office block. In December 2010 the Friars Walk scheme was relaunched.
The Old Town Dock area is one of the main areas for residential development in the masterplan. At the extreme northern end of this area, a £35 million riverside campus of the University of Wales, Newport
has been built adjacent to the new footbridge. The Allt-yr-yn
campus of the University will be redeveloped as high quality housing. Just to the south of the new campus a 441-bed student block has been constructed.
Adjacent to this site is "The Edge", a development of 227 apartments, including a 21-storey tower containing duplex apartments and penthouse
s.
Further south is the "Newhaus" development of 154 riverside apartments.
At the southern end of the site, the "Alexandra Gate" development will eventually see 300 homes and riverside apartments built adjacent to the City Bridge. A 124-bed Ramada Encore hotel is also planned for the intersection of the Southern Distributor Road and Usk Way.
In east Newport, there are proposals to transform land released from the Corus steelworks
at Llanwern
into 4,000 houses, shops and other facilities, with the creation of up to 6,000 jobs.
The Riverfront Arts Centre
was the first structure to be built as part of Newport's regeneration by Newport City Council
. It stands on Kingsway Boulevard on the west bank of the River Usk. To the south-east of the city lies the extensive Newport Wetlands Reserve
, opened in March 2000 as a mitigation for the loss of mudflats caused by the building of the Cardiff Bay Barrage
.
On the east bank, the New Newport stadium and sports and entertainment complex having a capacity of 15,000 will be built on Rodney Parade
. It will be home to the Newport RFC and Newport Gwent Dragons
rugby teams. The stadium can also be used for other purposes, such as music concerts.
The Crindau Marina
is planned to be built off Heidenheim Drive
. The Marina
would be the southern terminus of the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal and would provide opportunities for new housing, shops and leisure facilities.
The M4 motorway
comes within a mile (1.6 km) of the city centre, and Newport can be accessed from six junctions (from 24–28 inclusive). The Great Western main railway line
also passes through the heart of the city, stopping at Newport railway station
. Newport is well linked with nearby Cardiff
, with approximately six rail and five bus services between the cities every hour.
.
The junctions within the city are:
The Brynglas Tunnels
on the M4 are a cause of traffic delays as the motorway narrows to two lanes in each direction between junctions 25 and 26 to pass through the tunnels. Partly due to regular tailbacks at the tunnels a variable speed limit is in place between junctions 24 and 28.
The main north-south A roads are:
The main B roads are:
. Queensway passes Newport railway station
and links the Old Green Interchange to Newport Civic Centre
via Clytha Park Road. Kingsway/Usk Way is a boulevard
on the west bank of the River Usk linking the Old Green Interchange to the Southern Distributor Road
at the western end of City Bridge
and to Newport Transporter Bridge
.
Corporation Road follows the east bank of the River Usk, but with limited views of the river. It links Newport Bridge to George Street Bridge, Newport City Bridge and, via Stephenson Road, Newport Transporter Bridge.
under the Newport Bus brand. Other operators include Stagecoach in South Wales, Veolia Transport Cymru
and Cardiff Bus
. Newport bus station
is to be redeveloped. National Express
operate cross-country coach services from the city.
Newport railway station
is connected directly to the South Wales Main Line
branch of the Great Western Main Line
, Welsh Marches Line
and Gloucester to Newport Line
.
Rogerstone railway station
on the Ebbw Valley Railway reopened in 2008. Services currently run between Ebbw Vale
and Cardiff
via Rogerstone
. The reconnection of Newport station to the Ebbw Valley Railway via Rogerstone station is under consideration, but no decision will be made until at least 2011.
The services calling at Newport are:
Newport railway station underwent a £22 million refurbishment programme, completed in time for the Ryder Cup in October 2010
. The project introduced a futuristic new passenger terminal and bridge, whilst restoring the 19th-century features of the site. The new complex, west of the old station entrance, includes two terminals, new terminal buildings and a public footbridge, a new passenger footbridge, a new taxi area and short-stay car park, and a 250-space passenger car park.
In 2003, a proposal for a new Severnside airport near Newport was rejected by the Department for Transport
. The airport would have featured runways on a man-made island in the Severn Estuary
.
, St. Julian's railway bridge
, M4 motorway Usk bridge
, Great Western Railway Usk bridge
, Newport Bridge
, Newport City footbridge
, George Street Bridge, City Bridge
and Transporter Bridge
. In addition, the Twenty Ten Bridge at the Celtic Manor Resort
is a private footbridge crossing the River Usk north of Caerleon Bridge.
Many of the landmarks of Newport are in Newport city centre
or within a short walking distance of the centre; the Railway station
, Bus station
, Castle
, Westgate Hotel
, Market
, Cathedral
, Transporter Bridge
, Newport Bridge
, Newport City footbridge
, George Street Bridge, City Bridge
, University of Wales
, Riverfront Arts Centre
, Dolman Theatre
, Newport Centre
, Civic Centre
, Newport Technical Institute
(former Art College), Shire Hall
, Belle Vue Park
, Rodney Parade
, the Crown Court
and Royal Gwent Hospital
.
Other landmarks include:
are pedestrianised and include High Street, Newport Arcade, Market Arcade, Commercial Street, Skinner Street, Bridge Street, Upper Dock Street, Market Street, Griffin Street, Corn Street, Cambrian Road, Hill Street, Llanarth Street and John Frost Square.
The five roads of Commercial Street, Stow Hill, Bridge Street, High Street and Skinner Street converge at Westgate Square (named after the Westgate Hotel
) and this is generally regarded as the central point the city.
The Kingsway Shopping Centre
is an indoor shopping mall
. Newport Market
is an indoor market on two floors with outlets for produce and general products.
s are established off the Southern Distributor Road
:
Newport is home to the University of Wales, Newport
which has two campuses in the city – one in Caerleon
and the other in the Newport city centre
. The university can trace its roots to the founding of the Newport Mechanics Institute in 1841. Newport School of Art, Media and Design was one of the first Art Schools to be awarded degree status in 1973 and enjoyed a high reputation in painting, Fine Art and sculpture throughout the 1960s and 1970s. It is still highly regarded however, especially in Documentary Photography.
Newport also has the further-education Coleg Gwent
City of Newport Campus, informally known as Nash
College, in Liswerry
. Brynglas
House is currently an Adult Education Centre.
Newport has eight state comprehensive school
s, and one independent comprehensive school. All schools are governed by Newport Local Education Authority. Education is generally conducted in English language
but in schools at least a mandatory Welsh language
content must be provided under the Welsh education curriculum.
Newport has two Welsh-medium
primary schools; Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd in Hartridge
and Ysgol Gymraeg Ifor Hael in Bettws
. Newport City Council have conducted recent consultations on demand for Welsh-medium education within the city and a third primary school is expected in the near future, as well as plans for a secondary school
at some stage. The nearest Welsh-medium secondary school is Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw
in Trevethin
, Pontypool
.
The Hartridge Football Academy is based at Hartridge High School. It was established in 1998 as a partnership of Newport County Football Club
and Newport City Council. The academy has a development programme of around 50 students undertaking sporting qualifications. The students compete in the South West Counties League as Newport County's youth team.
Newport Transporter Bridge
is one of the few remaining working bridges of its type in the world and featured in the film Tiger Bay
. Visitors can travel on the suspended cradle most days and can walk over the top of the steel framework on bank holidays. The only other British example is Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge
. Open days are occasionally held to view the renovation of the historically important Newport ship
.
Newport has a modern purpose-built theatre and arts venue, the Riverfront Arts Centre
and regular productions at the Dolman Theatre
. People born in Newport include film director Peter Greenaway
CBE
, author Leslie Thomas
OBE
, actors Michael Sheen
OBE
, Desmond Llewellyn, and musicians Grant Nicholas
and Jon Lee of the rock band Feeder
.
The city's works of civic art include the giant steel Wave on the banks of the River Usk
, tiled murals at the Civic Centre
, Old Green Interchange and John Frost Square
plus a number of statues dotted around the city centre including one in Commercial Street commemorating the work of poet W. H. Davies
who was born in Newport. Davies is best known for his poem Leisure
; "What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare".
Newport has three major museums: Newport Museum
in the city centre and at Caerleon
the National Roman Legion Museum
and Roman Baths Museum
. In July each year an Arts festival is held in Caerleon and Roman Military re-enactment in the amphitheatre, the largest restored amphitheatre in Britain. The remains of the Roman baths, barracks and fortress walls of Isca Augusta
can be seen at Caerleon. Caerleon also has literary associations to the legend of King Arthur
through Geoffrey of Monmouth
and later Arthur Machen
(who was born in Caerleon) and Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote his Idylls of the King
in Caerleon.
The Newport Festival runs throughout the summer months with a large number of events being staged in the city centre and elsewhere in the city.
Set in a 90 acre (360,000 m²) park, Tredegar House
is an example of a 17th century Charles II
mansion in Britain. The earliest surviving part of the building dates back to the late 15th century. For over five hundred years, it was home to the Morgans – later Lords Tredegar
– until they left in 1951. The house was then bought by the Catholic Church and used as a girls' school until it was bought by the council in 1974, giving rise to its present status as the "grandest council house in Britain".
The city has many pubs, bars and nightclubs. The most famous of these was probably T. J.'s, an alternative music club where it is claimed that Kurt Cobain
of Nirvana
proposed to Courtney Love
, which closed in 2010. T. J.'s was voted one of the top 50 'Big Nights Out' in the world by FHM
in December 1997. Newport Centre
and the Riverfront Arts Centre
are popular concert venues. Other live music venues in the city centre include Six Feet Under, Le Pub, Riverside Tavern, The Potters and The Royal British Legion. Outdoor music events are held in the summer months at Beechwood Park
, Belle Vue Park
, Newport Stadium
and the Pillgwenlly
carnival.
Newport hosted the National Eisteddfod of Wales
in 1897, 1988 and 2004.
City of Newport Male Choir is one of the leading male voice choirs in the region and has discussed touring with Diversions the Dance Company of Wales
.
Newport is the subject of a 2010 song "Newport (Ymerodraeth State of Mind)
", a parody of the Alicia Keys
song "Empire State of Mind
." The video went viral
, was featured on BBC News, and by August 2010, nearly 2.5 million people had watched it on YouTube
. YouTube removed the video due to a copyright claim by music publishers. Newport-based rap group Goldie Lookin Chain
released a 'parody of a parody' video in response, alleging that their rivals lacked local knowledge.
As part of the city's "Big Splash" festival, on 30 August 2010, 45 year-old French circus star Olivier Roustan from Toulouse
, performed the highest ever wirewalk in Europe, along the top cable of the Newport City Footbridge.
Newport hosted an outdoor art exhibition called "SuperDragons" in 2010 which displayed 60 large dragons decorated by local community groups.
The main municipal park
s in Newport are Tredegar Park
, Belle Vue Park
and Beechwood Park
. The main municipal playing field
s are at Tredegar Park, Coronation Park, Glebelands, Pillgwenlly
sports ground, Kimberley Park, Shaftesbury Park and Caerleon
Broadway.
To the south of the city lies the extensive Caldicot and Wentloog Levels
and Newport Wetlands Reserve
. A Local Nature Reserve
is established at Allt-yr-yn
.
Newport City footbridge
is a cycle and pedestrian bridge in Newport city centre linking the east and west banks of the River Usk. A cycle and pedestrian walkway on the west bank of the River Usk links Newport city centre
at Crindau
to central Caerleon. There is a marked heritage trail in Caerleon. A cycle and pedestrian walkway along the east bank of the River Usk links Newport Bridge
to Liswerry
.
The Celtic Trail cycle route
and National Cycle Route 4 passes through Newport.
The main municipal leisure sports facilities are based at Newport Centre
in the city centre, Newport International Sports Village
at Liswerry
and the Newport Active Living Centre at Bettws
. There is a purpose-built indoor bowls
arena at the Glebelands.
of 1962—63. Amongst the names associated with the club are Arthur 'Monkey' Gould, the first Rugby Union superstar, and David Watkins, the only man to have captained Great Britain at rugby union
and rugby league
. Since the regionalisation of Welsh club rugby in 2003, Newport RFC play in the Welsh Premier Division
and operate as a feeder club to Newport Gwent Dragons
who play in the Celtic League
. Both Newport RFC and Newport Gwent Dragons play at Rodney Parade
near Newport city centre. Nine other rugby union teams playing in the Welsh League are based in Newport; Newport Saracens
, Pill Harriers
, Newport High School Old Boys
, Bettws
, Caerleon, Hartridge, Rogerstone, St Julians High School Old Boys and Whiteheads.
Newport's rugby league
club are called the Newport Titans
and play in the Welsh Conference Premier
.
, who were formed in 1912 and joined the Football League in 1920. Although currently playing in the Football Conference
, Newport County have played in the second tier of English football and spent 60 seasons in the Football League, reached the last 16 of the FA Cup
and the quarter finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup
. They were relegated from the Football League in 1988 and went bankrupt the following year. The club re-formed shortly afterwards and entered the English league pyramid system at a much lower level. The club achieved promotion to the Conference National
for the 2010–11 season
, the same level they played at prior to bankruptcy in 1989.
Newport is also home to four teams that play in the Welsh Football League
; Caerleon
, Newport YMCA
, Llanwern and Newport Civil Service
. The city has its own league, the Newport and District Football League
, which is part of the Welsh football league system
and consequently some Newport clubs field teams in the Gwent County League
. Lovell's Athletic
were a fairly well known team in the mid-20th century – due to the suspension of League football during the Second World War they were the premier team in the city, as Newport County did not field a side. During this period they managed to reach the 3rd round of the FA Cup in the 1945–46 season.
The Football Association of Wales
' National Football Centre is planned to be built at the Newport International Sports Village
. The centre will also provide the headquarters for the Welsh Football Trust
.
, a five-star conference resort and home of the Saab Wales Open
, the annual European Tour
golf tournament. The resort was the venue for the All*Star Cup celebrity golf tournament in 2005 and for the 2010 Ryder Cup
(1–4 October 2010).
The city has high-quality golf facilities at Llanwern
Golf Club, Peterstone
Golf Club, Parc Golf Academy in Coedkernew
and Newport Golf Club and Tredegar Park Golf Club in Rogerstone
. Caerleon
has a good quality nine hole municipal course, driving range and clubhouse.
Within a short drive of Newport are golf clubs at St Mellons, Dewstow, Shirenewton, St Pierre, Greenmeadow, Woodlake, Alice Springs, Pontypool and Raglan.
at Liswerry
includes the Wales National Velodrome, the head office of Welsh Cycling
.
since moving from Rodney Parade
in 1990.
The city has a motorcycle speedway
track, Hayley Stadium
, home to the Newport Wasps
speedway team. The venue is located in Queensway Meadows industrial estate and provides a model for new-build stadia.
Newport is one of three main cities where British baseball
is still played – the others are Cardiff
and Liverpool
– and the city hosts a Wales-England international match every four years at Coronation Park.
Newport Squash Club has four courts situated in the grounds of Newport RFC at Rodney Parade
.
St. Joseph's Amateur Boxing Club is situated on George Street and is the home club of Yemen
i-born 2006 Commonwealth
bronze medallist Mo Nasir and 2010 Commonwealth Silver medallist Sean McGoldrick
.
Treetops Shooting Ground
, Coedkernew
is one of Britain's best equipped Clay Pigeon Shooting Grounds and often hosts competitions between local shooting clubs and University clay shooting clubs from around South Wales and South West England.
Newport has a Skittle Alley League consisting of over 50 teams and play their league games on a Friday evening.
, which is published in the city and distributed throughout the Newport and the surrounding area. Local analogue radio broadcasting licences cover the Cardiff/Newport area; the FM licence is held by Cardiff Broadcasting Co. Ltd., broadcasting as Capital FM South Wales from Cardiff Bay
and the AM licence is held by Capital Radio plc, broadcasting as Capital Gold. The local DAB
ensembles
are Cardiff and Newport (11C) and South Wales and Severn Estuary (12C).
Newport has several internet radio
stations, the most popular of which is Newport City Radio.
City status in the United Kingdom
City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
and unitary authority area in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Standing on the banks of the River Usk
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
, it is located about 12 miles (19 km) east of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
and the preserved county of Gwent
Gwent (county)
Gwent is a preserved county and a former local government county in south-east Wales. It was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was named after the ancient Kingdom of Gwent....
. The City of Newport, which includes rural areas as well as the built up area, is governed by the unitary Newport City Council
Newport City Council
Newport City Council is the governing body for the city of Newport, one of the subdivisions of Wales within the United Kingdom. It consists of 50 councillors, representing the city's 20 wards. Since the 2008 election, the council has been controlled jointly by the Conservatives and Liberal...
, and has a population of 140,200, making it the seventh most populous unitary authority in Wales.
According to Census 2001
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
data the population of the core built-up area was 116,143, making it the third most populous city in Wales. For European statistical purposes, Newport is included within the Cardiff and South Wales valleys metropolitan area, which has a population of nearly 1.1 million.
Origins
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
fishermen settled around the fertile estuary of the River Usk
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
and later the Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic Silures
Silures
The Silures were a powerful and warlike tribe of ancient Britain, occupying approximately the counties of Monmouthshire, Breconshire and Glamorganshire of present day South Wales; and possibly Gloucestershire and Herefordshire of present day England...
built hillforts overlooking it. In AD 75, on the very edge of their empire, the Roman legion
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
s built a Roman fort at Caerleon
Caerleon
Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
to defend the river crossing. According to legend, in the late 5th century Saint Woolos church was founded by Saint Gwynllyw
Gwynllyw
Saint Gwynllyw Milwr or Gwynllyw Farfog, known in English in a corrupted form as Woolos the Warrior or Woolos the Bearded was a Welsh king and religious figure....
, the patron saint of Newport and King of Gwynllwg
Gwynllwg
Gwynllŵg was a kingdom of mediæval Wales and later a Norman lordship and then a cantref.-Location:It was named after Gwynllyw, its 5th century or 6th century ruler and consisted of the coastal plain stretching between the Rhymney and Usk rivers, together with the hills to the north...
. The church was certainly in existence by the 9th century and today has become Newport Cathedral
Newport Cathedral
Newport Cathedral in the city of Newport in South Wales is the cathedral of the Diocese of Monmouth, in the Church in Wales, and seat of the Bishop of Monmouth. The full title is Newport Cathedral, Woolos, King & Confessor...
