The Norman invasion of Wales began shortly after the Norman conquest of England under William the Conqueror , who believed England to be his birthright. Initially (1067–1081), the invasion of Wales was not undertaken with the fervour and purpose of the invasion of England. However, a much stronger Norman invasion began in 1081 and by 1094 most of Wales was under the control of William's son and heir, the later King William II . The Welsh greatly disliked the "gratuitously cruel" Normans, and by 1101, had regained control of the greater part of their country under the long reign of King Gruffudd ap Cynan , who had been imprisoned by the Normans for twelve years before his escape.
40-470: The Gregynog Press , also known as Gwasg Gregynog , is a printing press and charity located at Gregynog Hall near Newtown in Powys, Wales . Founded in 1922 by the sisters and art patrons Margaret and Gwendoline Davies , guided by Thomas Jones , the press was named after their mansion Gregynog Hall . Jones remained its chairman throughout its existence. It rose to prominence in the pre-war era as among
80-529: A new town . It saw a large population growth as firms and people settled, changing its rural market town character. The population of Newtown in 2001 was 10,780, and increased to 11,347 in 2011. The census of 2021 recorded 11,362 people. There are two tiers of local government covering Newtown, at community (town) and county level: Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Town Council (often abbreviated to Newtown Town Council) and Powys County Council . The two parishes of Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn were governed by
120-620: A TrawsCymru Connect to Machynlleth and to Wrexham . Two major roads meet at Newtown: the A483 from Swansea to Chester and the A489 from Machynlleth to Craven Arms . The bypass to the south of Newtown opened on 14 February 2019, having been planned since 1949. The Montgomery Canal terminated in Newtown. After its closure in 1944, the Newtown section was sold for building land, but it gave its name to Canal Road and Lower Canal Road. Newtown
160-479: A capacity of 5,000 (1,750 seated) and a full UEFA licence, allowing under-21 international games and European games to be played. In 2007, another 250-seat stand was built next to the media gantry. Further developments are planned. Newtown RFC is the town's rugby union club, established in 1925. It currently fields first, second, third, youth and junior teams. Newtown has facilities for lawn bowls, cricket, golf, /Club Site and for tennis. A basketball club ,
200-536: A great deal of power into each earldom, allowing them control of the surrounding towns and land, rather than retaining it within the kingship. The inspiration for such an action seems to have been the overextended nature of the Norman troops, thus preventing William from exercising his own power in the area. It very well may have been implicit in the power granted the earldoms that they were to attack Wales, and, indeed, they did, beginning with south-east Wales, where many of
240-510: A single local board from 1866. Such local boards became urban district councils under the Local Government Act 1894 , and the Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Urban District Council went on to govern the town from 1894 until 1974. In 1974 all urban districts were abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 , with most of Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Urban District Council's functions passing to Montgomeryshire District Council . At
280-495: A staff of about ten. It deals mainly with green spaces and public facilities, and as a representative voice for Newtown. The Council Chair or Mayor, elected by the councillors, has been Councillor John Byrne since May 2022. The community is represented on Powys County Council by five county councillors, each representing a ward: Newtown Central , Newtown East, Newtown Llanllwchaiarn West , Newtown Llanllwchaiarn West and Newtown South. Newtown lies about 8 miles (13 km) from
320-621: A vacuum of power in Wales in which princes and kings were free to squabble over their lands, without the unifying presence of Gruffudd to ward off Norman attacks. It took some time for the Normans to concentrate any level of might against the Welsh, as they were more concerned, in the aftermath of Hastings , with England and Normandy. In addition, it was not William's goal to conquer Wales; he had come to inherit what he believed to be his birthright,
360-440: A wide range of post-16 vocational and academic subjects. As of 2011, it was proposed that Newtown High School , along with several other schools in Powys, should merge with another county high school, as part of Powys County Council's secondary school and post-16 modernisation programme. Norman invasion of Wales In one incident, Gruffudd had some indirect help from King Magnus III of Norway (Magnus Barefoot) who attacked
