63-695: Newport city centre is traditionally regarded as the area of Newport , Wales bounded by the west bank of the River Usk , the George Street Bridge , the eastern flank of Stow Hill and the South Wales Main Line . Most of the city centre is contained within two conservation areas : the central area and the area around Lower Dock Street. Most of the city centre is located in the Stow Hill district. The main shopping thoroughfare
126-623: A city and county borough in Wales , situated on the River Usk close to its confluence with the Severn Estuary , 12 mi (19 km) northeast of Cardiff . The population grew considerably between the 2011 and the 2021 census , rising from 145,700 to 159,587, the largest growth of any unitary authority in Wales. Newport is the third-largest principal authority with city status in Wales, and sixth most populous overall . Newport became
189-677: A community council . Newport has a moderate temperate climate , with the weather rarely staying the same for more than a few days at a time. The city is one of the sunnier locations in Wales 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 mild 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
252-595: A unitary authority in 1996 and forms part of the Cardiff-Newport metropolitan area , and the Cardiff Capital Region . Newport has been a port since medieval times when the first Newport Castle was built by the Normans . The town outgrew the earlier Roman town of Caerleon , immediately upstream and now part of the city. Newport gained its first charter in 1314. It grew significantly in
315-553: A 12-year-old paperboy, Thomas 'Toya' Lewis, who was small enough to crawl into the collapsed trench. He worked for two hours trying to free one of the trapped men, who was finally released the next day. A public subscription raised several hundred pounds and Lewis was sent on an engineering scholarship. He was also awarded the Albert Medal for Lifesaving by King Edward VII . Memorials to the dead are in St Mark's Church , close to
378-588: A Grade II- listed building . Kingsway/Usk Way is a boulevard on the west bank of the River Usk linking Newport Castle the Riverfront Theatre and the University of South Wales to the western ends of City Bridge and Newport Transporter Bridge . The city centre is currently being expanded to include areas on the east bank. The area between Newport Bridge and George Street Bridge is included in
441-512: A by-election in 1922 was one of the causes of the fall of his coalition government. The late 19th and early 20th century period was a boom time for Newport. The Alexandra Docks opened in 1875. The population was expanding rapidly and the town became a county borough in 1891. In 1892 the Alexandra South Dock was opened and was the largest masonry dock in the world. Although coal exports from Newport were by now modest compared to
504-655: A car park with over 1000 spaces. It offers a range of high street and privately owned shops, adjoining Newport Museum, Art Gallery and Central Library. It is close to Newport bus station, and was redeveloped in 2008. The Cambrian Centre is a small shopping centre in Cambrian Road in Newport city centre. Among other units, it houses one of the city's Wetherspoon's public houses, the John Wallace Linton . A planning application by Holder Mathias Architects
567-495: A cosmopolitan population who will not submit to the domination of Welsh ideas!". 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
630-606: A new crossing of the River Usk, which was provided by the Newport Transporter Bridge completed in 1906, described as "Newport's greatest treasure". Further extensions to the South Dock were opened in 1907 and 1914. The Newport Docks Disaster occurred on 2 July 1909 when, during the construction of the new south lock connecting the South Dock to the Severn Estuary , supporting timbers in an excavation trench collapsed and buried 46 workers. Rescuers included
693-515: A pre-existing fortification in the vicinity and is most likely either to reference the ancient fort on Stow Hill, or a fort that occupied the site of the present castle. The English name 'Newport' is a later application. The settlement was first recorded by the Normans as novo burgus in 1126. This Latin name refers to the new borough (or town) established with the Norman castle. The origin of
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#1732791196893756-474: 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. The Newport Rising in 1839 was the last large-scale armed rebellion against authority in mainland Britain. John Frost and 3,000 other Chartists marched on the Westgate Hotel at
819-435: Is Commercial Street , which forms part of the north–south axis of High Street, Commercial Street and Commercial Road, linking the heart of the city with Newport Docks . The streets were laid-out in 1807 by Sir Charles Morgan's Tredegar Wharf Company to connect the expanding docks with the main roads in the centre. The area between Commercial Street and the river used to contain a mixture of railway lines and river wharves so
882-508: Is continuing to expand rapidly with new housing estates continuing to be built. The city boundaries include a number of villages in the Newport Built-up area . The city is divided into 21 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
945-410: Is largely low-lying, but with a few hilly areas. Wentwood is 1,014 ft (309 m) 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