, the seat of the Bishop of Monmouth
Bishop of Monmouth
The Bishop of Monmouth is the diocesan bishop of the Church in Wales Diocese of Monmouth.The see covers the historic county of Monmouthshire with the bishop's seat located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Woolos in Newport, which had been elevated to that status in 1921.The Bishop's residence is...
. The Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
arrived from around 1088–1093 to build Newport Castle
Newport Castle
Newport Castle is a castle ruin in the city of Newport, South Wales and is a Grade II* Listed building. It is the castle that gives Newport its original and real name in the Welsh language, Castell Newydd, shortened to Casnewydd...
and river crossing downstream and the first Norman Lord of Newport was Robert Fitzhamon
Robert Fitzhamon
Robert Fitzhamon , or Robert FitzHamon, Sieur de Creully in the Calvados region and Torigny in the Manche region of Normandy, was Lord of Gloucester and the Norman conqueror of Glamorgan, southern Wales...
.
The settlement of 'Newport' is first mentioned as novo burgus established by Robert, Earl of Gloucester in 1126. The name was derived from the original Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
name Novus Burgus, meaning new borough or new town. The city can sometimes be found labelled as Newport-on-Usk on old maps. The original Welsh language name for the city, Casnewydd-ar-Wysg means 'New castle-on-Usk' (this is a shortened version of Castell Newydd ar Wysg) and this refers to the twelfth-century castle ruins
Newport Castle
Newport Castle is a castle ruin in the city of Newport, South Wales and is a Grade II* Listed building. It is the castle that gives Newport its original and real name in the Welsh language, Castell Newydd, shortened to Casnewydd...
near Newport city centre
Newport city centre
Newport city centre is traditionally regarded as the area of Newport bounded by the west bank of the River Usk, the George Street Bridge, the eastern flank of Stow Hill and the Great Western Main Line. Most of the city centre is contained within two conservation areas: the central area and the area...
. The original Newport Castle was a small Motte-and-bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
castle in the park opposite Newport Cathedral
Newport Cathedral
Newport Cathedral in the city of Newport in South Wales is the cathedral of the Diocese of Monmouth, in the Church in Wales, and seat of the Bishop of Monmouth. The full title is Newport Cathedral, Woolos, King & Confessor...
. It was buried in rubble excavated from the Hillfield railway tunnels that were dug under Stow Hill in the 1840s and no part of it is currently visible.
Around the settlement, the new town grew to become Newport, obtaining its first charter in 1314 and was granted a second one, by Hugh Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford in 1385. In the 14th century friars came to Newport where they built an isolation hospital for infectious diseases. After its closure the hospital lived on in the place name "Spitty Fields" (a corruption of ysbyty, the Welsh for hospital). "Austin Friars" also remains a street name in the city.
During the Welsh Revolt
Glyndwr Rising
The Glyndŵr Rising, Welsh Revolt or Last War of Independence was an uprising of the Welsh, led by Owain Glyndŵr, against England. It was the last major manifestation of a Welsh independence movement before the incorporation of Wales into England by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542.- The Fall of...
in 1402 Rhys Gethin
Rhys Gethin
Rhys Gethin was a key figure in the revolt of Owain Glyndŵr. He was his standard bearer and a leading general. His name means "swarthy Rhys"....
, General for Owain Glyndŵr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
, forcibly took Newport Castle together with those at Cardiff, Llandaff, Abergavenny, Caerphilly, Caerleon and Usk. During the raid the town of Newport was badly burned and Saint Woolos church destroyed.
A third charter, establishing the right of the town to run its own market and commerce came from Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham
Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham
Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG , an English nobleman, great grandson of King Edward III on his mother's side, was best known as a military commander in the Hundred Years' War and in the Wars of the Roses....
in 1426. By 1521 Newport was described as having "....a good haven coming into it, well occupied with small crays [merchant ships] where a very great ship may resort and have good harbour." Trade was thriving with the nearby ports of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and Bridgwater
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
and industries included leather tanning, soap making and starch making. The town's craftsmen included bakers, butchers, brewers, carpenters and blacksmiths. A further charter was granted by James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
in 1623.
During the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
in 1648 Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's troops camped overnight on Christchurch Hill overlooking the town before their attack on the castle the next day. A cannon-ball dug up from a garden in nearby Summerhill Avenue, dating from this time, now rests in Newport Museum
Newport Museum
Newport Museum is a museum and art gallery in the city of Newport, Wales. It is located in Newport city centre on John Frost Square and is adjoined to the Kingsway Shopping Centre.-The museum collection:...
.
Industrial Revolution
As the Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
took off in Britain in the 19th century, the South Wales Valleys
South Wales Valleys
The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
became key suppliers of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
from the South Wales coalfield
South Wales Coalfield
The South Wales Coalfield is a large region of south Wales that is rich with coal deposits, especially the South Wales Valleys.-The coalfield area:...
, and iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
. These were transported down local rivers and the new canals to ports such as Newport, and Newport Docks
Newport Docks
Newport Docks is the collective name for a series of docks in the city of Newport, South Wales.-Background:Newport was a small fishing port and market town until the coming of the industrial age at the beginning of the 19th century...
grew rapidly as a result. Newport became one of the largest towns in Wales and the focus for the new industrial eastern valleys of South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. By 1830 Newport was Wales' leading coal port, and until the 1850s it was larger than Cardiff.
Newport was the focal point of a major Chartist uprising
Newport Rising
The Newport Rising was the last large-scale armed rebellion against authority in mainland Britain, when on 4 November 1839, somewhere between 1,000 and 5,000 Chartist sympathisers, including many coal-miners, most with home-made arms, led by John Frost, marched on the town of Newport,...
in 1839, where John Frost
John Frost (Chartist)
John Frost was a prominent Welsh leader of the British Chartist movement in the Newport Rising....
and 3,000 other Chartists
Chartism
Chartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, between 1838 and 1859. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838. Chartism was possibly the first mass working class labour movement in the world...
marched on the Westgate Hotel
Westgate Hotel
The Westgate Hotel is a historic building in Newport city centre and is famous as the scene of the 1839 Chartist riot, the so-called Newport Rising.It is located at the bottom Stow Hill.-Building history:...
at the centre of the town. The march was met with an attack by militia, called to the town by the Mayor: at least 20 marchers were killed and were later buried in Saint Woolos churchyard
Newport Cathedral
Newport Cathedral in the city of Newport in South Wales is the cathedral of the Diocese of Monmouth, in the Church in Wales, and seat of the Bishop of Monmouth. The full title is Newport Cathedral, Woolos, King & Confessor...
. John Frost was sentenced to death for treason, but this was later commuted to transportion
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
to Australia. He returned to Britain (but not to Newport) later in his life. John Frost Square, in the centre of the city, is named in his honour.
Newport probably had a Welsh-speaking majority until the 1830s, but with a large influx of migrants from England and Ireland over the following decades, the town and the rest of Monmouthshire became seen as "un-Welsh", a view compounded by ambiguity about the status of Monmouthshire. In the 19th century, the St George Society of Newport (a group largely consisting of English settlers and businessmen) asserted that the town was part of England. It was at a meeting in Newport, attended by future Prime Minister David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
, that the Cymru Fydd
Cymru Fydd
The Cymru Fydd movement was founded in 1886 by some of the London Welsh, including J. E. Lloyd, O. M. Edwards, T. E. Ellis , Beriah Gwynfe Evans and Alfred Thomas. Initially it was a purely London-based society, later expanding to cities in England with a large Welsh population...
movement received its death blow in 1896 when politician Robert Bird stated “You will find, from Swansea to Newport, a cosmopolitan population who will not submit to the domination of Welsh ideas!”. In 1922 Lloyd George was to suffer a further blow in Newport, when the South Wales Liberal Federation, led by David Alfred Thomas
David Alfred Thomas
David Alfred Thomas, 1st Viscount Rhondda PC , sometimes known as D. A. Thomas, was a Welsh industrialist and Liberal politician...
, an industrialist and Liberal politician, and Robert Bird moved that Lloyd George "be not heard" in the 1895 General Election. The Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
capture of the recently created Newport constituency in a by-election helped lead to the end of his coalition government.
The late 19th and early 20th century period was a boom time for Newport. The population was expanding rapidly and the town became a county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
in 1891. The dock
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
system was completed in 1892: the newly built South Dock was the largest masonry dock in the world. Although coal exports from Newport were by now modest compared to the Port of Cardiff
Cardiff Docks
Cardiff Docks is a port in south Cardiff, Wales. At its peak, the port was one of the largest dock systems in the world with a total quayage of almost...
(which included Cardiff, Penarth
Penarth
Penarth is a town and seaside resort in the Vale of Glamorgan , Wales, 5.2 miles south west from the city centre of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and lying on the north shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay...
and Barry), Newport was the place where the Miners' Federation of Great Britain was founded in 1889, and international trade was sufficiently large for 8 consuls
Consul (representative)
The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
and 14 vice-consuls to be based in the town. Urban expansion took in Pillgwenlly
Pillgwenlly
Pillgwenlly is an electoral district and coterminous community parish in the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Origin of the name :...
and Liswerry
Liswerry
Liswerry , also spelt Lliswerry, is both an electoral district and community of the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Community boundaries :...
to the south; this eventually necessitated a new crossing of the River Usk, which was provided by the Newport Transporter Bridge
Newport Transporter Bridge
The Newport Transporter Bridge is a transporter bridge that crosses the River Usk in Newport, South Wales. It is a Grade I listed structure. Designed by French engineer Ferdinand Arnodin, it was built in 1906 and opened by Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar on 12 September 1906...
completed in 1906, described as "Newport's greatest treasure".
On 2 July 1909, during construction of Newport's Alexandra Dock, supporting timbers in an excavation trench collapsed, instantly burying 46 workers. The rescuers included 12-year-old paper boy Thomas ‘Toya’ Lewis who was small enough to crawl into the collapsed trench. Lewis worked for two hours with hammer and chisel in an attempt to free one of those trapped. Several hundred pounds was later raised through public subscription in gratitude for the boy's efforts, and he was sent on an engineering scholarship to Scotland. Lewis was awarded the Albert Medal for Lifesaving
Albert Medal (lifesaving)
The Albert Medal for Lifesaving was a British medal awarded to recognise the saving of life. It has since been replaced by the George Cross.The Albert Medal was first instituted by a Royal Warrant on 7 March 1866 and discontinued in 1971 with the last two awards promulgated in the London Gazette of...
by King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
in December 1909. A Wetherspoons
Wetherspoons
J D Wetherspoon plc is a British pub chain based in Watford. Founded as a single pub in 1979 by Tim Martin, the company now owns 815 outlets. The chain champions cask ale, low prices, long opening hours, and no music. The company also operates the Lloyds No...
pub in the city centre is named "The Tom Toya Lewis" after the young hero. The building in which the pub is housed was formerly the Newport YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, the Foundation Stone for which was laid by Viscount Tredegar
Godfrey Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar
Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar was a British Army officer and British politician.Tredegar was born on 28 April 1831 in Ruperra Castle, Glamorganshire...
, also in 1909.
The modern era
Compared to many Welsh towns, Newport's economy had a broad base, with foundries, engineering works, a cattle market and shops that served much of Monmouthshire. However, the docks were in decline even before the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, and local unemployment peaked at 34.7% in 1930: high, but not as bad as the levels seen in the mining towns of the South Wales Valleys
South Wales Valleys
The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
. Despite the economic conditions, the council re-housed over half the population in the 1920s and 30s.
The post-war years saw renewed prosperity, with Saint Woolos Cathedral (now Newport Cathedral
Newport Cathedral
Newport Cathedral in the city of Newport in South Wales is the cathedral of the Diocese of Monmouth, in the Church in Wales, and seat of the Bishop of Monmouth. The full title is Newport Cathedral, Woolos, King & Confessor...
) attaining full cathedral status in 1949, the opening of the modern integrated Llanwern steelworks
Llanwern steelworks
Llanwern Steelworks is located in Llanwern, east of the City of Newport, South Wales.Built by Richard Thomas & Baldwin Ltd, the works was originally referred to locally as "The RTB", before being called Spencer Works and later Llanwern...
in 1962, and the construction of the Severn Bridge
Severn Bridge
The Severn Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the River Severn between South Gloucestershire, just north of Bristol, England, and Monmouthshire in South Wales, via Beachley, a peninsula between the River Severn and River Wye estuary. It is the original Severn road crossing between England and...
and local sections of the M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
in the late 1960s, making Newport the best-connected place in Wales. Although employment at Llanwern steelworks declined in the 1980s, the town acquired a range of new public sector employers, and a Richard Rogers
Richard Rogers
Richard George Rogers, Baron Rogers of Riverside CH Kt FRIBA FCSD is a British architect noted for his modernist and functionalist designs....
-designed Inmos microprocessor factory
Inmos microprocessor factory
The Inmos microprocessor factory, also known as the Inmos factory, is a building in Newport, Wales, UK which was originally built as a microprocessor fabrication plant for Inmos and is now occupied by International Rectifier. The architects of the award-winning high-tech building were the Richard...
helped to establish Newport as a 'hotspot' for technology companies. A flourishing local music scene in the early 1990s led to claims that the town was "a new Seattle".
The county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Newport was granted city status
City status in the United Kingdom
City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
in 2002 to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
. In the same year, an unusually large merchant ship, referred to locally as the Newport ship
Newport ship
The Newport Ship is a fifteenth-century sailing vessel discovered by archaeologists in June 2002 in the city of Newport, South Wales. It was found on the west bank of the River Usk, which runs through the city centre, during the building of the Riverfront Arts Centre; from which process it...
, was uncovered and rescued from the bank of the Usk during the construction of the Riverfront Arts Centre
Riverfront Arts Centre
The Riverfront is the principal and newest theatre and arts centre in the City of Newport, South Wales. It is located on the west bank of the River Usk on the Bristol Packet Wharf in the city centre...
. The ship has been dated to some time between 1445 and 1469 and it remains the only vessel of its type from this period yet discovered anywhere in the world.
Key dates in Newport's history
- 1140: The first early NormanNorman architectureAbout|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
wooden motte and bailey castleCastleA castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
is built on Stow Hill. - 1314: First Town Charter
- 1327-1386: Newport CastleNewport CastleNewport Castle is a castle ruin in the city of Newport, South Wales and is a Grade II* Listed building. It is the castle that gives Newport its original and real name in the Welsh language, Castell Newydd, shortened to Casnewydd...
built - 1385: Second Town Charter granted by Hugh Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford
- 1402: Town taken by the forces of Owain GlyndŵrOwain GlyndwrOwain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
, rebel Prince of Wales during the Welsh RevoltGlyndwr RisingThe Glyndŵr Rising, Welsh Revolt or Last War of Independence was an uprising of the Welsh, led by Owain Glyndŵr, against England. It was the last major manifestation of a Welsh independence movement before the incorporation of Wales into England by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542.- The Fall of...
: Saint Woolos CathedralNewport CathedralNewport Cathedral in the city of Newport in South Wales is the cathedral of the Diocese of Monmouth, in the Church in Wales, and seat of the Bishop of Monmouth. The full title is Newport Cathedral, Woolos, King & Confessor...
destroyed. - 1426: Third Town Charter granted by Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of BuckinghamHumphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of BuckinghamHumphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG , an English nobleman, great grandson of King Edward III on his mother's side, was best known as a military commander in the Hundred Years' War and in the Wars of the Roses....
- 1648: Town taken by the forces of Oliver CromwellOliver CromwellOliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
during the English Civil WarEnglish Civil WarThe English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. - 1672: Tredegar HouseTredegar HouseTredegar House in Newport, set in the 90 acre Tredegar Park, is one of the best examples of a 17th century Charles II country house mansion in the United Kingdom.-History of the Building:...
completed. - 1796: Opening of the Monmouthshire canalMonmouthshire & Brecon CanalThe Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal is a small network of canals in South Wales. For most of its length it runs through the Brecon Beacons National Park, and its present rural character and tranquillity belies its original purpose as an industrial corridor for coal and iron, which were brought to...
. - 1839: ChartistChartismChartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, between 1838 and 1859. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838. Chartism was possibly the first mass working class labour movement in the world...
Newport RisingNewport RisingThe Newport Rising was the last large-scale armed rebellion against authority in mainland Britain, when on 4 November 1839, somewhere between 1,000 and 5,000 Chartist sympathisers, including many coal-miners, most with home-made arms, led by John Frost, marched on the town of Newport,...
, Westgate Hotel, Newport led by radical former mayor John FrostJohn Frost (Chartist)John Frost was a prominent Welsh leader of the British Chartist movement in the Newport Rising.... - 1842: Town Dock at Newport DocksNewport DocksNewport Docks is the collective name for a series of docks in the city of Newport, South Wales.-Background:Newport was a small fishing port and market town until the coming of the industrial age at the beginning of the 19th century...
opens – able to accommodate the largest ships in the world. - 1850: Newport becomes the seat of the Roman Catholic dioceseDioceseA diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Newport and Menevia. - 1871: W. H. DaviesW. H. DaviesWilliam Henry Davies or W. H. Davies was a Welsh poet and writer. Davies spent a significant part of his life as a tramp or vagabond in the United States and United Kingdom, but became known as one of the most popular poets of his time...
, renowned poet born at Portland Street, PillgwenllyPillgwenllyPillgwenlly is an electoral district and coterminous community parish in the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Origin of the name :...
. - 1877: Athletic grounds at Rodney ParadeRodney ParadeRodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, south Wales. Located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre it is primarily used for rugby matches and is the home ground of Newport RFC and the Newport Gwent Dragons regional team.-History:...
opens. - 1887: The Boys Brigade movement in Wales founded by George Philip Reynolds at Havelock Street Presbyterian Church.
- 1892: Construction of the docks completed.
- 1880-1900: Godfrey Morgan, 1st Viscount TredegarGodfrey Morgan, 1st Viscount TredegarGodfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar was a British Army officer and British politician.Tredegar was born on 28 April 1831 in Ruperra Castle, Glamorganshire...
donates land for the benefit of the public, including Belle Vue ParkBelle Vue ParkBelle Vue Park is a large Victorian public park in the west side of the city of Newport in South Wales. It was awarded a prestigious Green Flag Award on July 17, 2008-Features:...