400-638: Is twinned with Les Herbiers , in Pays de la Loire , France. Newtown A.F.C. is Newtown's association football club, and a founding member of the Welsh Premier League in 1992. The club was founded in 1875 as Newtown White Stars and won the Welsh FA Cup in 1879 and 1895. It also entered the qualifying stages of the UEFA Cup on three occasions. The club plays at Latham Park . This has
440-517: Is a town in Powys , Wales. It lies on the River Severn in the community of Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn , within the historic boundaries of Montgomeryshire . It was designated a new town in 1967 and saw population growth as firms settled, changing its market town character. Its 2001 population of 10,780 rose to 11,357 in the 2011 census, and rose again to 11,362 in the 2021 census. Newtown
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#1732772696855480-468: Is on the Cambrian Line served by Transport for Wales . Trains run about once in two hours. Local bus services in and around the town are operated by local, privately owned companies: Tanat Valley Coaches , Minsterley Motors , and Owen's Travelmaster. Newtown has one National Express bus per day in each direction, to Aberystwyth and to London. Newtown has one TrawsCymru route to Cardiff and
520-620: The Battle of Ewloe at Coleshill / Coed Eulo, where Henry was almost killed in the fighting, but managed to return to friendly lines. He moved against his Adversaries again in 1163, and gained homage from the two most powerful princes of Wales, Rhys ap Gruffydd and Owain Gwynedd , along with the king of Scotland. By the mid-11th century, Wales had been united by the King of Gwynedd , Gruffudd ap Llywelyn . Gruffudd pushed into Saxon England, burning
560-630: The English throne , which entailed taking on the responsibilities of Edward and the Anglo-Saxon kings , including their relationships with Wales and Scotland . However, Wales had begun to force the matter, supporting English rebellions against the Normans. In response to Welsh advances, William established a series of earldoms in the borderlands , specifically at Chester , under Hugh d'Avranches ; Shrewsbury , under Roger de Montgomerie ; and Hereford , under William FitzOsbern . He instilled
600-575: The National Assembly . When the Assembly opened in Wales, the press produced its first documents, including a small hand-bound souvenir volume that served as the Assembly's first publication. Later, in 2006, it bound a poem commissioned to mark the opening of the Senedd , the Assembly's permanent home, and written in calligraphy . Newtown, Powys Newtown ( Welsh : Y Drenewydd )
640-690: The Wales-England border , in the narrow valley of the River Severn, which restricts development north and south of the town. It is surrounded by small villages, often referred to collectively as the Newtown area. The Newtown post town area, including the villages, has a population approaching 16,000. The villages include Aberhafesp , Adfa , Bettws Cedewain , Bwlch-y-ffridd , Cefn-gwyn , Dolfor , Glanmule , Kerry , Llanllwchaiarn , Llanwyddelan , Mochdre , New Mills , Pentre , Rhydlydan , Sarn and Tregynon . Built by Pryce Pryce-Jones ,
680-474: The cantref of Cedewain and the commote of Ceri from Dolforwyn Castle to a new settlement he planned to build further down the valley at Newtown. The town's market charter was granted in 1279. With the subjugation of the Welsh completed by 1282 , Newtown was developed as an English plantation town as part of Edward I's policy known as the Ring of Iron . The town grew in the 18th and 19th centuries around
720-416: The modern Welsh name, appears with the definite article as Y Drênewydd. Owen stated that this was influenced by Newtown's status as one of only two New towns in Wales proposed by John Silkin in 1949. During the early medieval period a hamlet named Llanfair-yng-Nghedewain lay within the area that is now Newtown. Its original Welsh name is derived from being situated near a River Severn ford below
760-531: The textile and flannel industry, stimulated by completion of the Montgomeryshire Canal . In 1838, the town saw Wales's first Chartist demonstration. The Cambrian Mills , opened in 1856, were the first steam-driven mills in Newtown. The mills stood beside the canal terminus on the east bank of the Severn. They expanded to become the largest of the Welsh woollen mills. However, by the end of