1008-471: Is the Chartist Tower, a 15-storey office block, built in 1966 and the tallest building in Newport. It features a secure underground car park. Radio transmitters and mobile phone masts are situated on the roof. During the 2014 NATO summit a security forces command and control team was housed temporarily in the building, with the top floor and roof being used as an observation post. In 2017 the building
1071-567: Is the cathedral of the Diocese of Monmouth . The original Welsh name for the city was Casnewydd-ar-Wysg (pronounced [kasˈnɛwɪð ar ˈwɪsk] ). This is a contraction of the name Castell Newydd ar Wysg , which translates as 'new castle on the Usk'. The Welsh name is recorded in the Brut y Tywysogion when it was visited by Henry II of England sometime around 1172. "New castle" suggests
1134-496: The 2011 census , 89.9% described themselves as White, 5.5% Asian, 1.7% Black, 1.1% Mixed White/Black, 0.5% Mixed White/Asian and 1.4% as other ethnic groups. In the 2021 census, Whites had decreased to 85.6% of the population while all other groups increased bar Black Caribbeans. Chartist Tower Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include
1197-588: The 2022 Newport City Council election with 35 seats, ahead of the Conservative Party with 7 seats. The Labour Party lost control of Newport council in the 2008 local elections to a Conservative/ Liberal Democrat coalition but the Labour Party regained an overall majority of councillors in the 2012 election until the present day. In the Senedd (Welsh Parliament), Newport is divided between
1260-619: The Brexit Party . The official blazon of the armorial bearings is: "(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." The title of Freedom of Newport is a ceremonial honour, given by the Newport council to those who have served in some exceptional capacity, or upon any whom Newport wishes to bestow an honour. There have been 17 individuals or organisations that have received
1323-569: The M4 corridor high-technology cluster. It was granted city status in 2002. The Celtic Manor Resort in Newport hosted the Ryder Cup in 2010 and was the venue for the 2014 NATO summit . The city contains extensive rural areas surrounding the built-up core . Its villages are of considerable archaeological importance. Newport Cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Monmouth and
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#17327911968931386-507: The Newport Unlimited master plan as a new high-density combined commercial and residential area, joined to the west bank by Newport City footbridge . The plan shows a strong urban form along the riverfront, emphasised with tall landmark buildings. The city's major sports stadium, at Rodney Parade on the east bank of the River Usk , is a short walk from the city centre via Newport Bridge or Newport City footbridge . Many of
1449-599: 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. In 1898 Lysaght's Orb Works opened and by 1901 employed 3,000 staff. Urban expansion took in Pillgwenlly and Lliswerry to the south; this eventually necessitated
1512-513: The Senedd constituencies of Newport East and Newport West and elects one Member of the Senedd (MS) in each constituency. In the 2021 Senedd election , the Labour Party retained both Newport East and Newport West. In Senedd elections the Labour Party has held both the Newport East and Newport West constituencies since the constituencies were created in 1999. In UK General Elections
1575-598: 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 suburbs 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
1638-411: The pedestrianised High Street , Commercial Street and adjoining roads. Friars Walk shopping and leisure complex and, linked by John Frost Square , the adjoining Kingsway Shopping Centre are the main under-cover shopping areas. The city centre has suffered from competition from Cwmbran Centre and out-of-town shopping areas at Newport Retail Park to the east and retail parks around Maesglas to
1701-623: The 19th century when its port became the focus of coal exports from the eastern South Wales Valleys . Newport was the largest coal exporter in Wales until the rise of Cardiff in the mid-1800s. Newport was the site of the last large-scale armed insurrection in Great Britain , the Newport Rising of 1839. In the 20th century, the docks declined in importance, but Newport remained an important centre for manufacturing and engineering . Latterly its economy has been bolstered as part of
1764-932: The City of Newport is in two UK Parliament constituencies . Due to boundary changes the Newport West constituency was renamed Newport West and Islwyn for the 2024 United Kingdom general election . In 2024 the Labour Party won both the expanded Newport East constituency and the new Newport West and Islwyn constituency. Until 2024 The City of Newport was divided between the UK Parliament constituencies of Newport East and Newport West and elected one Member of Parliament (MP) in each constituency. The Labour Party held Newport East since constituency boundaries were redrawn in 1983 and held Newport West since 1987. The city formerly had only one constituency Newport (Monmouthshire) (UK Parliament constituency) until 1983 when
1827-493: The Metropolitan Cathedral of Wales, as it had when previous Bishops of Monmouth were elected Archbishop. In 1850 Newport was recognised as a centre of Catholicism in Wales when the Diocese of Newport and Menevia was created. Between 21 October 1966 and 6 October 1969, having retired as Bishop of Rochester , New York , Fulton J. Sheen , an American bishop who pioneered preaching on television and radio ,