, the Royal Gwent HospitalRoyal Gwent HospitalThe Royal Gwent Hospital is the principal hospital in the city of Newport and the ancient county of Monmouthshire. It is located on Cardiff Road near the city centre...
and Newport Athletics GroundsRodney ParadeRodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, south Wales. Located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre it is primarily used for rugby matches and is the home ground of Newport RFC and the Newport Gwent Dragons regional team.-History:...
. - 1894: Belle Vue ParkBelle Vue ParkBelle Vue Park is a large Victorian public park in the west side of the city of Newport in South Wales. It was awarded a prestigious Green Flag Award on July 17, 2008-Features:...
opens. - 1901: Royal Gwent HospitalRoyal Gwent HospitalThe Royal Gwent Hospital is the principal hospital in the city of Newport and the ancient county of Monmouthshire. It is located on Cardiff Road near the city centre...
moved to its current site - 1906: Newport Transporter BridgeNewport Transporter BridgeThe Newport Transporter Bridge is a transporter bridge that crosses the River Usk in Newport, South Wales. It is a Grade I listed structure. Designed by French engineer Ferdinand Arnodin, it was built in 1906 and opened by Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar on 12 September 1906...
opens on 12 September. - 1916: Diocese of Newport absorbed into the new Archdiocese of CardiffArchdiocese of CardiffThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church which covers the south-east portion of Wales and the county of Herefordshire in England. The Metropolitan Province of Cardiff Wales and Herefordshire therefore covers all of Wales and part of...
. - 1937: King George VIGeorge VI of the United KingdomGeorge VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
visits Newport and cuts first sod of new Civic CentreNewport Civic CentreNewport Civic Centre is the seat of government for the city of Newport, South Wales and is a Grade II* Listed building in the Art Deco style. Newport City Council has its main offices located in the building which also includes Magistrates' Courts and a Crown Court complex...
building. - 1949: Saint Woolos attains full cathedralCathedralA cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
status, (now Newport CathedralNewport CathedralNewport Cathedral in the city of Newport in South Wales is the cathedral of the Diocese of Monmouth, in the Church in Wales, and seat of the Bishop of Monmouth. The full title is Newport Cathedral, Woolos, King & Confessor...
). - 2002: Newport granted city status; discovery of the Newport shipNewport shipThe Newport Ship is a fifteenth-century sailing vessel discovered by archaeologists in June 2002 in the city of Newport, South Wales. It was found on the west bank of the River Usk, which runs through the city centre, during the building of the Riverfront Arts Centre; from which process it...
. - 2003: Newport UnlimitedNewport UnlimitedNewport Unlimited is an Urban Regeneration Company created in 2003 to help counter the impacts of the continued decline in heavy industry and manufacturing in Newport: e.g...
regeneration company set up. - 2010: The Ryder CupRyder CupThe Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
golf competition was hosted at the Celtic Manor Hotel.
Governance
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
in 1996, although it was also a county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
between 1891 and 1974. The Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
removed ambiguity about the legal status of the area by including the administrative county of Monmouthshire and the county borough of Newport into all acts pertaining to Wales, and in 1974 the borough was incorporated into the new local government county of Gwent
Gwent (county)
Gwent is a preserved county and a former local government county in south-east Wales. It was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was named after the ancient Kingdom of Gwent....
. Gwent itself was abolished in 1996 but remains in use for ceremonial functions as a preserved county.
Politics
- See also :Category:Politics of Newport
The city is historically industrialised with a large working-class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
population and a strong support for the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
.
Labour lost control of Newport City council in the 2008 local elections
United Kingdom local elections, 2008
The 2008 United Kingdom local elections were held on 1 May 2008. These elections took place in 137 English Local Authorities and all Welsh Councils....
to a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
/Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
coalition.
The City of Newport is divided between the UK Parliamentary constituencies
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
of Newport West and Newport East and elects one Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) in each constituency. The two constituencies cover a similar area to that of the city area controlled by Newport City Council. The city formerly had only one constituency
Newport (Monmouthshire) (UK Parliament constituency)
Newport was a borough constituency in Monmouthshire from 1918 to 1983. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system....
until 1983 when the city was split into Newport West and Newport East due to population growth. In the United Kingdom general election, 2010, Labour held Newport West with a reduced majority of 3,544 votes over the Conservative Party. The Labour Party also held Newport East with a reduced majority of 1,650 votes over the Liberal Democrats.
In the National Assembly of Wales Newport is also divided into Newport West and Newport East constituencies and elects one Assembly Minister (AM) in each constituency. In the National Assembly for Wales election, 2011
National Assembly for Wales election, 2011
The National Assembly for Wales election 2011 was the most recent election for the National Assembly. The poll was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 and decided the incumbency for all the assembly's seats...
, Labour held Newport West with an increased majority of 1,401 votes over the Conservative Party. The Labour Party also held Newport East with an increased majority of 5,388 votes over the Conservative Party.
Newport is part of the Wales European Parliament Constituency
Wales (European Parliament constituency)
Wales is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 4 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
. The Wales constituency elects four Members of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
(MEP). In the 2009 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom)
The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after...
the Wales constituency elected one MEP from each of the Conservative, Labour, Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
and UKIP parties.
| Position | Current Representatives |
|---|---|
| Members of Parliament | Newport West (UK Parliament constituency) Newport West is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system... : Paul Flynn Paul Flynn (politician) Paul Philip Flynn is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Newport West since the 1987 general election. He was born in Cardiff of Welsh/Irish parentage.... , Labour, first elected 1987 United Kingdom general election, 1987 The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd... Newport East Newport East (UK Parliament constituency) Newport East is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system.-Boundaries:... : Jessica Morden Jessica Morden Jessica Elizabeth Morden is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Newport East since 2005.-Background:... , Labour, first elected 2005 United Kingdom general election, 2005 The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160.... |
| Members of the National Assembly for Wales Members of the National Assembly for Wales The National Assembly for Wales is composed of 60 members known as AMs or Assembly Members... |
Rosemary Butler (politician) Rosemary Janet Mair Butler is a British politician and Labour Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Newport West since 1999. Serving briefly as Assembly Secretary for Education in the first two years of the Assembly, she was elected Deputy Presiding Officer of the Assembly in May 2007... , Labour, first elected 1999Newport East: John Griffiths John Griffiths John Griffiths AM is a Welsh Labour Co-operative politician and the Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development... , Labour, first elected 1999 |
| Members of the European Parliament | Wales (European Parliament constituency) Wales is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 4 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :... : Kay Swinburne Kay Swinburne Jacqueline Kay Swinburne is a Welsh politician. She is a Conservative Member of the European Parliament for Wales.-Background:... , Conservative, first elected 2009 European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom) The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after... Derek Vaughan Derek Vaughan Derek Vaughan was elected as Labour Party Member of the European Parliament for Wales in the 2009 European Parliament election.-Biography:Vaughan was born in Aberfan and studied politics and history at Swansea University. He has served as a full time trades union official, and is a member of the... , Labour, first elected 2009 European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom) The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after... Jill Evans Jillian Evans Jillian Evans is Plaid Cymru Member of the European Parliament for Wales and First Vice President of The Greens–European Free Alliance group - the fourth largest in the European Parliament... , Plaid Cymru, first elected 1999John Bufton John Bufton John Bufton , is a UKIP Member of the European Parliament for Wales.-Early life:He was educated at Elan Village Primary School and Llandrindod Wells High School, and joined the family haulage business before embarking on a career managing a residential care home for the elderly with the local... , UKIP, first elected 2009 European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom) The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after... |
| Newport City Council Members Newport City Council Newport City Council is the governing body for the city of Newport, one of the subdivisions of Wales within the United Kingdom. It consists of 50 councillors, representing the city's 20 wards. Since the 2008 election, the council has been controlled jointly by the Conservatives and Liberal... |
|
Coat of arms
The official description of the armorial bearings are: "(arms) or, a chevron reversed gules, the shield ensigned by a cherub proper. Supporters: on the dexter side a winged sea lion or, and on the sinister side a sea dragon gules, the nether parts of both proper, finned gold."Freedom of the City
The title of Freedom of the CityFreedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
is a ceremonial honour, given by the city council to those who have served in some exceptional capacity, or upon any whom the City wishes to bestow an honour. Recipients include (in chronological order):
- Rt. Hon. Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar, Lord Lieutenant of MonmouthshireLord Lieutenant of MonmouthshireThis is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire. Before the English Civil War, the lieutenancy of Monmouthshire was held by the Lord Lieutenant of Wales, except for the period from 1602 to 1629, when it formed a separate lieutenancy in conjunction with Glamorgan...
- Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of AlameinBernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of AlameinField Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
- Corps of the South Wales Borderers (24th Foot)
- Royal Regiment of WalesRoyal Regiment of WalesThe Royal Regiment of Wales was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was formed in 1969 by the amalgamation of The South Wales Borderers and The Welch Regiment....
(24th/41st Foot) - 104th Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers)104th Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers)104th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the British Territorial Army formed on 1 April 1967. It is a Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicle Support Regiment....
- Royal Welch FusiliersRoyal Welch FusiliersThe Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
- British Merchant Navy Association
- HMS SevernHMS Severn (P282)The ninth and current HMS Severn is a River class offshore patrol vessel of the British Royal Navy. Named after the River Severn, the ship is the first to bear the name in 56-years....
Twinning
Newport has three international twinningTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
links: Heidenheim, Germany since 1980 Kutaisi
Kutaisi
Kutaisi is Georgia's second largest city and the capital of the western region of Imereti. It is 221 km to the west of Tbilisi.-Geography:...
, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
since 1989 Guangxi Province, China since 1996
Geography
The city is largely low-lying, but with a few hilly areas. (WentwoodWentwood
Wentwood is a forested area of hills, rising to 309 metres , in Monmouthshire, South Wales. It is located to the north east of, and partly within the boundaries of, the city of Newport.- Geology :...
reaches 310 metres above sea level). Areas in the south and east of the city tend to be flat and fertile with some housing estates and industrial areas reclaimed from marshland. Areas near the banks of the River Usk
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
, such as Caerleon
Caerleon
Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
, are also low-lying. The eastern outskirts of the city are characterised by the gently rolling hills of the Vale of Usk and Christchurch has panoramic views of the Vale of Usk and the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
. Ridgeway at Allt-yr-yn
Allt-yr-yn
Allt-yr-yn is a suburb of the city of Newport, south-east Wales.Pronounced by English-speaking locals as "Olt-er-reen", the spelling should include two Ns at the end, as "Allt-yr-ynn"...
also has good views of the surrounding areas and Bristol Channel. Brynglas
Brynglas
Brynglas is an area of the city of Newport, South Wales, United Kingdom.- Location :Brynglas is situated above the M4 motorway in Newport and famous on traffic reports of congestion at the Brynglas Tunnels.- Amenities & history :...
has views over the city centre and Twmbarlwm
Twmbarlwm
Twmbarlwm also known as Twm Barlwm, Twyn Barlwm, or locally known as "The tump" in relation to the mound that lies on its summit, is a mountain situated 2 km to the northeast of Risca in South Wales. It is high and is a well known sight throughout the region...
to the west. The suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s of the city have grown outwards from the inner-city, mostly near the main roads, giving the suburban sprawl of the city an irregular shape. The urban area is continuing to expand rapidly with new housing estates continuing to be built.
The city boundaries include a number of villages in the rural areas surrounding the built-up area.
Wards and districts
- See also :Category:Wards of Newport
- See also :Category:Districts of Newport
The city is divided into 20 wards. Most of these wards are coterminous with communities (parishes) of the same name. Each community can have an elected council. The following table lists city council wards, communities and associated geographical areas. Communities with a community council
Community council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies...
are indicated with a '*':
| Ward | Communities (Parishes) | Communities |
| Allt-yr-yn Allt-yr-yn Allt-yr-yn is a suburb of the city of Newport, south-east Wales.Pronounced by English-speaking locals as "Olt-er-reen", the spelling should include two Ns at the end, as "Allt-yr-ynn"... |
Allt-yr-yn | Ridgeway, Barrack Hill, Glasllwch, Gold Tops |
| Alway Alway, Newport Alway is an electoral district and coterminous community of the city of Newport.The ward is bounded by the Great Western Main Line to the south, Windsor Road, Chepstow Road and Beechwood Road to the west, the M4 motorway to the north, and a line running between Glanwern Grove, Ringwood Hill,... |
Alway | Somerton Somerton, Newport Somerton is a neighbourhood in the south-east of Newport. The northern half of the area is located in the Alway ward with the southern half in the Liswerry ward – The two halves being separated by the Great Western Main Line... , Lawrence Hill |
| Beechwood Beechwood, Newport Beechwood is an electoral district and coterminous community of the city of Newport.The ward is bounded by the River Usk to the north, Renoir Road, Beechwood Road, Chepstow Road and Windsor Road to the east, the Great Western Main Line to the south, and Victoria Avenue, Norfolk Road, Avalon... |
Beechwood | Eveswell |
| Bettws Bettws, Newport Bettws is an electoral ward and coterminous community of the city of Newport, South Wales. It is one of the largest modern housing estates in Europe.... |
Bettws | |
| Caerleon Caerleon Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort... |
Caerleon | Christchurch, Bulmore Bulmore Bulmore or Bullmoor is the name give to a hamlet or cluster of houses in the south-east of Caerleon ward of the city of Newport, South Wales.... |
| Gaer Gaer, Newport Gaer is a community and electoral district of the city of Newport, South Wales.The ward includes both the Gaer and Maesglas estates. The name "Gaer" is from the Welsh word for fort , as found in Caerleon. It has an area which is recognised to be an old hillfort site, believed to be Iron Age -... |
Gaer | Maesglas Maesglas Maesglas is a neighbourhood in the south west of the city of Newport, South Wales. In the 16th century it was known as Greenfield but in later years the Welsh language Maesglas has come to be more widely used.... , Stelvio, St. Davids |
| Graig Graig Graig is an electoral ward and coterminous community of the city of Newport, South Wales.The ward is bounded by the Ebbw River and M4 motorway to the east, the city boundary to the north and west. The southern boundary is formed by a line from the M4/A467 intersection in a roughly westerly... |
Graig* | Rhiwderin Rhiwderin Rhiwderin is a small village in the west of the city of Newport, South Wales.It lies in the community parish and electoral district of Graig.The original village lies across a level crossing off the main A468 Newport—Caerphilly road... , Bassaleg Bassaleg Bassaleg is a small semi-urban suburb on the west side of the city of Newport, in south Wales. It lies in the Graig electoral ward and community.- Location, communications & amenities:Bassaleg is located two miles north west of Newport city centre... , Lower Machen Lower Machen Lower Machen is small hamlet of 19 houses on the A468 road at the very western edge of the city of Newport, South Wales.Machen itself lies further west in the county borough of Caerphilly, although both lie within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.... , Pentre Poeth, Fox Hill |
| Langstone Langstone, Newport Langstone is an electoral ward and smaller village and community of the city of Newport, Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Location :... |
Langstone*, Llanvaches Llanvaches Llanvaches is a village and community parish located within the boundaries of the city of Newport, Wales. It lies to the east of the urban area, in the historic county of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent.- Location :... *, Penhow* |
Llanmartin Llanmartin Llanmartin is a parish in the city of Newport, Wales.- The community :It consists of several groups of communities within the parish, which is centred on the parish church dedicated to St. Martin which gives the name "Llan" as in church or Holy Ground and Martin being the saint of the church... , Parc Seymour Parc Seymour Parc Seymour is a suburban hamlet on the northern edge of Penhow just off the A48 road.... , Wentwood Forest, Coed-y-caerau, Cat's Ash Cat's Ash Cat's Ash is a small hamlet to the east of the city centre of the city of Newport, South Wales.The placename in both English and Welsh refers to ash trees.The Usk Valley Walk passes close by.- External links :*... , Kemys, Coldra, Llanbedr |
| Llanwern Llanwern Llanwern is an electoral ward and community in the urban-rural fringe of the City of Newport, South Wales. Llanwern ward is bounded by the M4 and Langstone to the north, Ringland, Liswerry and the River Usk to the west, the River Severn to the south and the city boundary to the east... |
Bishton Bishton Bishton or Bishopston is a small rural community in the east of the city of Newport, south Wales. The parish lies in the Llanwern electoral district and contains the eastern end of Llanwern Steelworks, the Underwood estate as well as Bishton itself.- Government :The area is governed by the... , Glan Llyn Glan Llyn Glan Llyn is the brand name of a new mixed-use community development, in the east of Newport, south Wales on part of the site of the former Llanwern steelworks.-Background:... , Goldcliff Goldcliff, Newport Goldcliff is a village and community parish to the south east of the city of Newport in South Wales. It lies within the Newport city boundaries, in the historic county of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent.- Origin of the name :... *, Llanwern*, Redwick Redwick, Newport Redwick is a small village and community parish to the south east of the city of Newport, in South Wales, United Kingdom. It lies within the Newport city boundaries, in the historic county of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent.- Location :... * |
Underwood Underwood, Newport Underwood is a housing development in the city of Newport, South Wales.- Post War Development :Underwood is an early 1960s council housing estate that consists of houses , shops, a leisure centre, Baptist church and social club.... , Whitson Whitson - Location :Whitson is located seven miles south east of Newport city centre on the Caldicot Levels, a large area of coastal land reclaimed from the sea... , Uskmouth Uskmouth - Location :Uskmouth is effectively in the west of the village of Nash. It is at Uskmouth that the River Usk meets the Severn estuary.- Amenities :... , Summerleaze, Wilcrick Wilcrick Wilcrick is a small village within the administrative boundary of the city of Newport, South Wales, just to the west of Magor. It is within the historic county of Monmouthshire.The name translates from the Welsh as "bare hill"... , Saltmarsh, Milton, Porton |
| Liswerry Liswerry Liswerry , also spelt Lliswerry, is both an electoral district and community of the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Community boundaries :... |
Liswerry, Nash Nash, Newport Nash is a village and community parish to the south of the city of Newport, south-east Wales, in the Liswerry ward.- Origin of the name :... * |