800-534: The 19th century the Newtown mills were no longer competitive with those in the north of England. There was a disastrous fire in 1910 and another in 1912, after which the Cambrian Mills were not rebuilt. Thereafter Newtown was no longer an important centre of the woollen industry and many workers moved elsewhere. Newtown hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1965. In 1967, the town was designated
840-647: The Long Bridge and close to the church of St Mary in Bettws Cedewain . The area came to the attention of the English Crown in the 13th century when Llywelyn ap Gruffudd , Prince of Wales , created a new administrative centre (Welsh: cantref ) at Dolforwyn Castle near Abermule following the Treaty of Montgomery between himself and Henry III . Llywelyn had the castle built to consolidate
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#1732772696855880-534: The National Library permanently loaned the Press its original Victoria platen press in 1980, since 1986, it has primarily printed with a Heidelberg Cylinder Press . Typesetting of the smallest pieces is done by hand, but otherwise manuscripts are typeset with the use of a Monotype machine . Among the press publications are a series of pamphlets entitled "Beirdd Gregynog / Gregynog Poets": the first of these
920-660: The Newtown Titans was set up in 2005, before being reconstituted as Mid-Wales Basketball Club in 2009. The Newtown schools are Ysgol Robert Owen (special needs), Ladywell Green (ages 4–7), Hafren Junior (7–11), Ysgol Dafydd Llwyd (4–11), St Mary's (4–11), Penygloddfa (4–11), Maesyrhandir (4-11), Treowen (4–11), and Newtown High School and Sixth Form (11–18). The last recently received an outstanding Estyn inspection report in October 2015, praising many features, including teacher/sixth-form pupil relations and school support for
960-538: The Normans briefly off the Isle of Anglesey in northwest Wales near Ynys Seiriol , killing Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury . Under William's fourth son, King Henry I , the Normans, now well established in England, responded by pushing west into Wales. This time, both the Welsh and the Normans were more interested in making peace than fighting bloody battles, and a relatively stable situation developed, although
1000-482: The Normans fared worse in southeast Wales than in the west of the country. The standoff continued from 1135 to 1154 under Stephen , nephew of Henry and a maternal grandson of William, who became locked in a power struggle and civil war with Empress Matilda , Henry's daughter and only surviving legitimate child. By the 1150s, Matilda's son King Henry II of England had set upon fighting back, leading his first expedition into Wales in 1157. He met defeat, particularly in
1040-608: The Pryce Jones Royal Welsh Warehouse remains the tallest building in Newtown. The two towering structures housed the world's first mail order service depot. Bear Lanes, the town's main shopping centre, has a Tudor-style entrance. The building was once a hotel, The Bear , which contributes to the centre's appearance today. The Robert Owen Museum is on the ground floor of the council offices in Brisco House, Broad Street. A statue of Robert Owen
1080-570: The city of Hereford , overwhelming border patrols, and proving the English defences there entirely inadequate to respond to Welsh invasions. During this time, Harold Godwinson led a campaign of retaliatory raids into Wales. In the wake of this campaign, Gruffudd was turned upon by his own men, who killed him in 1063 and shipped his head off to Edward the Confessor in exchange for the redivision of Wales into its traditional kingdoms. This left
1120-468: The country in 1157. He experienced costly ambushes and therefore defeat, particularly in the Battle of Ewloe at Coleshill / Coed Eulo, where Henry was almost killed in the fighting, but managed to return to friendly lines. He moved against his Adversaries again in 1163, and, with Welsh resistance exhausted, gained homage from the two most powerful princes of Wales, Rhys ap Gruffydd and Owain Gwynedd, along with
1160-585: The earl of Hereford ’s] son [ Roger de Breteuil ]... forfeited his estates for treason in 1075 and involved some of his vassals on the Welsh frontier in his downfall" . Nonetheless, the Normans pressed on. These movements continued well into the 12th century, into the reign of Henry I . There was relative peace in the early 12th century, however, with the Anglo-Normans working to diplomatically manifest influence over Wales; leading to relatively little conflict. The only real expedition into Wales made by Henry
1200-463: The land he had been given according to the treaty. However, it was not long after the death of Henry III in 1272 that tension arose with the English at their outpost of Montgomery Castle in the Welsh Marches . This led Edward I to seize and capture Dolforwyn Castle in 1277. He then granted Llywelyn's lands to the powerful Marcher Lord , Roger Mortimer , who transferred the administration of