1890-665: The Scottish brothers Alex and Peter Campbell on the River Clyde , but was re-located to the Severn Estuary. Departing steamers would face south on Davis Wharf, with the Art College to its left and the town bridge behind. The boats gave rise to the name of the short street which led to the quayside – Screwpacket Road. By 1955 steamers had stopped calling at Newport and P & A Campbell went into receivership in 1959. It
1953-477: The borough was incorporated into the new local government county of Gwent until Newport became a unitary authority again in 1996. Gwent remains in use for ceremonial functions as a preserved county . Newport was historically industrialised with a large working class population and strong support for the Labour Party . Newport City Council consists of 53 elected councillors. The Labour Party won
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2016-720: The castle the next day. A cannonball dug up from a garden in nearby Summerhill Avenue, dating from this time, now rests in Newport Museum . As the Industrial Revolution transformed 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
2079-562: The centre of the city. A pub in the city centre was named "The Tom Toya Lewis" in his honour, but closed in 2021. The building in which the pub was housed was formerly the Newport YMCA , the foundation stone for which was laid by Viscount Tredegar in 1909. From 1893 the town was served by the paddle steamers of P & A Campbell Ltd. (the "White Funnel Line"), which was based in Bristol. The company had originally been set up by
2142-533: The centre of the town, where chartists were being held prisoner, with some of the chartists being armed. Shooting began between the chartists and the 45th Regiment of Foot , which had been called to the town by the Mayor, Thomas Phillips, to assist the police. At least 20 chartists were killed and were later buried in Saint Woolos churchyard . Thomas Philips and three of those in the hotel were wounded. John Frost
2205-604: The city was split into Newport East and Newport West due to population growth. Prior to Brexit in 2020, Newport was part of the Wales European Parliament Constituency . The Wales constituency elected four Members of the European Parliament (MEP) on a Proportional representation basis. In the 2019 European Parliament election the Wales constituency elected one MEP from the Labour Party , one from Plaid Cymru and two from
2268-505: 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 centre for technology companies. A flourishing local music scene in
2331-595: 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 west bank of the River Usk during the construction of the Riverfront Arts Centre . The ship has been dated to between 1445 and 1469 and remains
2394-542: The fertile estuary of the River Usk and later the Celtic Silures built hillforts overlooking it. In AD 75, on the very edge of their empire, the Roman legions built a Roman fort at Caerleon to defend the river crossing. According to legend, in the late 5th century Saint Gwynllyw (Woolos), the patron saint of Newport and King of Gwynllwg founded the church which would become Newport Cathedral . The church
2457-477: The first Norman Lord of Newport was Robert Fitzhamon . 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
2520-419: The honour since 1909, including: Newport is located 138 mi (222 km) west of London and 12 mi (19 km) east of Cardiff . It 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 the sixth most populous unitary authority in Wales. The city
2583-626: The hospital lived on in the place name " Spytty Fields " (a corruption of ysbyty , the Welsh for hospital). "Austin Friars" also remains a street name in the city. During the Last War for Welsh Independence 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
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2646-458: The mining towns of the South Wales Valleys . Despite the economic conditions, the council re-housed over half the population in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1930 the Town Dock was filled in. 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
2709-427: The name Newport and the reason for its wide adoption remains the subject of debate. Newport-on-Usk is found on some early maps, and the name was in popular usage well before the development of Newport Docks . One theory suggests that Newport gained favour with medieval maritime traders on the Usk, as it differentiated the "New port" from the " Old Roman port " at Caerleon . Bronze Age fishermen settled around
2772-475: 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
2835-712: The new church were held. By July 1879 the decline in Welsh-speaking in the town led to a change in the services from Welsh to English. In September 1993, the Charles Street congregation joined with Ebbw Bridge Baptist Church, Newport, and the Charles Street Chapel closed. In the 2011 census 56.8% of Newport residents considered themselves Christian , 4.7% Muslim , 1.2% Other religions (including Hindu , Buddhist , Sikh , Jewish and Others), 29.7% were non-religious and 7.5% chose not to answer
2898-461: The non-compulsory religion question on the census. Newport has more than 50 churches, 7 mosques , and one synagogue ; the nearest Gurudwara is in Cardiff. The Church in Wales church of St Julius and St Aaron, at St Julian's, was consecrated in 1926. The following table shows the religious identity of residents residing in Newport according to the 2001, 2011 and the 2021 censuses. In