Broadmead Park, Moorland Park, Broadstreet Common |
| Malpas Malpas, Newport Malpas is an electoral district and coterminous community parish of the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Boundaries :... |
Malpas | Hollybush Hollybush Hollybush is a residential area of Malpas within the city of Newport, South Wales, United Kingdom.- Location :Hollybush is situated off Malpas Road in Newport and famous for the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal that runs through it.- Amenities & history :... |
| Marshfield Marshfield, Newport Marshfield is an electoral ward and smaller village community and parish on the fringe of the city of Newport in South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.It is considered to be an affluent and sought-after area.... |
Coedkernew Coedkernew Coedkernew is a community in the south west of the city of Newport, South Wales, in the Marshfield ward.The parish is bounded by Percoed reen to the south, Nant-y-Selsig to the southwest, and Pound Hill to the west. The northern boundary is formed from Gwern-y-cleppa to junction 28 of the M4, then... *, Marshfield*, Michaelstone-y-Fedw Michaelstone-y-Fedw Michaelston-y-Fedw is a small rural village and community to the west of the city of Newport, Wales, on the border of Cardiff city and Caerphilly county borough.... *, Wentlooge* |
Castleton Castleton, Newport Castleton is a small hamlet in the city of Newport, South Wales.__FORCETOC__- Location :Castleton is located in the Marshfield ward, an affluent fringe region to the west of the city of Newport, also near the eastern fringes of Cardiff... , St. Brides St Brides Wentloog St. Bride's or St. Bride's Wentloog is a small hamlet to the south west of the city of Newport in South Wales.- Location :It lies in the community of Wentloog and electoral district of Marshfield... , Blacktown, Peterstone Peterstone Peterstone or Peterstone Wentlooge is a small hamlet on the to the south west of the city of Newport, South Wales.- Location :Peterstone Wentlooge lies six miles to the west of Newport, close to the eastern edge of Cardiff.... |
| Pillgwenlly Pillgwenlly Pillgwenlly is an electoral district and coterminous community parish in the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Origin of the name :... |
Pillgwenlly | Level of Mendalgief Level of Mendalgief The Level of Mendalgief is a small area to the south west of the city centre of the city of Newport in the Pill ward. The level is bounded by Cardiff Road to the north, Mendalgief Road to the east, Docks Way to the south and the Great Western Main Line to the west... |
| Ringland Ringland, Newport Ringland is both an electoral ward and community parish of the city of Newport, South Wales.The ward is bounded by Ringland Way to the east, the southern boundary of Hartridge High School to the south, Balfe Rd, Aberthaw Rd, Ringland Circle, Ringwood Avenue, across Chepstow Rd, Mountbatten close... |
Ringland | Bishpool Bishpool Bishpool is a Suburb within in The electoral ward of Ringland, Newport. It lies to the Western side of Ringland. Its facilities include Bishpool Methodist Church, Bishpool Dairy, and The Man of Gwent. With modern housing it has a population of 400.... , Treberth, Coldra |
| Rogerstone Rogerstone Rogerstone is both a ward and community of the city of Newport, south-east Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.The parish lies at the gateway to the Sirhowy valley, to the north of Newport on the eastern side of the Ebbw River... |
Rogerstone* | High Cross High Cross, Newport High Cross is a suburb of the city of Newport, South Wales, and forms part of the community of Rogerstone.The majority of the housing in the area was built in the 1930s on land formerly owned by the Tredegar Estate which at the time was outside the boundaries of the county borough of Newport.A... , Cefn Wood, Croesllanfro, Mount Pleasant |
| Shaftesbury Shaftesbury, Newport Shaftesbury is an electoral district and coterminous community parish of the city of Newport, South Wales.The ward is bounded by the River Usk to the east and southeast, the Great Western Main Line to the south, the A4042 road to the southwest as far as the Harlequin intersection, at which point... |
Shaftesbury | Brynglas Brynglas Brynglas is an area of the city of Newport, South Wales, United Kingdom.- Location :Brynglas is situated above the M4 motorway in Newport and famous on traffic reports of congestion at the Brynglas Tunnels.- Amenities & history :... , Crindau Crindau Crindau is an older inner-city area just north of the city centre in Newport in south-east Wales. It lies within the Shaftesbury electoral district and community .... , Marshes, Blaen-y-pant |
| St. Julian's St. Julian's, Newport St Julians is an electoral district and coterminous community of the City of Newport, South Wales.The ward is bounded by the River Usk to the west and north, The Moorings, Badminton Road, Reynolds Close, Rembrandt Way, Constable Drive, Heather Road, Kelly Road, Merlin Crescent, Avalon Drive,... |
St. Julian's | Riverside Riverside, Newport Riverside is a mixed residential and commercial area close to Newport city centre, South Wales.It lies within the electoral ward of Saint Julian's and to the east is Barnardtown. The area is bounded by the River Usk to the west and many houses have views of Newport Castle, Shaftesbury, Crindau... , Barnardtown Barnardtown Barnardtown is a small area to the east of Newport Bridge in the city of Newport. It is roughly bounded by Duckpool Road, Church Road and Caerleon Road.... |
| Stow Hill | Stow Hill | St. Woolos, Baneswell Baneswell Baneswell is an inner-city district in the city of Newport, South Wales. It is in the electoral ward of Stow Hill, and located next to the city centre and Newport railway station.It has minimal ethnic minorities residing here.... , City centre Newport city centre Newport city centre is traditionally regarded as the area of Newport bounded by the west bank of the River Usk, the George Street Bridge, the eastern flank of Stow Hill and the Great Western Main Line. Most of the city centre is contained within two conservation areas: the central area and the area... |
| Tredegar Park Tredegar Park (ward) Tredegar Park is an electoral district and community of the city of Newport. It is named after the nearby park, although the present-day community and ward of Tredegar Park covers a much smaller area consisting of the Duffryn estate and immediate surroundings.The ward is bounded by the Ebbw... |
Tredegar Park | Duffryn Duffryn Duffryn is a large council housing housing estate in the southwest of the city of Newport, Wales comprising a large portion of the Tredegar Park electoral district . Built on land belonging to Tredegar House , it was completed in 1978 and at the time won several awards for its design... |
| Victoria Victoria, Newport Victoria is both an electoral district and community of the city of Newport.The ward is bounded by the River Usk to the west and south, Newport Bridge, Clarence Place, Church Road and Christchurch Road to the north, Victoria Avenue, Wharf Road , a section of the Great Western Main Line as far as ... |
Victoria | Maindee Maindee Maindee is a large inner-city area in the city of Newport, South Wales.It lies mostly within the electoral district and community of Victoria, although some areas traditionally associated with Maindee are in the Beechwood ward.... , Summerhill |
Climate
Newport has a moderate temperateTemperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
, with the weather rarely staying the same for more than a few days at a time. The city is one of the warmer and sunnier locations in the UK and its sheltered location tends to protect it from extreme weather. Like the whole of the British Isles, Newport benefits from the warming effect of the Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
. Newport has warm summers and cool winters.
Thunderstorms may occur intermittently at any time of year, but are most common throughout late-spring and summer. Rain falls throughout the year, Atlantic storms give significant rainfall in the autumn, these gradually becoming rarer towards the end of winter. Autumn and summer have often been the wettest seasons in recent times. Snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
falls nearly every winter and usually settles on the ground several times, but it is often light and usually melts immediately or after a few days. Newport records few days with gale
Gale
A gale is a very strong wind. There are conflicting definitions of how strong a wind must be to be considered a gale. The U.S. government's National Weather Service defines a gale as 34–47 knots of sustained surface winds. Forecasters typically issue gale warnings when winds of this strength are...
s compared to most of Wales, again due to its sheltered location. Frost
Frost
Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...
s are common from November to April.
On 20 March 1930, the overnight temperature fell to −16.1 °C (3 °F) – the coldest temperature for the whole of the UK during that year, and the latest date in spring the UK's lowest temperature has been recorded.
Demography
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1801 | 6,657 |
| 1851 | 29,238 |
| 1881 | 48,069 |
| 1901 | 79,342 |
| 1941 | 116,434 |
| 1981 | 131,016 |
| 2001 | 137,017 |
People from Newport are known as Newportonians. In census 2001, 93.1% described themselves as White, 1.2% as Mixed-race, 2.6% as Asian, 0.5% as Black, 0.2% as Chinese and 0.3% as Other group.
Religion
Diocese of Monmouth
The Diocese of Monmouth is a diocese of the Church in Wales. Despite the name, its cathedral is located not in Monmouth but in Newport — the Cathedral Church of St Woolos. Reasons for not choosing the title of Newport included the existence of a Catholic Bishop of Newport until 1916...
, becoming a full cathedral in 1949. When Rowan Williams
Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams FRSL, FBA, FLSW is an Anglican bishop, poet and theologian. He is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003.Williams was previously Bishop of Monmouth and...
was appointed Archbishop of Wales
Archbishop of Wales
The post of Archbishop of Wales was created in 1920 when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England , and disestablished...
in 2000, the Cathedral became the Metropolitan Cathedral of Wales.
In 1850 Newport was recognised as the chief centre of Roman Catholicism in Wales when the town became the seat of the Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Newport and Menevia; however Newport lost its bishop with the creation of the Archdiocese of Cardiff in 1916. When Fulton J. Sheen
Fulton J. Sheen
Servant of God Fulton John Sheen, born Peter John Sheen was an American archbishop of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio...
, an American bishop who pioneered preaching on television and radio
Televangelism
Televangelism is the use of television to communicate the Christian faith. The word is a portmanteau of television and evangelism and was coined by Time magazine. A “televangelist” is a Christian minister who devotes a large portion of his ministry to television broadcasting...
, retired as Bishop of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, he was named the titular archbishop of Newport by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
.
In 2001, 71.9% of Newport residents considered themselves Christian, 2.6% Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, 1% Other religions (including Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
, Buddhist, Jewish, Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
and Others), 16.8% were non-religious and 8.1% chose not to answer the non-compulsory religion question on the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
. The city is home to 16 per cent of the Welsh Muslim population.
Newport has more than 50 churches (including Welsh, Chinese and Urdu speaking services), 7 mosques, and one synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
; the nearest Gurudwara is in Cardiff.
Economy
Newport's Travel to Work AreaTravel to Work Area
A Travel to Work Area or TTWA is a statistical tool used by UK Government agencies and local authorities, especially by the Department for Work and Pensions and Job Centres, to indicate an area where the population would generally commute to a larger town, city or conurbation for the purposes of...
incorporates much of south Monmouthshire; the new 2001-based area also includes Cwmbran
Cwmbran
Cwmbrân is a new town in Wales. Today forming part of the county borough of Torfaen and lying within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, Cwmbrân was established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield. Cwmbrân means Crow...
. The city itself has three major centres for employment: the city centre, and business parks clustered around the M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
junctions 24 in the east and 28 in the west. The Civil Service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
is the biggest employer in the city.
Organisations based in the city include Cassidian - the defence and security division of aerospace giant EADS
EADS
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. is a global pan-European aerospace and defence corporation and a leading defence and military contractor worldwide...
; the Passport Office for much of the south and west of the UK; and the Wales headquarters of the Charity Commission
Charity Commission
The Charity Commission for England and Wales is the non-ministerial government department that regulates registered charities in England and Wales....
and British Red Cross
British Red Cross
The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom branch of the worldwide impartial humanitarian organisation the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with over 31,000 volunteers and 2,600 staff. At the heart of their work...
; the headquarters of the UK Office for National Statistics; the headquarters of the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (formerly known as the Patent Office); the headquarters of Wales and West Utilities; a large Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
manufacturing plant; a manufacturing plant for International Rectifier
International Rectifier
International Rectifier Corp. is a manufacturer of power semiconductors , located in El Segundo, California, USA...
; the shared-service centre for HM Prison Service
Her Majesty's Prison Service
Her Majesty's Prison Service is a part of the National Offender Management Service of the Government of the United Kingdom tasked with managing most of the prisons within England and Wales...
.
In 1997, Newport secured what was then thought to be Europe's largest-ever inward investment when the LG Group
LG Group
LG Corp. is the second-largest South Korean conglomerate company following Samsung, and it is headquartered in the LG Twin Towers in Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. LG produces electronics, chemicals, and telecommunications products and operates subsidiaries like LG Electronics, LG Display,...
announced a £1.7 billion project creating 6,100 jobs, and supported by public sector grants. Facilities were built on the Celtic Lakes business and science park, but market conditions led to the semiconductor plant never opening, and the CRT
Cathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...
plant eventually closed in 2003. In 2005 Irish radiator manufacturer Quinn Group bought the former LG Phillips building, which became its European base.
Industry in the east of Newport was formerly based at the Corus
Tata Steel Europe
Tata Steel Europe is a multinational steel-making company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the second-largest steel-maker in Europe and is a subsidiary of Tata Steel of India, one of the ten largest steel producers in the world.Corus Group was formed through the merger of Koninklijke...
Llanwern steelworks
Llanwern steelworks
Llanwern Steelworks is located in Llanwern, east of the City of Newport, South Wales.Built by Richard Thomas & Baldwin Ltd, the works was originally referred to locally as "The RTB", before being called Spencer Works and later Llanwern...
, and although the rolling mill is still active, steel manufacture ceased in 2001. Permission has been granted to transform the 600 acres (2.4 km²) former steelworks site into a £1bn mixed-use development comprising housing, office and industrial space, public open space and a range of community facilities.
At the mouth of the River Usk
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
, the Sims Metal Management plant hosts the world's largest industrial shredder
Industrial shredder
An industrial shredder is a machine used for reducing the size of all kinds of material. Industrial shredders come in many different variations and sizes. Some examples of materials that are commonly shredded are: tires, metals, car wrecks, wood, plastics, and garbage...
for scrap metal
Scrap Metal
Scrap Metal were a band from Broome, Western Australia who played rock music with elements of country and reggae. The members had Aboriginal, Irish, Filipino, French, Chinese, Scottish, Indonesian and Japanese heritage. The band toured nationally as part of the Bran Nue Dae musical and with...
with access by road, rail and sea. The plant, which is also the world's largest car crusher
Car crusher
A car crusher is an industrial device used to reduce the dimensions of derelict cars prior to transport for recycling.Car crushers are compactors and can be of two types: "pancake", where a scrap automobile is flattened by a huge descending hydraulically-powered plate, or the baling press type,...
which was featured in the TV series 'How do they do it'.
Newport Cattle Market
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, in the Pillgwenlly
Pillgwenlly
Pillgwenlly is an electoral district and coterminous community parish in the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Origin of the name :...
area of the city, closed in 2009 and was demolished to make way for a new supermarket.
Regeneration
Newport Unlimited
Newport Unlimited is an Urban Regeneration Company created in 2003 to help counter the impacts of the continued decline in heavy industry and manufacturing in Newport: e.g...
.
Infrastructure
The first stage of regeneration involved improving the city centre road network, including turning Kingsway and Queensway into boulevardBoulevard
A Boulevard is type of road, usually a wide, multi-lane arterial thoroughfare, divided with a median down the centre, and roadways along each side designed as slow travel and parking lanes and for bicycle and pedestrian usage, often with an above-average quality of landscaping and scenery...
s. A new foot and cycle bridge called the Newport City footbridge
Newport City footbridge
The Newport City footbridge is a pedestrian/cycle bridge over the River Usk in the city of Newport, United Kingdom.The bridge links the east bank of the river in the vicinity of Colne Street in Maindee to a new public space called Usk Place/University Plaza on the west bank. It is the first major...
opened in 2006, linking the east and west banks of the river. Further downstream, the Southern Distributor Road
Southern Distributor Road
The Southern Distributor Road is a principal distributor road in Newport that runs from the Coldra roundabout in the east of Newport to Tredegar Park M4 Junction 28) in the west of Newport and includes City Bridge, a bow-string arch bridge spanning the River Usk...
to the south of the city opened in 2004, including the new City Bridge
City Bridge
City Bridge is a crossing of the River Usk in the city of Newport, South Wales. It was opened in 2004 as part of the construction/re-generation of the Southern Distributor Road/A48 in Newport....
over the River Usk, improving access and opening up new areas for development.
Newport bus station
Newport bus station
Newport bus station is a bus terminus located in the city centre, Newport, South Wales. It is the largest road transport hub for public services in the county.-Layout:...
and Newport railway station
Newport railway station
Newport railway station is the 3rd busiest railway station in Wales , situated in Newport city centre. It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although First Great Western and CrossCountry also provide services...
are being extensively redeveloped. The £200 million development of the bus station is underway, whilst the lengthened Platform 4 of the railway station was opened in July 2007 and a new terminal building opened in 2010 with a futuristic design. The railway station's reconnection with the Ebbw Valley Railway is due to be completed by 2011. There are plans to reopen many suburban stations in the near future – as part of phase one of the Ebbw Valley reopening, Rogerstone
Rogerstone railway station
Rogerstone railway station is a station on the Ebbw Valley Railway in the community of Rogerstone in Newport, south Wales. The station is situated ½ mile north of the original station on the site of former rail sidings. The station is within the Afon Village housing development...
was re-opened in February 2008. Phase two will see Pye Corner
Pye Corner railway station
Pye Corner railway station is a proposed station to serve a residential area in the west of Newport, south Wales as part of a future phase development of the Ebbw Valley Railway. The station will be located at Western Valley Road in the Bassaleg district of Newport, close to the former Bassaleg...
re-opened, and four others are planned in the city's Unitary Development Plan
Unitary Development Plan
In United Kingdom planning law, a unitary development plan is an old-style development plan prepared by a metropolitan district and some unitary local authorities that contains policies equivalent to those in both a structure plan and a local plan...
.
A state-of-the-art hospital is planned to be built. Many local residents have suggested that the new District General Hospital be built at the Whiteheads site
Level of Mendalgief
The Level of Mendalgief is a small area to the south west of the city centre of the city of Newport in the Pill ward. The level is bounded by Cardiff Road to the north, Mendalgief Road to the east, Docks Way to the south and the Great Western Main Line to the west...
now the old Corus
Tata Steel Europe
Tata Steel Europe is a multinational steel-making company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the second-largest steel-maker in Europe and is a subsidiary of Tata Steel of India, one of the ten largest steel producers in the world.Corus Group was formed through the merger of Koninklijke...
facility has closed, but no final site has been approved. A new £11 million five-star Ramada Plaza
Ramada
Ramada is a hotel chain owned and operated by Wyndham Worldwide.- History :The lodging chain was founded in 1953 by longtime Chicago restaurateur Marion W...
hotel will be built at Celtic Springs Business Park in the west of the city.