1240-407: The more important private presses , publishing limited edition books, primarily on a Victoria platen printing press . Much of the printing work from 1927 to 1936 was carried out by the skilled printer Herbert John Hodgson , who had previously worked on the 1926 edition of the T. E. Lawrence 's Seven Pillars of Wisdom . The American poet and printer Loyd Haberly was briefly the controller of
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1280-553: The press. It commissioned a private typeface from Graily Hewitt , Gwendolin , dated 1935. It was manufactured as a private commission by Monotype . In 1954 after the death of Gwendoline Davies, Margaret donated most of the machinery used by Gregynog Press to the National Library of Wales . The press was reopened under the Welsh title Gwasg Gregynog by the University of Wales in 1978, and production resumed. While
1320-420: The previous generation" . A notable example was the Battle of Crug Mawr , near Cardigan , in which the Normans suffered a heavy defeat. The period saw a role reversal of sorts, as well, with infighting amongst the Normans, the same sort which had enabled the relative fall of Wales in the previous century. By the 1150s, Matilda's son King Henry II of England had set upon Wales, leading his first expedition into
1360-558: The previous rebellions against England had begun. By the time of FitzOsbern's death in 1071, a castle had been established at a location known at the time as Striguil , near the mouth of the Wye . This served as a base from which the Normans continued to expand westward into Wales, establishing a castle at Caerleon by 1086 and extinguishing the Welsh Kingdom of Gwent . However, the attacks in south-east Wales "faltered badly when [
1400-419: The same time a community was established covering the area of the former urban district, with its council taking the name Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Town Council. Further local government reorganisation took place across Wales in 1996, when Montgomeryshire District Council was abolished and its functions passed to Powys County Council. The Town Council has 16 elected members serving five-year terms, and employs
1440-470: The town was Llanfair-yng-Nghedewain. Both the modern English name "Newtown" and its Latin variant "Nova Villa" first appear in the thirteenth century following the Norman invasion of Wales . Robert Owen stated that the name was adopted to distinguish the town from the older centre of Norman power in Powys , at Caersws . The ancient Welsh name continued in use until the modern era. Tudor Owen , noted that
1480-682: Was Euros Bowen 's Yr Alarch , 1987. Gwasg Gregynog Limited is a company limited by guarantee, which was incorporated on 28 June 1978. It adopted the new Memorandum and Articles of Association on 28 August 2001 and was granted charitable status by the Charity Commission on 11 January 2002 (charity no. 1090060). Intended to benefit and educate the public, it offers lectures related to the press and printing techniques, as well as tours of press facilities, which are dedicated to maintaining traditional printing methods. The press has been involved in several historic events in Wales in connection with
1520-463: Was erected in 1956 in a park off Shortbridge Street and Gas Street. A replica of this was later erected in Manchester . The Free Library building designed by the architect Frank Shayler of Shrewsbury was built in 1902. The Baptist Chapel, dating from 1881, is a fine example of nonconformist architecture from that period. The Back Lane drill hall was completed in 1897. Newtown's station
1560-711: Was in 1114, when "he set in motion three separate armies intended to overware the ageing prince of Gwynedd" . The prince, Gruffudd ap Cynan , however, saw fit to make peace with the king rather than engage in open warfare or hostility. Throughout the period, Henry exerted a great deal of control over Wales, establishing a series of new castles and placing new Lords into positions of power. Following Henry's death in 1135, revolts once again broke out in parts of Wales. These revolts caused Norman retreat in many areas, most surprisingly in Deheubarth , where, according to R.R. Davies, "the Normans had made their most striking advances in
1600-470: Was the birthplace of Robert Owen in 1771, whose house stood on the present site of the HSBC Bank. The town has a theatre, Theatr Hafren, and a public gallery, Oriel Davies, displaying contemporary arts and crafts. It is the largest town in Powys and Mid Wales. The ancient parish and commote are named Cedewain, and Newtown was home to a Llan dedicated to St Mary. As such, the first recorded name for
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