2961-483: The non-retail city centre businesses are located on Bridge Street. In 2014 Admiral Insurance opened a large newly constructed office opposite Newport railway station. The 16 storey Chartist Tower is the tallest building in Newport, and is currently undergoing a £10m redevelopment into a mixed use building by developers, set to include a hotel, 30,000 sq. ft of office space and 18,000 sq. ft of ground floor retail space. Newport's city centre shops are concentrated along
3024-473: The northern end of Newport city centre is Westgate Square, named after the Westgate Hotel . Here, the five roads of Commercial Street, Stow Hill, Bridge Street, High Street and Skinner Street converge. This is generally regarded as the centre although the actual centre, as measured on road signs, is further up Bridge Street outside the Queen's Hotel where most OS maps pin point the centre. On Upper Dock Street
3087-429: 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 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. In 1974,
3150-578: The overnight temperature fell to −16.1 °C (3.0 °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. 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
3213-493: The preachers John Hier, and his subordinate James Edmunds, both from Bethesda, to preach to them there. They later moved to a larger room in Charles Street. In 1816 a meeting at the Castleton Baptist Association agreed to build the first Welsh Baptist Chapel in Newport. Land was acquired in Charles Street, with the help of a bequest from Newport tailor John Williams. In May 1817 the opening services of
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#17327911968933276-644: The rest of Monmouthshire came to be 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,
3339-600: The street pattern in this area was never fixed. On the removal of the railway lines and wharves in the 1960s the large John Frost Square (1977) and Kingsway Shopping Centre were built, close to Newport bus station . This area has been redeveloped to provide the Friars Walk shopping and leisure complex which was opened in November 2015. As part of this redevelopment, the Chartist Mural was destroyed. Towards
3402-424: The west. The protracted development of Friars Walk was also cited as a reason for high street stores, such as Marks and Spencer , leaving the city centre during the 2010s. Friars Walk is a partially under-cover shopping centre and leisure complex with several levels, and a range of high street shops, eateries, a bowling alley and a soft play area. Kingsway Shopping Centre is an under-cover shopping centre and
3465-459: 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 in most winters and sometimes settles on the ground, usually melting within a few days. Newport records few days with gales compared to most of Wales, again due to its sheltered location. Frosts are common from October to May. On 20 March 1930,
3528-689: Was appointed the titular archbishop of Newport by Pope Paul VI . The Catholic St Patrick's Church was served by the Rosminians until the 2010s. The foundation of the Charles Street Baptist Church was mainly the project of three women who had been members of Bethesda Baptist Chapel in Rogerstone , which was first built in 1742. In 1807 a Mrs Samuel and her friends rented a room in John Rowe's house on Stow Hill and asked
3591-399: Was approved in 2007 by Newport City Council for an £87 million redevelopment and refurbishment to be known as City Spires but it was mothballed in 2008 before construction started. An alternative redevelopment plan was started in 2012. The first phase of development, Admiral House, was opened in 2014. Newport, Wales Newport ( Welsh : Casnewydd [kasˈnɛwɨð] ) is
3654-409: 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
3717-457: Was certainly in existence by the 9th century and today has become the seat of the Bishop of Monmouth . In 1049/50, a fleet of Orkney Vikings, under Welsh king Gruffydd ap Llywelyn , sailed up the Usk and sacked St Gwynllyw's church. The church suffered a similar fate in 1063, when Harold Godwinson attacked south Wales. The Normans arrived from around 1088–1093 to build the first Newport Castle and river crossing downstream from Caerleon and
3780-417: Was granted a second one, by Hugh Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford in 1385 (the Newport coat of arms reflects those of the Staffords: theirs was a red chevron - pointing upwards- on a gold field, Newport's is a red chevron reversed - pointing downward - on the same background.) In the 14th century Augustinian friars came to Newport where they built an isolation hospital for infectious diseases. After its closure
3843-407: Was sentenced to death for treason, but this was later commuted to transportation to Australia. He returned to Britain (but not to Newport) later in his life. John Frost Square (1977), 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
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#17327911968933906-409: Was sold as party of a £6.5M deal and has now been developed into a 163-bed Mercure hotel. From Bridge Street, the two roads of High Street and Cambrian Road run in parallel towards Newport railway station . Joining the two roads is the covered Victorian Newport Arcade. At the western end of the arcade is the Cambrian Centre which is being redeveloped. To the east of High Street is Newport Market ,
3969-401: Was taken over by the firm which would become the Townsend Ferry group. 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 Depression , and local unemployment peaked at 34.7% in 1930: high, but not as bad as the levels seen in
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