A new M4 bypass toll road
M4 Toll
The New M4 was a proposed motorway south of Newport, South Wales, which would have been the United Kingdom's second full toll-paying motorway. The plans were dropped by the Welsh Assembly Government in July 2009....
skirting the southern edge of the urban area of Newport was proposed as a means of reducing the congestion on the existing M4 motorway (presently squeezed through the Brynglas Tunnels
Brynglas Tunnels
The Brynglas Tunnels carry the M4 motorway under Brynglas Hill in Newport. The twin-bored tunnels were the first tunnels in the British motorway network and are still the only bored tunnels....
) and making Newport and the surrounding areas more accessible. There have also been calls for a barrage across the River Usk to be incorporated with the M4 bypass, so that the level of the river would stay permanently at high tide level, although possible plans for a Severn barrage
Severn Barrage
The Severn Barrage refers to a range of ideas for building a barrage from the English coast to the Welsh coast over the Severn tidal estuary. Ideas for damming or barraging the Severn estuary have existed since the 19th century. The building of such a barrage would be a huge engineering feat,...
across the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
would reduce the need for an Usk barrage. The bypass scheme was eventually cancelled in July 2009.
Commercial, residential and education
As part of the Newport Unlimited master plan, the city centre is currently being expanded to take in areas of the River Usk east bank. The area of land between Newport Bridge and George Street Bridge is being developed as a £43 million high-density combined commercial and residential area, joined to the west bank by the new footbridge. The plan is designed to show a strong urban form along the river front, emphasised with tall landmark buildings The first phase will be known as City Vizion. Also on the east bank, next to Newport Bridge, permission has been granted to turn the Grade II-listed former Newport Technical InstituteNewport Technical Institute
Newport Technical Institute is a Grade II-listed building in the city centre of Newport, Wales.The red-brick building with a copper dome stands in Clarence Place on the east bank of the River Usk, close to Newport Bridge. It was built on land purchased from Lord Tredegar and opened in September 1910...
into luxury apartments.
Due to the Late-2000s recession, some redevelopment projects were cancelled. Specific projects cancelled include a £210 million city centre shopping complex known as Friars Walk
Friars Walk
Friars Walk is a projected shopping centre in Newport city centre.The original £222m scheme was intended to cover an area bounded by Kingsway, Upper Dock Street and the existing Kingsway Shopping Centre, including parts of John Frost Square and the bus station...
including a Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
and a multiplex cinema, which were originally planned to be created in time for the 2010 Ryder Cup
2010 Ryder Cup
The 38th Ryder Cup matches were held 2010 at the Celtic Manor Resort in the city of Newport, Wales. It was the first time the competition was staged in Wales. With the USA as the defending Cup holder the event was played on the newly-constructed Twenty 10 course, specifically designed for the...
in Newport, but was scrapped in 2009, and City Spires, which would have included a 30-storey, 101 metre (332 ft)-tall block of 238 apartments and four-star hotel, and a 10-storey office block. In December 2010 the Friars Walk scheme was relaunched.
The Old Town Dock area is one of the main areas for residential development in the masterplan. At the extreme northern end of this area, a £35 million riverside campus of the University of Wales, Newport
University of Wales, Newport
The University of Wales, Newport is a university based in Newport, South Wales. The university has two campuses; Caerleon on the northern outskirts of the city and a £35 million campus on the banks of the River Usk in Newport city centre opened in 2011...
has been built adjacent to the new footbridge. The Allt-yr-yn
Allt-yr-yn
Allt-yr-yn is a suburb of the city of Newport, south-east Wales.Pronounced by English-speaking locals as "Olt-er-reen", the spelling should include two Ns at the end, as "Allt-yr-ynn"...
campus of the University will be redeveloped as high quality housing. Just to the south of the new campus a 441-bed student block has been constructed.
Adjacent to this site is "The Edge", a development of 227 apartments, including a 21-storey tower containing duplex apartments and penthouse
Penthouse apartment
A penthouse apartment or penthouse is an apartment that is on one of the highest floors of an apartment building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features.-History:...
s.
Further south is the "Newhaus" development of 154 riverside apartments.
At the southern end of the site, the "Alexandra Gate" development will eventually see 300 homes and riverside apartments built adjacent to the City Bridge. A 124-bed Ramada Encore hotel is also planned for the intersection of the Southern Distributor Road and Usk Way.
In east Newport, there are proposals to transform land released from the Corus steelworks
Llanwern steelworks
Llanwern Steelworks is located in Llanwern, east of the City of Newport, South Wales.Built by Richard Thomas & Baldwin Ltd, the works was originally referred to locally as "The RTB", before being called Spencer Works and later Llanwern...
at Llanwern
Llanwern
Llanwern is an electoral ward and community in the urban-rural fringe of the City of Newport, South Wales. Llanwern ward is bounded by the M4 and Langstone to the north, Ringland, Liswerry and the River Usk to the west, the River Severn to the south and the city boundary to the east...
into 4,000 houses, shops and other facilities, with the creation of up to 6,000 jobs.
Leisure
Riverfront Arts Centre
The Riverfront is the principal and newest theatre and arts centre in the City of Newport, South Wales. It is located on the west bank of the River Usk on the Bristol Packet Wharf in the city centre...
was the first structure to be built as part of Newport's regeneration by Newport City Council
Newport City Council
Newport City Council is the governing body for the city of Newport, one of the subdivisions of Wales within the United Kingdom. It consists of 50 councillors, representing the city's 20 wards. Since the 2008 election, the council has been controlled jointly by the Conservatives and Liberal...
. It stands on Kingsway Boulevard on the west bank of the River Usk. To the south-east of the city lies the extensive Newport Wetlands Reserve
Newport Wetlands Reserve
Newport Wetlands Reserve is a wildlife reserve between Uskmouth, Nash and Goldcliff, in the south-east of the city of Newport, South Wales.- History :...
, opened in March 2000 as a mitigation for the loss of mudflats caused by the building of the Cardiff Bay Barrage
Cardiff Bay Barrage
The Cardiff Bay Barrage lies across the mouth of Cardiff Bay, Wales between Queen Alexandra Dock and Penarth Head. It was one of the largest civil engineering projects in Europe during construction in the 1990s.-History:...
.
On the east bank, the New Newport stadium and sports and entertainment complex having a capacity of 15,000 will be built on Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, south Wales. Located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre it is primarily used for rugby matches and is the home ground of Newport RFC and the Newport Gwent Dragons regional team.-History:...
. It will be home to the Newport RFC and Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
rugby teams. The stadium can also be used for other purposes, such as music concerts.
The Crindau Marina
Crindau Marina
Crindau Marina is a possible development in Crindau, Newport. The marina would provide opportunities for new housing, shops and leisure facilities focused around a waterside location...
is planned to be built off Heidenheim Drive
A4042 road
The A4042 is a trunk road that runs from Abergavenny to Newport in the United Kingdom.It begins on junction of the A40 and A465 south of Abergavenny and then travels southwards towards Little Mill north of Pontypool. This section is a single carriageway and is notoriously winding and undulating...
. The Marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
would be the southern terminus of the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal and would provide opportunities for new housing, shops and leisure facilities.
Transport
- See also :Category:Transport in Newport
The M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
comes within a mile (1.6 km) of the city centre, and Newport can be accessed from six junctions (from 24–28 inclusive). The Great Western main railway line
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
also passes through the heart of the city, stopping at Newport railway station
Newport railway station
Newport railway station is the 3rd busiest railway station in Wales , situated in Newport city centre. It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although First Great Western and CrossCountry also provide services...
. Newport is well linked with nearby Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, with approximately six rail and five bus services between the cities every hour.
M4 Motorway
The main west—east road is the M4 motorwayM4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
.
The junctions within the city are:
- 24: ColdraLangstone, NewportLangstone is an electoral ward and smaller village and community of the city of Newport, Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Location :...
A449/A48/B4237 - 25: Caerleon RoadCaerleonCaerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
B4596 - 25A: Grove ParkBrynglasBrynglas is an area of the city of Newport, South Wales, United Kingdom.- Location :Brynglas is situated above the M4 motorway in Newport and famous on traffic reports of congestion at the Brynglas Tunnels.- Amenities & history :...
A4042 - 26: Malpas RoadMalpas, NewportMalpas is an electoral district and coterminous community parish of the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Boundaries :...
A4051 - 27: High CrossHigh Cross, NewportHigh Cross is a suburb of the city of Newport, South Wales, and forms part of the community of Rogerstone.The majority of the housing in the area was built in the 1930s on land formerly owned by the Tredegar Estate which at the time was outside the boundaries of the county borough of Newport.A...
, B4591 - 28: Tredegar ParkTredegar Park (ward)Tredegar Park is an electoral district and community of the city of Newport. It is named after the nearby park, although the present-day community and ward of Tredegar Park covers a much smaller area consisting of the Duffryn estate and immediate surroundings.The ward is bounded by the Ebbw...
A48/A4072 (A467/A468)
The Brynglas Tunnels
Brynglas Tunnels
The Brynglas Tunnels carry the M4 motorway under Brynglas Hill in Newport. The twin-bored tunnels were the first tunnels in the British motorway network and are still the only bored tunnels....
on the M4 are a cause of traffic delays as the motorway narrows to two lanes in each direction between junctions 25 and 26 to pass through the tunnels. Partly due to regular tailbacks at the tunnels a variable speed limit is in place between junctions 24 and 28.
Principal roads
Other major west-east A roads are:- As an alternative to the busy M4 motorway through Newport, the Southern Distributor RoadSouthern Distributor RoadThe Southern Distributor Road is a principal distributor road in Newport that runs from the Coldra roundabout in the east of Newport to Tredegar Park M4 Junction 28) in the west of Newport and includes City Bridge, a bow-string arch bridge spanning the River Usk...
(A48A48 roadThe A48 is a major trunk road in Great Britain. It runs from the A40 at Highnam west of Gloucester to the A40 at Carmarthen. Before the construction of the M4 motorway and the first Severn Bridge in the mid 1960s it was the principal route into South Wales. For most of its journey through Wales,...
) is a two-lane dual carriagewayDual carriagewayA dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
connecting M4 junction 24 to junction 28. Combined with the M4 in the north, the SDR forms the southern part of a ring roadRing roadA ring road, orbital motorway, beltway, circumferential highway, or loop highway is a road that encircles a town or city...
for the city. - The A48A48 roadThe A48 is a major trunk road in Great Britain. It runs from the A40 at Highnam west of Gloucester to the A40 at Carmarthen. Before the construction of the M4 motorway and the first Severn Bridge in the mid 1960s it was the principal route into South Wales. For most of its journey through Wales,...
westbound (Cardiff Road) is as an alternative route from Newport to Cardiff. - The A48 eastbound (Chepstow Road) is as an alternative route from Newport to ChepstowChepstowChepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
, South West EnglandSouth West EnglandSouth West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
(via the Severn BridgeSevern BridgeThe Severn Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the River Severn between South Gloucestershire, just north of Bristol, England, and Monmouthshire in South Wales, via Beachley, a peninsula between the River Severn and River Wye estuary. It is the original Severn road crossing between England and...
), the Wye ValleyWye ValleyThe Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales. It is one of the most dramatic and scenic landscape areas in southern Britain....
and GloucestershireGloucestershireGloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. - The A4072 (Forge Road) from M4 junction 28 connects Newport via the A468A468 roadThe A468 is a principal road from Newport to Nantgarw. The current route begins at the A467 in Bassaleg then passes through Rhiwderin, Machen, Trethomas, Bedwas and Caerphilly, terminating on the A470...
to MachenMachenMachen is a large village 3 miles east of Caerphilly, south Wales, situated in the Caerphilly borough within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It neighbours Bedwas and Trethomas, and forms a council ward in conjunction with those communities. It lies on the Rhymney River.-Mynydd...
and CaerphillyCaerphillyCaerphilly is a town in the county borough of Caerphilly, south Wales, located at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley, with a population of approximately 31,000. It is a commuter town of Cardiff and Newport, which are located some 7.5 miles and 12 miles away, respectively...
.
The main north-south A roads are:
- The A449A449 roadThe A449 is a major road in the United Kingdom. It runs north from junction 24 of the M4 motorway at Newport in South Wales to Stafford in Staffordshire....
connects Newport to UskUskUsk is a small town in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated 10 miles northeast of Newport.The River Usk flows through the town and is spanned by an ancient, arched stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. A castle above the town overlooks the ancient Anglo-Welsh border crossing - the river can...
and the English Midlands via M4 junction 24. - The A4042A4042 roadThe A4042 is a trunk road that runs from Abergavenny to Newport in the United Kingdom.It begins on junction of the A40 and A465 south of Abergavenny and then travels southwards towards Little Mill north of Pontypool. This section is a single carriageway and is notoriously winding and undulating...
connects Newport to CwmbranCwmbranCwmbrân is a new town in Wales. Today forming part of the county borough of Torfaen and lying within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, Cwmbrân was established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield. Cwmbrân means Crow...
, PontypoolPontypoolPontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
and AbergavennyAbergavennyAbergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
via M4 junction 25A. - The A4051 (Malpas Road) connects Newport to Cwmbran via M4 junction 26.
- The A4072 (Forge Road) from M4 junction 28 connects Newport via the A467 to RiscaRiscaRisca is a town of approximately 11,500 people in South Wales, within the Caerphilly County Borough and the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It is today part of the Newport conurbation , though it is not a Ward of Newport City Council...
and the towns of the Sirhowy ValleySirhowy ValleyThe Sirhowy Valley is an industrialised valley in the eastern part of the Valleys region of South Wales. It is named from the Sirhowy River which runs through it. Its upper reaches are occupied by the town of Tredegar within the unitary area of Blaenau Gwent...
, Ebbw Valley and Rhymney ValleyRhymney ValleyThe Rhymney Valley is a valley encompassing the villages of Abertysswg, Fochriw, Pontlottyn, Tirphil, New Tredegar, Aberbargoed, Rhymney, and Ystrad Mynach, and the towns of Bargoed and Caerphilly, in south-east Wales, formerly famous for its coal mining and iron industries.-Geography:Created as a...
.
The main B roads are:
- The B4237 (former A48) connects M4 junction 24 to junction 28 (Chepstow Road, Wharf Road, crossing George Street Bridge onto George Street and then Cardiff Road).
- The B4596 (Caerleon Road, former A449) links central Newport to CaerleonCaerleonCaerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
via M4 Junction 25. - The B4591 (Risca Road/High Cross Road, former A467) is an alternative route from Newport to Risca via M4 Junction 27 (High Cross) and RogerstoneRogerstoneRogerstone is both a ward and community of the city of Newport, south-east Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.The parish lies at the gateway to the Sirhowy valley, to the north of Newport on the eastern side of the Ebbw River...
. - The B4245 (Magor Road) at LangstoneLangstone, NewportLangstone is an electoral ward and smaller village and community of the city of Newport, Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Location :...
connects Newport to UnderwoodUnderwood, NewportUnderwood is a housing development in the city of Newport, South Wales.- Post War Development :Underwood is an early 1960s council housing estate that consists of houses , shops, a leisure centre, Baptist church and social club....
, MagorMagor, MonmouthshireMagor - meaning 'a wall' - is a large village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, between Chepstow and the city of Newport, and adjoining the Caldicot Levels beside the Severn estuary. Magor lies close to the M4 motorway, which has a nearby motorway service area sharing its name...
and CaldicotCaldicot, MonmouthshireCaldicot is a small town in Monmouthshire, southeast Wales, located between Chepstow and Newport, just off the busy M4 / M48 motorway corridor. The site adjoins the Caldicot Levels, on the north side of the Severn estuary. Caldicot has easy access by motorway and rail to Cardiff, and across the...
. - The B4239 (Lighthouse Road) at DuffrynDuffrynDuffryn is a large council housing housing estate in the southwest of the city of Newport, Wales comprising a large portion of the Tredegar Park electoral district . Built on land belonging to Tredegar House , it was completed in 1978 and at the time won several awards for its design...
connects Newport to Rumney, CardiffRumney, CardiffRumney is a district in the east of the city of Cardiff, Wales. It lies east of the Rhymney River, and is historically part of Monmouthshire...
.
City centre
The Old Green Interchange is an elevated roundabout over the A4042 (Heidenheim Drive) at the western end of Newport BridgeNewport Bridge, Newport
Newport Bridge connects High Street and Clarence Place across the River Usk adjacent to Newport Castle in Newport city centre.- The 1800 bridge :...
. Queensway passes Newport railway station
Newport railway station
Newport railway station is the 3rd busiest railway station in Wales , situated in Newport city centre. It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although First Great Western and CrossCountry also provide services...
and links the Old Green Interchange to Newport Civic Centre
Newport Civic Centre
Newport Civic Centre is the seat of government for the city of Newport, South Wales and is a Grade II* Listed building in the Art Deco style. Newport City Council has its main offices located in the building which also includes Magistrates' Courts and a Crown Court complex...
via Clytha Park Road. Kingsway/Usk Way is a boulevard
Boulevard
A Boulevard is type of road, usually a wide, multi-lane arterial thoroughfare, divided with a median down the centre, and roadways along each side designed as slow travel and parking lanes and for bicycle and pedestrian usage, often with an above-average quality of landscaping and scenery...
on the west bank of the River Usk linking the Old Green Interchange to the Southern Distributor Road
Southern Distributor Road
The Southern Distributor Road is a principal distributor road in Newport that runs from the Coldra roundabout in the east of Newport to Tredegar Park M4 Junction 28) in the west of Newport and includes City Bridge, a bow-string arch bridge spanning the River Usk...
at the western end of City Bridge
City Bridge
City Bridge is a crossing of the River Usk in the city of Newport, South Wales. It was opened in 2004 as part of the construction/re-generation of the Southern Distributor Road/A48 in Newport....
and to Newport Transporter Bridge
Newport Transporter Bridge
The Newport Transporter Bridge is a transporter bridge that crosses the River Usk in Newport, South Wales. It is a Grade I listed structure. Designed by French engineer Ferdinand Arnodin, it was built in 1906 and opened by Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar on 12 September 1906...
.
Corporation Road follows the east bank of the River Usk, but with limited views of the river. It links Newport Bridge to George Street Bridge, Newport City Bridge and, via Stephenson Road, Newport Transporter Bridge.
Bus
Bus services are primarily provided by the council-owned Newport TransportNewport Transport
Newport Transport is the main provider of bus services in Newport, South Wales, under the brand Newport Bus. Formerly a council department, it came into being as a separate corporate entity in 1986, following the Transport Act 1985...
under the Newport Bus brand. Other operators include Stagecoach in South Wales, Veolia Transport Cymru
Veolia Transport Cymru
Veolia Transport Cymru is a division of the Veolia Transport group , part of the French multinational Veolia Environnement. Formed by the purchase of a number of smaller independent coach and bus firms, the company has its headquarters in Parc Nantgarw, mid way between Cardiff and...
and Cardiff Bus
Cardiff Bus
Cardiff Bus is the dominant operator of bus services in Cardiff, Wales and the surrounding area, including Barry and Penarth. Its hub is Cardiff central bus station...
. Newport bus station
Newport bus station
Newport bus station is a bus terminus located in the city centre, Newport, South Wales. It is the largest road transport hub for public services in the county.-Layout:...
is to be redeveloped. National Express
National Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
operate cross-country coach services from the city.
Rail
See also Railway stations in Newport.Newport railway station
Newport railway station
Newport railway station is the 3rd busiest railway station in Wales , situated in Newport city centre. It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although First Great Western and CrossCountry also provide services...
is connected directly to the South Wales Main Line
South Wales Main Line
The South Wales Main Line , originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain...
branch of the Great Western Main Line
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
, Welsh Marches Line
Welsh Marches Line
The Welsh Marches Line , known historically as the North and West Route, is the railway line running from Newport in south-east Wales to Shrewsbury in the West Midlands region of England by way of Abergavenny, Hereford and Craven Arms, and thence to Crewe via Whitchurch...
and Gloucester to Newport Line
Gloucester to Newport Line
The Gloucester to Newport Line is a railway line that runs along the bank of the River Severn in the United Kingdom from Gloucester to Newport....
.
Rogerstone railway station
Rogerstone railway station
Rogerstone railway station is a station on the Ebbw Valley Railway in the community of Rogerstone in Newport, south Wales. The station is situated ½ mile north of the original station on the site of former rail sidings. The station is within the Afon Village housing development...
on the Ebbw Valley Railway reopened in 2008. Services currently run between Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River, south Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough...
and Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
via Rogerstone
Rogerstone
Rogerstone is both a ward and community of the city of Newport, south-east Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.The parish lies at the gateway to the Sirhowy valley, to the north of Newport on the eastern side of the Ebbw River...
. The reconnection of Newport station to the Ebbw Valley Railway via Rogerstone station is under consideration, but no decision will be made until at least 2011.
The services calling at Newport are:
- First Great WesternFirst Great WesternFirst Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
- London PaddingtonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
– ReadingReading railway stationReading railway station is a major rail transport hub in the English town of Reading. It is situated on the northern edge of the town centre, close to the main retail and commercial areas, and also the River Thames...
– Bristol ParkwayBristol Parkway railway stationBristol Parkway railway station is situated in Stoke Gifford in the northern suburbs of Bristol, England. It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail, and is managed by First Great Western....
– Newport – Cardiff CentralCardiff Central railway stationCardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
(- BridgendBridgend railway stationBridgend railway station is a mainline railway station serving the town of Bridgend, South Wales. It is located approximately halfway between Cardiff Central and Swansea at the point where the Maesteg Line diverges from the South Wales Main Line, and is the western terminus of the Vale of...
– Port TalbotPort Talbot Parkway railway stationPort Talbot Parkway railway station is a railway station in Port Talbot, Wales. The station is located at street level near Station Road in Port Talbot town centre.-History:...
– NeathNeath railway stationNeath railway station is a mainline railway station, serving Neath, Wales. The station is located at street level on Windsor Road in Neath town centre...
– SwanseaSwansea railway stationSwansea railway station is a railway station that serves Swansea, Wales. The station is one of four in the City and County of Swansea and is the fourth busiest in Wales after Cardiff Central, Cardiff Queen Street and Newport.-History:...
) - Cardiff Central – Newport – Bristol Temple Meads – Bath SpaBath Spa railway stationBath Spa railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Bath, in South West England.-Architecture:Bath Spa station was built in 1840 for the Great Western Railway by Brunel and is a grade II* listed building...
– SalisburySalisbury railway stationSalisbury is a railway station serving the city of Salisbury, Wiltshire. Located southwest of London Waterloo, the station is the crossing point of the West of England Main Line and the Wessex Main Line...
– SouthamptonSouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
– Portsmouth HarbourPortsmouth Harbour railway stationPortsmouth Harbour railway station is a railway station in Portsmouth, England. It is situated beside Gunwharf Quays in the city's harbour, and is an important transport terminal, with a bus interchange and ferry services to Gosport and the Isle of Wight. The station currently has four platforms:... - Cardiff Central – Newport – Bristol Temple Meads – Weston-super-MareWeston-super-Mare railway stationWeston-super-Mare railway station serves the town of Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset, England. It is situated on a loop off the main Bristol to Taunton Line....
– TauntonTaunton railway stationTaunton railway station is a junction station on the route from London to Penzance, from London Paddington station. It is situated in Taunton, Somerset, England and is operated by First Great Western...
- London Paddington
- Arriva Trains WalesArriva Trains WalesArriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
- Manchester Piccadilly – CreweCrewe railway stationCrewe railway station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Built in fields near to Crewe Hall, it originally served the village of Crewe with a population of just 70 residents...
– ShrewsburyShrewsbury railway stationShrewsbury railway station is the railway station serving Shrewsbury, county town of Shropshire, England. It is the only remaining railway station in the town; Shrewsbury Abbey, as well as other small stations around the town, having long closed. The station was built in 1848 and has been extended...
– HerefordHereford railway stationHereford railway station serves the city of Hereford, England. Managed by Arriva Trains Wales, it lies on the Welsh Marches Line between Leominster and Abergavenny and is the western terminus of the Cotswold Line.The station has four platforms...
– CwmbranCwmbran railway stationCwmbran railway station is situated in the northeast of Cwmbran town centre within five minutes walking distance. It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales. It lies on the Welsh Marches Line line from Newport to Hereford...
– Newport – Cardiff Central (– Bridgend – Port Talbot – Neath – Swansea – CarmarthenCarmarthen railway stationCarmarthen railway station is situated south of the River Towy on the edge of the town of Carmarthen. It is located on the West Wales Line and is managed by Arriva Trains Wales, who operate most of the passenger trains serving it...
– HaverfordwestHaverfordwest railway stationHaverfordwest railway station serves the town of Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire.The usual service pattern is one train every two hours in each direction, southwards to Milford Haven railway station and northwards to Manchester Piccadilly via , and ....
) - Cardiff Central – Newport – Cwmbran – Hereford – Shrewsbury – Wrexham GeneralWrexhamWrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
– ChesterChester railway stationChester railway station is a railway station in Newtown in the city of Chester, England. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although Merseyrail, Northern Rail and Virgin Trains also run services from the station. It is situated to the north-east of the city centre...
– RhylRhyl railway stationRhyl railway station is on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line and serves the major holiday resort of Rhyl.The station was once the junction for a branch line to Denbigh , but this was closed to passengers in September 1955.Ticket barriers are in operation at this station...
– BangorBangor (Gwynedd) railway stationBangor railway station in Bangor, Gwynedd is the last mainland station on the London Euston to Holyhead North Wales Coast line. The station is 40 km east of Holyhead....
– HolyheadHolyhead railway stationHolyhead railway station serves the town of Holyhead on Holy Island, Anglesey. It is the western terminus of the North Wales Coast Line and is managed by Arriva Trains Wales, although Virgin Trains also serves it.... - MaestegMaestegMaesteg is a town and community in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. Maesteg lies at the northernmost end of the Llynfi Valley, close to the border with Neath Port Talbot. In 2001, Maesteg had a population of 17,859, but it is now at an estimate of 20,000....
– BridgendBridgendBridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
– Cardiff Central – Newport – ChepstowChepstow railway stationChepstow railway station is a part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales. Chepstow station is on the Gloucester to Newport Line. It is located within of the town centre, at Station Road, Chepstow...
– GloucesterGloucester railway stationGloucester railway station serves the city of Gloucester in England. The station was originally built as the terminus of the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway in 1840, but the arrival of the Bristol and Gloucester Railway and Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway in 1844, and then conversion...
– Cheltenham SpaCheltenham Spa railway stationCheltenham Spa railway station is in Gloucestershire, England, on the Bristol-Birmingham main line. It is managed by First Great Western and is about one mile from the town centre.-History:...
- Manchester Piccadilly – Crewe
- CrossCountryCrossCountryCrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
- Cardiff Central – Newport – Gloucester – Cheltenham Spa – Birmingham New Street – Nottingham
Newport railway station underwent a £22 million refurbishment programme, completed in time for the Ryder Cup in October 2010
2010 Ryder Cup
The 38th Ryder Cup matches were held 2010 at the Celtic Manor Resort in the city of Newport, Wales. It was the first time the competition was staged in Wales. With the USA as the defending Cup holder the event was played on the newly-constructed Twenty 10 course, specifically designed for the...
. The project introduced a futuristic new passenger terminal and bridge, whilst restoring the 19th-century features of the site. The new complex, west of the old station entrance, includes two terminals, new terminal buildings and a public footbridge, a new passenger footbridge, a new taxi area and short-stay car park, and a 250-space passenger car park.
Air
The nearest airport with scheduled domestic and international flights is Cardiff Airport, 30 miles (48 km) south west of Newport.In 2003, a proposal for a new Severnside airport near Newport was rejected by the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
. The airport would have featured runways on a man-made island in the Severn Estuary
Severn Estuary
The Severn Estuary is the estuary of the River Severn, the longest river in Great Britain. Its high tidal range means it has been at the centre of discussions in the UK regarding renewable energy.-Geography:...
.
Bridges in Newport
Newport has nine public bridges spanning the River Usk, connecting the east and west of the city. From north to south they are: Caerleon BridgeCaerleon Bridge
Caerleon Bridge is a bridge crossing of the River Usk at Caerleon in the city of Newport, United Kingdom.The stone built bridge was opened in 1806 as a replacement for the previous wooden bridge, it carries the B4236 road from Caerleon-ultra-Pontem into Caerleon itself...
, St. Julian's railway bridge
St. Julian's railway bridge
The St. Julian's railway bridge is a crossing of the River Usk in the city of Newport, South Wales.It carries the Welsh Marches Line across the river in a north—south direction...
, M4 motorway Usk bridge
M4 motorway Usk bridge
The M4 motorway Usk bridge carries the M4 motorway across the River Usk in the city of Newport in the United Kingdom.*The bridge is actually two separate bridges for the eastbound and westbound carriageways....
, Great Western Railway Usk bridge
Great Western Railway Usk bridge
The Great Western Railway Usk bridge is a crossing of the River Usk in Newport city centre, Wales. It carries the Great Western Main Line across the river in an east—west direction....
, Newport Bridge
Newport Bridge, Newport
Newport Bridge connects High Street and Clarence Place across the River Usk adjacent to Newport Castle in Newport city centre.- The 1800 bridge :...
, Newport City footbridge
Newport City footbridge
The Newport City footbridge is a pedestrian/cycle bridge over the River Usk in the city of Newport, United Kingdom.The bridge links the east bank of the river in the vicinity of Colne Street in Maindee to a new public space called Usk Place/University Plaza on the west bank. It is the first major...
, George Street Bridge, City Bridge
City Bridge
City Bridge is a crossing of the River Usk in the city of Newport, South Wales. It was opened in 2004 as part of the construction/re-generation of the Southern Distributor Road/A48 in Newport....
and Transporter Bridge
Newport Transporter Bridge
The Newport Transporter Bridge is a transporter bridge that crosses the River Usk in Newport, South Wales. It is a Grade I listed structure. Designed by French engineer Ferdinand Arnodin, it was built in 1906 and opened by Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar on 12 September 1906...
. In addition, the Twenty Ten Bridge at the Celtic Manor Resort
Celtic Manor Resort
The Celtic Manor Resort is a golf-centric hotel and leisure resort in Newport, south Wales. It consists of two adjoining hotels, a country inn, two golf and country clubs, and a multi-purpose conference centre...
is a private footbridge crossing the River Usk north of Caerleon Bridge.
Notable buildings and structures
See the following categories:- Buildings and structures in Newport
- Landmarks in Newport
- Visitor attractions in Newport
Many of the landmarks of Newport are in Newport city centre
Newport city centre
Newport city centre is traditionally regarded as the area of Newport bounded by the west bank of the River Usk, the George Street Bridge, the eastern flank of Stow Hill and the Great Western Main Line. Most of the city centre is contained within two conservation areas: the central area and the area...
or within a short walking distance of the centre; the Railway station
Newport railway station
Newport railway station is the 3rd busiest railway station in Wales , situated in Newport city centre. It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although First Great Western and CrossCountry also provide services...
, Bus station
Newport bus station
Newport bus station is a bus terminus located in the city centre, Newport, South Wales. It is the largest road transport hub for public services in the county.-Layout:...
, Castle
Newport Castle
Newport Castle is a castle ruin in the city of Newport, South Wales and is a Grade II* Listed building. It is the castle that gives Newport its original and real name in the Welsh language, Castell Newydd, shortened to Casnewydd...
, Westgate Hotel
Westgate Hotel
The Westgate Hotel is a historic building in Newport city centre and is famous as the scene of the 1839 Chartist riot, the so-called Newport Rising.It is located at the bottom Stow Hill.-Building history:...
, Market
Newport Market
Newport Market is a traditional Victorian indoor market, built in 1854 in Newport, South Wales.It is an early example of a large-span cast iron-frame building featuring a glass-filled barrel roof...
, Cathedral
Newport Cathedral
Newport Cathedral in the city of Newport in South Wales is the cathedral of the Diocese of Monmouth, in the Church in Wales, and seat of the Bishop of Monmouth. The full title is Newport Cathedral, Woolos, King & Confessor...
, Transporter Bridge
Newport Transporter Bridge
The Newport Transporter Bridge is a transporter bridge that crosses the River Usk in Newport, South Wales. It is a Grade I listed structure. Designed by French engineer Ferdinand Arnodin, it was built in 1906 and opened by Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar on 12 September 1906...
, Newport Bridge
Newport Bridge, Newport
Newport Bridge connects High Street and Clarence Place across the River Usk adjacent to Newport Castle in Newport city centre.- The 1800 bridge :...
, Newport City footbridge
Newport City footbridge
The Newport City footbridge is a pedestrian/cycle bridge over the River Usk in the city of Newport, United Kingdom.The bridge links the east bank of the river in the vicinity of Colne Street in Maindee to a new public space called Usk Place/University Plaza on the west bank. It is the first major...
, George Street Bridge, City Bridge
City Bridge
City Bridge is a crossing of the River Usk in the city of Newport, South Wales. It was opened in 2004 as part of the construction/re-generation of the Southern Distributor Road/A48 in Newport....
, University of Wales
University of Wales, Newport
The University of Wales, Newport is a university based in Newport, South Wales. The university has two campuses; Caerleon on the northern outskirts of the city and a £35 million campus on the banks of the River Usk in Newport city centre opened in 2011...
, Riverfront Arts Centre
Riverfront Arts Centre
The Riverfront is the principal and newest theatre and arts centre in the City of Newport, South Wales. It is located on the west bank of the River Usk on the Bristol Packet Wharf in the city centre...
, Dolman Theatre
Dolman Theatre
The Dolman Theatre is located in the city of Newport, Wales, United Kingdom. The theatre was formally an integral part of Kingsway Shopping Centre until major restructuring of the shopping centre forced what was the main entrance of the theatre to be closed; the theatre was refurbished in 2005,...
, Newport Centre
Newport Centre
The Newport Centre is the biggest leisure centre in the city of Newport in the United Kingdom. The Newport Centre is located in the city centre adjacent to the Kingsway Shopping Centre. It holds events such as concerts, conferences and exhibitions. The centre hosts the Welsh Open snooker...
, Civic Centre
Newport Civic Centre
Newport Civic Centre is the seat of government for the city of Newport, South Wales and is a Grade II* Listed building in the Art Deco style. Newport City Council has its main offices located in the building which also includes Magistrates' Courts and a Crown Court complex...
, Newport Technical Institute
Newport Technical Institute
Newport Technical Institute is a Grade II-listed building in the city centre of Newport, Wales.The red-brick building with a copper dome stands in Clarence Place on the east bank of the River Usk, close to Newport Bridge. It was built on land purchased from Lord Tredegar and opened in September 1910...
(former Art College), Shire Hall
Shire Hall, Newport
The Shire Hall is a building in Newport, Wales which served as the County Hall for Monmouthshire until the Monmouth County Council was wound up in 1974. It continued to be used as local government headquarters until 1978 and has subsequently been converted into offices...
, Belle Vue Park
Belle Vue Park
Belle Vue Park is a large Victorian public park in the west side of the city of Newport in South Wales. It was awarded a prestigious Green Flag Award on July 17, 2008-Features:...
, Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, south Wales. Located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre it is primarily used for rugby matches and is the home ground of Newport RFC and the Newport Gwent Dragons regional team.-History:...
, the Crown Court
Newport Crown Court
Newport Crown Court is a Crown Court venue in the city of Newport, South Wales. It is located to the front of the Civic Centre complex. The Crown Court is part of the Wales Circuit of Her Majesty's Courts Service....
and Royal Gwent Hospital
Royal Gwent Hospital
The Royal Gwent Hospital is the principal hospital in the city of Newport and the ancient county of Monmouthshire. It is located on Cardiff Road near the city centre...
.
Other landmarks include:
- John Frost Square – shopping square named after the Chartist John FrostJohn Frost (Chartist)John Frost was a prominent Welsh leader of the British Chartist movement in the Newport Rising....
. - Cenotaph, Newport – World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
memorial in Clarence Place. - Masonic Hall, Newport – Grade II-listed building in Upper Dock Street.
- Corn Exchange, Newport – retained façadeFacadeA facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
of the former corn exchange building in High Street. - Newport Arcade – VictorianVictorian eraThe Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
arcadeArcade (architecture)An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
linking High Street to Cambrian Road. - Market Arcade – Victorian arcade linking High Street to Market Street.
- Ye Olde Murenger House – public house in High Street dated c.CircaCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1530. The Murenger was the person in charge of the walls of a town or its repairs. - Burton Almshouses, Newport – Almhouses located on Friars Road, built 1900.
- The Old Rising Sun – former public house on Shaftesbury Street, Shaftesbury, NewportShaftesbury, NewportShaftesbury is an electoral district and coterminous community parish of the city of Newport, South Wales.The ward is bounded by the River Usk to the east and southeast, the Great Western Main Line to the south, the A4042 road to the southwest as far as the Harlequin intersection, at which point...
– currently being redeveloped as a restaurant. - West Usk Lighthouse – operating as a hotel.
- Beechwood House – at Beechwood Park.
- Brynglas House – operating as an adult-education centre.
- St. Mary the Virgin – parish church of NashNash, NewportNash is a village and community parish to the south of the city of Newport, south-east Wales, in the Liswerry ward.- Origin of the name :...
near Newport, originating from the 12th century, rebuilt in the 16th century - Lysaght's Institute - former working mens club for steelworkers when the steel plant moved from WolverhamptonWolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, currently under renovation, built 1928
Shopping
- See also :Category:Shopping in Newport
City centre
The main shopping streets of Newport city centreNewport city centre
Newport city centre is traditionally regarded as the area of Newport bounded by the west bank of the River Usk, the George Street Bridge, the eastern flank of Stow Hill and the Great Western Main Line. Most of the city centre is contained within two conservation areas: the central area and the area...
are pedestrianised and include High Street, Newport Arcade, Market Arcade, Commercial Street, Skinner Street, Bridge Street, Upper Dock Street, Market Street, Griffin Street, Corn Street, Cambrian Road, Hill Street, Llanarth Street and John Frost Square.
The five roads of Commercial Street, Stow Hill, Bridge Street, High Street and Skinner Street converge at Westgate Square (named after the Westgate Hotel
John Frost (Chartist)
John Frost was a prominent Welsh leader of the British Chartist movement in the Newport Rising....
) and this is generally regarded as the central point the city.
The Kingsway Shopping Centre
Kingsway Shopping Centre
The Kingsway Shopping Centre is the principal under-cover shopping centre in the city of Newport, Wales. It has several levels and includes a range of high street shops and privately-owned boutiques. It is also home to the city's museum, art gallery and Newport Central library...
is an indoor shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
. Newport Market
Newport Market
Newport Market is a traditional Victorian indoor market, built in 1854 in Newport, South Wales.It is an early example of a large-span cast iron-frame building featuring a glass-filled barrel roof...
is an indoor market on two floors with outlets for produce and general products.
Retail parks
Outside of the city centre large retail parkRetail park
In the United Kingdom, a retail park is a grouping of many retail warehouses and superstores with associated car parking. Its North American equivalent is a power centre. Retail parks are found on the fringes of most large towns and cities in highly accessible locations and are aimed at households...
s are established off the Southern Distributor Road
Southern Distributor Road
The Southern Distributor Road is a principal distributor road in Newport that runs from the Coldra roundabout in the east of Newport to Tredegar Park M4 Junction 28) in the west of Newport and includes City Bridge, a bow-string arch bridge spanning the River Usk...
:
- Newport Retail ParkNewport Retail ParkNewport Retail and Leisure Park is an out-of-town shopping centre in the city of Newport, South Wales. It is located in the Lliswerry area of the city and is accessed via the Southern Distributor Road .The retail park is large and is home to many shop units, car sales garages and restaurants...
is to the east at LiswerryLiswerryLiswerry , also spelt Lliswerry, is both an electoral district and community of the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Community boundaries :...
– M4 motorwayM4 motorwayThe M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
Junction 24 (Coldra), then A48 (Ringland Way/Spytty Road). - Three retail parks (Harlech, Maesglas and 28 East) around MaesglasMaesglasMaesglas is a neighbourhood in the south west of the city of Newport, South Wales. In the 16th century it was known as Greenfield but in later years the Welsh language Maesglas has come to be more widely used....
to the west of the city – M4 motorway Junction 28 (Tredegar Park), then A48.
Education
- See also :Category:Education in Newport
Newport is home to the University of Wales, Newport
University of Wales, Newport
The University of Wales, Newport is a university based in Newport, South Wales. The university has two campuses; Caerleon on the northern outskirts of the city and a £35 million campus on the banks of the River Usk in Newport city centre opened in 2011...
which has two campuses in the city – one in Caerleon
Caerleon
Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
and the other in the Newport city centre
Newport city centre
Newport city centre is traditionally regarded as the area of Newport bounded by the west bank of the River Usk, the George Street Bridge, the eastern flank of Stow Hill and the Great Western Main Line. Most of the city centre is contained within two conservation areas: the central area and the area...
. The university can trace its roots to the founding of the Newport Mechanics Institute in 1841. Newport School of Art, Media and Design was one of the first Art Schools to be awarded degree status in 1973 and enjoyed a high reputation in painting, Fine Art and sculpture throughout the 1960s and 1970s. It is still highly regarded however, especially in Documentary Photography.
Newport also has the further-education Coleg Gwent
Coleg Gwent
Coleg Gwent is Wales' largest further education college.It has more than 35,000 students ranging from secondary school leavers to mature students...
City of Newport Campus, informally known as Nash
Nash, Newport
Nash is a village and community parish to the south of the city of Newport, south-east Wales, in the Liswerry ward.- Origin of the name :...
College, in Liswerry
Liswerry
Liswerry , also spelt Lliswerry, is both an electoral district and community of the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Community boundaries :...
. Brynglas
Brynglas
Brynglas is an area of the city of Newport, South Wales, United Kingdom.- Location :Brynglas is situated above the M4 motorway in Newport and famous on traffic reports of congestion at the Brynglas Tunnels.- Amenities & history :...
House is currently an Adult Education Centre.
Newport has eight state comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
s, and one independent comprehensive school. All schools are governed by Newport Local Education Authority. Education is generally conducted in English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
but in schools at least a mandatory Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
content must be provided under the Welsh education curriculum.
Newport has two Welsh-medium
Welsh medium education
Education delivered through the medium of the Welsh language is known as Welsh medium education .Welsh medium education should be distinguished from the teaching of Welsh as an academic subject. Welsh as a subject is taught as first language in Welsh medium schools...
primary schools; Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd in Hartridge
Ringland, Newport
Ringland is both an electoral ward and community parish of the city of Newport, South Wales.The ward is bounded by Ringland Way to the east, the southern boundary of Hartridge High School to the south, Balfe Rd, Aberthaw Rd, Ringland Circle, Ringwood Avenue, across Chepstow Rd, Mountbatten close...
and Ysgol Gymraeg Ifor Hael in Bettws
Bettws, Newport
Bettws is an electoral ward and coterminous community of the city of Newport, South Wales. It is one of the largest modern housing estates in Europe....
. Newport City Council have conducted recent consultations on demand for Welsh-medium education within the city and a third primary school is expected in the near future, as well as plans for a secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
at some stage. The nearest Welsh-medium secondary school is Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw
Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw
' is a Welsh-medium comprehensive school located in Trevethin, Pontypool in Torfaen, Wales and named for Saint Gwynllyw.- History :The school was founded in 1988 as the first Welsh-medium school in the former Gwent LEA area and is housed in accommodation previously used for Trevethin Comprehensive...
in Trevethin
Trevethin
Trevethin is a community of Pontypool in Torfaen, Wales.-History and amenities:It is a modern suburb, built around a small village in the 1960s and '70s and is all but merged with nearby Penygarn. In 2005 it was announced that the district's local school, Trevethin Community School, was to close....
, Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
.
The Hartridge Football Academy is based at Hartridge High School. It was established in 1998 as a partnership of Newport County Football Club
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
and Newport City Council. The academy has a development programme of around 50 students undertaking sporting qualifications. The students compete in the South West Counties League as Newport County's youth team.
Culture and arts
- See also :Category:Culture in Newport and :Category:Music venues in Newport
Newport Transporter Bridge
Newport Transporter Bridge
The Newport Transporter Bridge is a transporter bridge that crosses the River Usk in Newport, South Wales. It is a Grade I listed structure. Designed by French engineer Ferdinand Arnodin, it was built in 1906 and opened by Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar on 12 September 1906...
is one of the few remaining working bridges of its type in the world and featured in the film Tiger Bay
Tiger Bay (film)
Tiger Bay is a 1959 British crime drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson and produced and co-written by John Hawkesworth. It stars John Mills as a police superintendent who investigates a murder, his daughter Hayley Mills, in her first major film role, as a girl who witnesses the murder, and Horst...
. Visitors can travel on the suspended cradle most days and can walk over the top of the steel framework on bank holidays. The only other British example is Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge
Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge
The Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge or Tees Transporter Bridge is the furthest downstream bridge across the River Tees, England. It connects Middlesbrough, on the south bank, to Port Clarence, on the north bank. It is a transporter bridge, carrying a travelling 'car', or 'gondola', suspended from...
. Open days are occasionally held to view the renovation of the historically important Newport ship
Newport ship
The Newport Ship is a fifteenth-century sailing vessel discovered by archaeologists in June 2002 in the city of Newport, South Wales. It was found on the west bank of the River Usk, which runs through the city centre, during the building of the Riverfront Arts Centre; from which process it...
.
Newport has a modern purpose-built theatre and arts venue, the Riverfront Arts Centre
Riverfront Arts Centre
The Riverfront is the principal and newest theatre and arts centre in the City of Newport, South Wales. It is located on the west bank of the River Usk on the Bristol Packet Wharf in the city centre...
and regular productions at the Dolman Theatre
Dolman Theatre
The Dolman Theatre is located in the city of Newport, Wales, United Kingdom. The theatre was formally an integral part of Kingsway Shopping Centre until major restructuring of the shopping centre forced what was the main entrance of the theatre to be closed; the theatre was refurbished in 2005,...
. People born in Newport include film director Peter Greenaway
Peter Greenaway
Peter Greenaway, CBE is a British film director. His films are noted for the distinct influence of Renaissance and Baroque painting, and Flemish painting in particular...
CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, author Leslie Thomas
Leslie Thomas
Leslie Thomas, OBE is a British author.- Virgin Soldiers :His novels about 1950s British National Service such as "The Virgin Soldiers" spawned two film versions, in 1969 and 1977, whilst his Tropic of Ruislip and Dangerous Davies, The Last Detective have been adapted for television Leslie...
OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, actors Michael Sheen
Michael Sheen
Michael Christopher Sheen, OBE , is a Welsh stage and screen actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England and made his professional debut opposite Vanessa Redgrave in When She Danced at the Globe Theatre in 1991...
OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, Desmond Llewellyn, and musicians Grant Nicholas
Grant Nicholas
Grant Nicholas is a Welsh musician, best known as the lead singer and lead guitarist of the rock band Feeder, along with bassist Taka Hirose and drummer Karl Brazil.-Early years:...
and Jon Lee of the rock band Feeder
Feeder
-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...
.
The city's works of civic art include the giant steel Wave on the banks of the River Usk
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
, tiled murals at the Civic Centre
Newport Civic Centre
Newport Civic Centre is the seat of government for the city of Newport, South Wales and is a Grade II* Listed building in the Art Deco style. Newport City Council has its main offices located in the building which also includes Magistrates' Courts and a Crown Court complex...
, Old Green Interchange and John Frost Square
John Dutton Frost
Major General John Dutton Frost CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DL was a British airborne officer best known for being the leader of the small group of airborne forces that actually got to Arnhem bridge during the Battle of Arnhem...
plus a number of statues dotted around the city centre including one in Commercial Street commemorating the work of poet W. H. Davies
W. H. Davies
William Henry Davies or W. H. Davies was a Welsh poet and writer. Davies spent a significant part of his life as a tramp or vagabond in the United States and United Kingdom, but became known as one of the most popular poets of his time...
who was born in Newport. Davies is best known for his poem Leisure
Leisure (poem)
Leisure is a poem by Welsh poet William Henry Davies, appearing originally in his Songs Of Joy and Others, published in 1911 by A. C. Fifield and then in Davies' first anthology Collected Poems, also published by Fifield in 1916.-Structure:...
; "What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare".
Newport has three major museums: Newport Museum
Newport Museum
Newport Museum is a museum and art gallery in the city of Newport, Wales. It is located in Newport city centre on John Frost Square and is adjoined to the Kingsway Shopping Centre.-The museum collection:...
in the city centre and at Caerleon
Caerleon
Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
the National Roman Legion Museum
National Roman Legion Museum
The National Roman Legion Museum is one of the National Museums of Wales. It is located in Caerleon in the city of Newport, south-east Wales .-Background and History:...
and Roman Baths Museum
Roman Baths Museum
The Roman Baths Museum is located in Caerleon in the city of Newport, south-east Wales.-Background and history:Roman Wales was the farthest point west that the Roman Empire in Roman Britain extended to, and as a defence point the fortress at Caerleon, built in 75 AD, was one of only three permanent...
. In July each year an Arts festival is held in Caerleon and Roman Military re-enactment in the amphitheatre, the largest restored amphitheatre in Britain. The remains of the Roman baths, barracks and fortress walls of Isca Augusta
Isca Augusta
Isca Augusta was a Roman legionary fortress and settlement, the remains of which lie beneath parts of the present-day village of Caerleon on the northern outskirts of the city of Newport in South Wales.-Name:...
can be seen at Caerleon. Caerleon also has literary associations to the legend of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
through Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
and later Arthur Machen
Arthur Machen
Arthur Machen was a Welsh author and mystic of the 1890s and early 20th century. He is best known for his influential supernatural, fantasy, and horror fiction. His novella The Great God Pan has garnered a reputation as a classic of horror...
(who was born in Caerleon) and Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote his Idylls of the King
Idylls of the King
Idylls of the King, published between 1856 and 1885, is a cycle of twelve narrative poems by the English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson which retells the legend of King Arthur, his knights, his love for Guinevere and her tragic betrayal of him, and the rise and fall of Arthur's kingdom...
in Caerleon.
The Newport Festival runs throughout the summer months with a large number of events being staged in the city centre and elsewhere in the city.
Set in a 90 acre (360,000 m²) park, Tredegar House
Tredegar House
Tredegar House in Newport, set in the 90 acre Tredegar Park, is one of the best examples of a 17th century Charles II country house mansion in the United Kingdom.-History of the Building:...
is an example of a 17th century Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
mansion in Britain. The earliest surviving part of the building dates back to the late 15th century. For over five hundred years, it was home to the Morgans – later Lords Tredegar
Baron Tredegar
Baron Tredegar, of Tredegar in the County of Monmouth, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.It was created in 1859 for the Welsh politician Sir Charles Morgan, 3rd Baronet, who had earlier represented Brecon in Parliament. His eldest son, Charles Rodney Morgan, sat as Member of...
– until they left in 1951. The house was then bought by the Catholic Church and used as a girls' school until it was bought by the council in 1974, giving rise to its present status as the "grandest council house in Britain".
The city has many pubs, bars and nightclubs. The most famous of these was probably T. J.'s, an alternative music club where it is claimed that Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
of Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
proposed to Courtney Love
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
, which closed in 2010. T. J.'s was voted one of the top 50 'Big Nights Out' in the world by FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
in December 1997. Newport Centre
Newport Centre
The Newport Centre is the biggest leisure centre in the city of Newport in the United Kingdom. The Newport Centre is located in the city centre adjacent to the Kingsway Shopping Centre. It holds events such as concerts, conferences and exhibitions. The centre hosts the Welsh Open snooker...
and the Riverfront Arts Centre
Riverfront Arts Centre
The Riverfront is the principal and newest theatre and arts centre in the City of Newport, South Wales. It is located on the west bank of the River Usk on the Bristol Packet Wharf in the city centre...
are popular concert venues. Other live music venues in the city centre include Six Feet Under, Le Pub, Riverside Tavern, The Potters and The Royal British Legion. Outdoor music events are held in the summer months at Beechwood Park
Beechwood Park
Beechwood Park is a large public park situated in the Beechwood area on the east side of the city of Newport, South Wales.Beechwood House was built as a private residence by George Fothergill, a former Mayor of Newport. In 1900 the Beechwood estate was purchased by Newport Corporation and opened as...
, Belle Vue Park
Belle Vue Park
Belle Vue Park is a large Victorian public park in the west side of the city of Newport in South Wales. It was awarded a prestigious Green Flag Award on July 17, 2008-Features:...
, Newport Stadium
Newport Stadium
Newport Stadium is a football and athletics stadium in Newport, Wales. It is currently the home of Newport County A.F.C., Llanwern F.C. and Newport Harriers Athletic Club. Albion Rovers F.C...
and the Pillgwenlly
Pillgwenlly
Pillgwenlly is an electoral district and coterminous community parish in the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Origin of the name :...
carnival.
Newport hosted the National Eisteddfod of Wales
National Eisteddfod of Wales
The National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
in 1897, 1988 and 2004.
City of Newport Male Choir is one of the leading male voice choirs in the region and has discussed touring with Diversions the Dance Company of Wales
Diversions the Dance Company of Wales
National Dance Company Wales , formerly Diversions, is the national dance company of Wales. It was established in 1983 by Roy Campbell-Moore and Ann Sholem and is funded by the Arts Council of Wales...
.
Newport is the subject of a 2010 song "Newport (Ymerodraeth State of Mind)
Newport (Ymerodraeth State of Mind)
The music video "Newport " is a parody of the Jay-Z and Alicia Keys song "Empire State of Mind," replacing references to the "Empire State" of New York with references to the city of Newport in South Wales...
", a parody of the Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
song "Empire State of Mind
Empire State of Mind
"Empire State of Mind" is a song by American rapper and hip hop artist Jay-Z, featuring vocals and a chorus from R&B and soul singer Alicia Keys. It was released as the third single from Jay-Z's 11th studio album The Blueprint 3 by his Roc Nation label in October 2009...
." The video went viral
Viral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
, was featured on BBC News, and by August 2010, nearly 2.5 million people had watched it on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. YouTube removed the video due to a copyright claim by music publishers. Newport-based rap group Goldie Lookin Chain
Goldie Lookin Chain
Goldie Lookin Chain is a comedic rap music group based in Newport, South Wales. The group produces humorous, controversial and often explicit songs that satirise hip hop, today's consumer society, the ‘chav’ culture and life in Newport and south Wales in general.-Background:Many of the songs...
released a 'parody of a parody' video in response, alleging that their rivals lacked local knowledge.
As part of the city's "Big Splash" festival, on 30 August 2010, 45 year-old French circus star Olivier Roustan from Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, performed the highest ever wirewalk in Europe, along the top cable of the Newport City Footbridge.
Newport hosted an outdoor art exhibition called "SuperDragons" in 2010 which displayed 60 large dragons decorated by local community groups.
Parks and playing fields
- See also :Category:Parks in Newport
The main municipal park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s in Newport are Tredegar Park
Tredegar Park
Tredegar Park is a large municipal park located near the housing estates of Duffryn, Maesglas, and Gaer in the city of Newport in South Wales.- History :...
, Belle Vue Park
Belle Vue Park
Belle Vue Park is a large Victorian public park in the west side of the city of Newport in South Wales. It was awarded a prestigious Green Flag Award on July 17, 2008-Features:...
and Beechwood Park
Beechwood Park
Beechwood Park is a large public park situated in the Beechwood area on the east side of the city of Newport, South Wales.Beechwood House was built as a private residence by George Fothergill, a former Mayor of Newport. In 1900 the Beechwood estate was purchased by Newport Corporation and opened as...
. The main municipal playing field
Playing field
A playing field is a field used for playing sports or games. They are generally outdoors, but many large structures exist to enclose playing fields from bad weather. Generally, playing fields are wide expanses of grass, dirt or sand without many obstructions...
s are at Tredegar Park, Coronation Park, Glebelands, Pillgwenlly
Pillgwenlly
Pillgwenlly is an electoral district and coterminous community parish in the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Origin of the name :...
sports ground, Kimberley Park, Shaftesbury Park and Caerleon
Caerleon
Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
Broadway.
Walking, cycling and leisure sports
Caldicot and Wentloog Levels
The Caldicot and Wentloog Levels are two areas of low-lying estuarine alluvial wetland and intertidal mudflats adjoining the north bank of the Severn estuary, either side of the River Usk estuary near Newport in south east Wales...
and Newport Wetlands Reserve
Newport Wetlands Reserve
Newport Wetlands Reserve is a wildlife reserve between Uskmouth, Nash and Goldcliff, in the south-east of the city of Newport, South Wales.- History :...
. A Local Nature Reserve
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
is established at Allt-yr-yn
Allt-yr-yn
Allt-yr-yn is a suburb of the city of Newport, south-east Wales.Pronounced by English-speaking locals as "Olt-er-reen", the spelling should include two Ns at the end, as "Allt-yr-ynn"...
.
Newport City footbridge
Newport City footbridge
The Newport City footbridge is a pedestrian/cycle bridge over the River Usk in the city of Newport, United Kingdom.The bridge links the east bank of the river in the vicinity of Colne Street in Maindee to a new public space called Usk Place/University Plaza on the west bank. It is the first major...
is a cycle and pedestrian bridge in Newport city centre linking the east and west banks of the River Usk. A cycle and pedestrian walkway on the west bank of the River Usk links Newport city centre
Newport city centre
Newport city centre is traditionally regarded as the area of Newport bounded by the west bank of the River Usk, the George Street Bridge, the eastern flank of Stow Hill and the Great Western Main Line. Most of the city centre is contained within two conservation areas: the central area and the area...
at Crindau
Crindau
Crindau is an older inner-city area just north of the city centre in Newport in south-east Wales. It lies within the Shaftesbury electoral district and community ....
to central Caerleon. There is a marked heritage trail in Caerleon. A cycle and pedestrian walkway along the east bank of the River Usk links Newport Bridge
Newport Bridge, Newport
Newport Bridge connects High Street and Clarence Place across the River Usk adjacent to Newport Castle in Newport city centre.- The 1800 bridge :...
to Liswerry
Liswerry
Liswerry , also spelt Lliswerry, is both an electoral district and community of the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Community boundaries :...
.
The Celtic Trail cycle route
Celtic Trail cycle route
The Celtic Trail is a network of dedicated cycle routes in the National Cycle Network, crossing West, South and Mid Wales, and covering 377 miles in total. It is divided into east and west sections. The west section links Pembroke and Fishguard on the west coast to Swansea, and the east section...
and National Cycle Route 4 passes through Newport.
The main municipal leisure sports facilities are based at Newport Centre
Newport Centre
The Newport Centre is the biggest leisure centre in the city of Newport in the United Kingdom. The Newport Centre is located in the city centre adjacent to the Kingsway Shopping Centre. It holds events such as concerts, conferences and exhibitions. The centre hosts the Welsh Open snooker...
in the city centre, Newport International Sports Village
Newport International Sports Village
Newport International Sports Village is an area of multiple sport facilities, located in the southeast of Newport, Wales, near the A48 Southern Distributor Road. It is known locally as Spytty Park, the name coming from the original Spytty Fields on which it is built.The village includes the Wales...
at Liswerry
Liswerry
Liswerry , also spelt Lliswerry, is both an electoral district and community of the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Community boundaries :...
and the Newport Active Living Centre at Bettws
Bettws, Newport
Bettws is an electoral ward and coterminous community of the city of Newport, South Wales. It is one of the largest modern housing estates in Europe....
. There is a purpose-built indoor bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
arena at the Glebelands.
Rugby
The exploits of Newport RFC were once world-renowned. One of the few clubs to have beaten all the major southern hemisphere touring sides, they were the only side to beat the Invincible All BlacksAll Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
of 1962—63. Amongst the names associated with the club are Arthur 'Monkey' Gould, the first Rugby Union superstar, and David Watkins, the only man to have captained Great Britain at rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
. Since the regionalisation of Welsh club rugby in 2003, Newport RFC play in the Welsh Premier Division
Welsh Premier Division
The Welsh Premier Division is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented by the Welsh Rugby Union for the 1990–91 season.-Competition history:...
and operate as a feeder club to Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
who play in the Celtic League
Celtic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
. Both Newport RFC and Newport Gwent Dragons play at Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, south Wales. Located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre it is primarily used for rugby matches and is the home ground of Newport RFC and the Newport Gwent Dragons regional team.-History:...
near Newport city centre. Nine other rugby union teams playing in the Welsh League are based in Newport; Newport Saracens
Newport Saracens RFC
Newport Saracens RFC are a Welsh rugby union club based in Newport in South Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons....
, Pill Harriers
Pill Harriers RFC
Pill Harriers RFC are a Welsh rugby union club based in Newport in South Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons..-Club origins:...
, Newport High School Old Boys
Newport HSOB RFC
Newport High School Old Boys are a Welsh rugby union club based in Caerleon on the northern outskirts of Newport in South Wales. They currently play in the Welsh Rugby Union Division Three and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons....
, Bettws
Bettws RFC
Bettws Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in Bettws, Newport in South Wales. They currently play in the Welsh Rugby Union Division Five East....
, Caerleon, Hartridge, Rogerstone, St Julians High School Old Boys and Whiteheads.
Newport's rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
club are called the Newport Titans
Newport Titans
Titans RLFC are a rugby league side who play out of Machen RFC in Machen, South Wales. They play in the Welsh Premier of the Rugby League Conference.-History:...
and play in the Welsh Conference Premier
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
.
Football
Newport's best known association football club is Newport CountyNewport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
, who were formed in 1912 and joined the Football League in 1920. Although currently playing in the Football Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
, Newport County have played in the second tier of English football and spent 60 seasons in the Football League, reached the last 16 of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and the quarter finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
. They were relegated from the Football League in 1988 and went bankrupt the following year. The club re-formed shortly afterwards and entered the English league pyramid system at a much lower level. The club achieved promotion to the Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
for the 2010–11 season
2010–11 Newport County A.F.C. season
The 2010–11 season was Newport County's first season back in the Conference National since the club was expelled mid-season in 1989. County confirmed promotion on 15 March the previous season — the first team in senior football in Britain to do so...
, the same level they played at prior to bankruptcy in 1989.
Newport is also home to four teams that play in the Welsh Football League
Welsh Football League
The Welsh Football League is a club football league in Wales. Division One of the Welsh Football League is at Level 2 of the Welsh football league system, immediately below the national Welsh Premier League.The Welsh Football League's history stretches back to 1904 when the competition was first...
; Caerleon
Caerleon A.F.C.
Caerleon Association Football Club is an association football club based in the Roman village of Caerleon on the northern outskirts of the City of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon resided in the Welsh Football League Division One for numerous seasons but were relegated to Division Two for the 2010–11...
, Newport YMCA
Newport YMCA A.F.C.
Newport YMCA Association Football Club are a football team based in Newport, south Wales. They currently play in the Welsh Football League Second Division....
, Llanwern and Newport Civil Service
Newport Civil Service F.C.
Newport Civil Service F.C. is a Welsh football club based in the Bettws area of the City of Newport. The team currently play in the Welsh Football League Division Three.-Rival clubs:* Newport YMCA* Caerleon* Llanwern* Cwmbran Celtic* Cwmbran Town...
. The city has its own league, the Newport and District Football League
Newport and District Football League
The Newport and District Football League is a football league covering the city of Newport and surrounding areas in South Wales...
, which is part of the Welsh football league system
Welsh football league system
The Welsh football league system is a series of football leagues with regular promotion and relegation between them.-Structure of Welsh football:...
and consequently some Newport clubs field teams in the Gwent County League
Gwent County League
The Gwent County League is a football league in South Wales, consisting of 3 divisions, named Divisions One, Two and Three...
. Lovell's Athletic
Lovells Athletic F.C.
Lovell's Athletic F.C. was the works team for Lovell's sweet factory in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales, which played professional football from 1918 until 1969.-History:...
were a fairly well known team in the mid-20th century – due to the suspension of League football during the Second World War they were the premier team in the city, as Newport County did not field a side. During this period they managed to reach the 3rd round of the FA Cup in the 1945–46 season.
The Football Association of Wales
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
' National Football Centre is planned to be built at the Newport International Sports Village
Newport International Sports Village
Newport International Sports Village is an area of multiple sport facilities, located in the southeast of Newport, Wales, near the A48 Southern Distributor Road. It is known locally as Spytty Park, the name coming from the original Spytty Fields on which it is built.The village includes the Wales...
. The centre will also provide the headquarters for the Welsh Football Trust
Welsh Football Trust
The Welsh Football Trust is recognised as a governing body of sport in Wales by Sport Wales. It was established by the Football Association of Wales to encourage more children in Wales to play football, to develop player and coaching talent and to support the future success of Welsh national...
.
Golf
The city is home to the Celtic Manor ResortCeltic Manor Resort
The Celtic Manor Resort is a golf-centric hotel and leisure resort in Newport, south Wales. It consists of two adjoining hotels, a country inn, two golf and country clubs, and a multi-purpose conference centre...
, a five-star conference resort and home of the Saab Wales Open
Celtic Manor Wales Open
The Saab Wales Open, previously the Celtic Manor Wales Open, is a European Tour golf tournament which was founded in 2000 and is played each June. The event is hosted at the Celtic Manor Resort in the city of Newport, South Wales, also the venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup...
, the annual European Tour
PGA European Tour
The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
golf tournament. The resort was the venue for the All*Star Cup celebrity golf tournament in 2005 and for the 2010 Ryder Cup
2010 Ryder Cup
The 38th Ryder Cup matches were held 2010 at the Celtic Manor Resort in the city of Newport, Wales. It was the first time the competition was staged in Wales. With the USA as the defending Cup holder the event was played on the newly-constructed Twenty 10 course, specifically designed for the...
(1–4 October 2010).
The city has high-quality golf facilities at Llanwern
Llanwern
Llanwern is an electoral ward and community in the urban-rural fringe of the City of Newport, South Wales. Llanwern ward is bounded by the M4 and Langstone to the north, Ringland, Liswerry and the River Usk to the west, the River Severn to the south and the city boundary to the east...
Golf Club, Peterstone
Peterstone
Peterstone or Peterstone Wentlooge is a small hamlet on the to the south west of the city of Newport, South Wales.- Location :Peterstone Wentlooge lies six miles to the west of Newport, close to the eastern edge of Cardiff....
Golf Club, Parc Golf Academy in Coedkernew
Coedkernew
Coedkernew is a community in the south west of the city of Newport, South Wales, in the Marshfield ward.The parish is bounded by Percoed reen to the south, Nant-y-Selsig to the southwest, and Pound Hill to the west. The northern boundary is formed from Gwern-y-cleppa to junction 28 of the M4, then...
and Newport Golf Club and Tredegar Park Golf Club in Rogerstone
Rogerstone
Rogerstone is both a ward and community of the city of Newport, south-east Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.The parish lies at the gateway to the Sirhowy valley, to the north of Newport on the eastern side of the Ebbw River...
. Caerleon
Caerleon
Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
has a good quality nine hole municipal course, driving range and clubhouse.
Within a short drive of Newport are golf clubs at St Mellons, Dewstow, Shirenewton, St Pierre, Greenmeadow, Woodlake, Alice Springs, Pontypool and Raglan.
Cycling
The Newport International Sports VillageNewport International Sports Village
Newport International Sports Village is an area of multiple sport facilities, located in the southeast of Newport, Wales, near the A48 Southern Distributor Road. It is known locally as Spytty Park, the name coming from the original Spytty Fields on which it is built.The village includes the Wales...
at Liswerry
Liswerry
Liswerry , also spelt Lliswerry, is both an electoral district and community of the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Community boundaries :...
includes the Wales National Velodrome, the head office of Welsh Cycling
Welsh Cycling
Welsh Cycling is "the internationally recognised" governing body of cycling in Wales. It has over eighty cycling clubs in Wales. It administers all six cycling disciplines—BMX; cyclo-cross; mountain biking ; road racing; time trials; and track racing...
.
Other sports
The International Sports village has been home to Newport Cricket ClubNewport Cricket Club
Newport Cricket Club is a cricket club based in the city of Newport, Wales. The club runs 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th XIs in the SWALEC Premier Cricket League and Glamorgan and Monmouthshire League....
since moving from Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, south Wales. Located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre it is primarily used for rugby matches and is the home ground of Newport RFC and the Newport Gwent Dragons regional team.-History:...
in 1990.
The city has a motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
track, Hayley Stadium
Hayley Stadium
Hayley Stadium is a purpose-built 311 yard long Motorcycle speedway located at Queensway Meadows on the eastern side of the City of Newport, South Wales. The stadium is home to the Newport Wasps speedway team....
, home to the Newport Wasps
Newport Wasps
Newport Wasps are a British motorcycle speedway team based in Newport, South Wales. They were the 1999 Conference League champions.-History:The Wasp logo incorporates the traditional black and amber colours of the City of Newport...
speedway team. The venue is located in Queensway Meadows industrial estate and provides a model for new-build stadia.
Newport is one of three main cities where British baseball
British baseball
British baseball, sometimes called Welsh baseball, or in the areas where it is popular simply baseball, is a bat-and-ball game played primarily in Wales and England. It is closely related to the game of rounders, and indeed emerged as a distinct sport when governing bodies in Wales and England...
is still played – the others are Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
– and the city hosts a Wales-England international match every four years at Coronation Park.
Newport Squash Club has four courts situated in the grounds of Newport RFC at Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, south Wales. Located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre it is primarily used for rugby matches and is the home ground of Newport RFC and the Newport Gwent Dragons regional team.-History:...
.
St. Joseph's Amateur Boxing Club is situated on George Street and is the home club of Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
i-born 2006 Commonwealth
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
bronze medallist Mo Nasir and 2010 Commonwealth Silver medallist Sean McGoldrick
Sean McGoldrick
Sean McGoldrick is a Welsh boxer who was awarded the gold medal for the Bantamweight division at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India,. Mcgoldrick lost to Manju Wanniarachchi of Sri Lanka in the final and was initially awarded the silver medal...
.
Treetops Shooting Ground
Treetops Shooting Ground
Treetops Sporting Ground is located in Coedkernew, Newport, South Wales. It is a sporting clay pigeon shooting ground. It also has facilities for air rifle owners.-History:...
, Coedkernew
Coedkernew
Coedkernew is a community in the south west of the city of Newport, South Wales, in the Marshfield ward.The parish is bounded by Percoed reen to the south, Nant-y-Selsig to the southwest, and Pound Hill to the west. The northern boundary is formed from Gwern-y-cleppa to junction 28 of the M4, then...
is one of Britain's best equipped Clay Pigeon Shooting Grounds and often hosts competitions between local shooting clubs and University clay shooting clubs from around South Wales and South West England.
Newport has a Skittle Alley League consisting of over 50 teams and play their league games on a Friday evening.
Annual sporting events
The city is currently home to a number of annual sporting events, including:- The Wales OpenCeltic Manor Wales OpenThe Saab Wales Open, previously the Celtic Manor Wales Open, is a European Tour golf tournament which was founded in 2000 and is played each June. The event is hosted at the Celtic Manor Resort in the city of Newport, South Wales, also the venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup...
European TourPGA European TourThe PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
golf tournament - The Elemis Invitational Trophy tennis tournament
- The Welsh OpenWelsh Open (snooker)The Welsh Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It replaced the Welsh Professional Championship, which started in 1980 and was only open to Welsh players.- History :...
world rankingSnooker world rankingsThe snooker world rankings are the official system of ranking professional snooker players to determine automatic qualification and seeding for tournaments on the World Snooker Tour. They are maintained by the sport's governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association...
snooker tournament - The World Cup of PoolWorld Cup of PoolThe World Cup of Pool is the international annual single-elimination tournament for doubles teams in nine-ball competition. It is held annually, at various locations, and was first held in 2006 in Newport, Wales...
Local media
Newport's local newspaper is the South Wales ArgusSouth Wales Argus
The South Wales Argus is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Newport, south Wales. The Argus is distributed in Newport and the historic area of Monmouthshire....
, which is published in the city and distributed throughout the Newport and the surrounding area. Local analogue radio broadcasting licences cover the Cardiff/Newport area; the FM licence is held by Cardiff Broadcasting Co. Ltd., broadcasting as Capital FM South Wales from Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the United Kingdom. The Bay is supplied by two rivers to form a freshwater lake round the...
and the AM licence is held by Capital Radio plc, broadcasting as Capital Gold. The local DAB
Digital radio in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the roll-out of digital radio is proceeding since test transmissions were started by the BBC in 1990. The UK currently has the world's biggest digital radio network, with 103 transmitters, two national DAB ensembles and 48 local and regional DAB ensembles...
ensembles
DAB ensemble
DAB ensembles are groups of Digital audio broadcasting broadcasters transmitting multiple digital radio channels on a single radio transmission....
are Cardiff and Newport (11C) and South Wales and Severn Estuary (12C).
Newport has several internet radio
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
stations, the most popular of which is Newport City Radio.