Llanbadoc ( Welsh : Llanbadog Fawr ) is a village and community in the county of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent in Wales . The population of the village at the 2011 census was 806.
84-640: The village is in the Newport postal district of NP15, just across the River Usk from the town of Usk ( Welsh : Brynbuga ), off the A472 . Llanbadoc is within the British House of Commons and Senedd constituencies of Monmouth . There are not many facilities in this small village - there is a village and parish church , a garage, a saw mill, an open prison and an agricultural college. Llanbadoc
168-729: 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
252-553: 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
336-406: A Wednesday, as well as at other special services. The repertoire ranges from the seventeenth century to the twenty-first century. The cathedral is also a popular venue for musical and other artistic performances. The cathedral organ was rebuilt in 1966 by Hill, Norman and Beard , incorporating elements from two organs: one the earlier organ in the cathedral, built by Griffin and Stroud in 1915, and
420-512: 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
504-550: 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
588-625: A location in Monmouthshire is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Newport, Wales Newport ( Welsh : Casnewydd [kasˈnɛwɨð] ) is 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,
672-566: A loft and a large life-size crucifix above dividing it from the nave. The medieval doorways to the loft can still be seen high above the south west end of the chancel and at ground-level. A modern figure of the Crucified Christ now hangs in the chancel arch, the work of the Singaporean artist Tay Swee Siong. The more important monuments and tombs include: St Mary's chapel – Several badly mutilated medieval effigies survive in
756-415: A modern glass screen engraved with representations of St Gwynllyw holding his church and of St David (Welsh: Dewi Sant ), the patron saint of Wales, with a dove on his shoulder. St Mary's was the original site of Gwynllyw ’s church, (though much restored and rebuilt in the 11th, 13th and 19th centuries) and the site of his tomb, (Welsh: bedd y sant ), which is believed to have been on the south side of
840-499: A new chapel for the choir at the end of the south aisle, although the choir was subsequently relocated to its original place in front of the chancel, while the chapel, now dedicated to St Luke , is reserved for private prayer. The architect of the extensions was Alban Caroe , whose distinguished family architectural partnership also undertook important work over several generations in Wales and elsewhere. Some regard his design as rather lacking in originality, but it does harmonise with
924-663: 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
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#17327655244551008-526: A party of the 45th Regiment of Foot in front of the Westgate Hotel . Many of these would have walked past the cathedral on their way to the town centre. A memorial outside the cathedral to the left of the lychgate commemorates ten of these who were buried in unmarked graves in St. Woolos churchyard. A sculpture of a large pair of nineteenth-century workman's boots is placed near the gates to the north-east of
1092-407: A real person, although miraculous events are associated with his life and burial place. He was alleged to have been originally a merciless warrior against adjoining kingdoms, a robber and a pirate. Later in life, he converted to Christianity , having been told in a dream to follow a white ox to the prominent hill where he built a church, probably of wood. The shape and footprint of this original church
1176-411: 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
1260-474: Is a tree-ring date ( dendrochronology ) of the early fifteenth century recently given to the fine medieval wagon roof of the nave . The earlier chancel of the cathedral, regarded at the time as Victorian , or at least heavily restored by the Victorians , was demolished and rebuilt on a grander scale between 1960 and 1964 to provide a more cathedral-like chancel at the east end. The scheme also provided for
1344-508: 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
1428-410: 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
1512-481: Is reflected over 1500 years later in St Mary's chapel at the west end of the cathedral. The church became his burial place (Welsh: eglwys y bedd) , and in succeeding centuries was a significant place of pilgrimage . It was subject to plundering and attack including, it is said, by Irish pirates and Danes, and in 1060 by followers of Harold Godwinson , the last Anglo-Saxon king. Gwynllyw is venerated in Wales and in
1596-495: Is the birthplace (1823) of Alfred Russel Wallace , and also of Manic Street Preachers bassist Nicky Wire . The community includes the villages of Monkswood and Glascoed . An electoral ward in the same name exists. This ward stretches north from Llanbadoc to Gwehelog Fawr . The total ward population taken at the 2011 census was 1,299. 51°41′45″N 2°54′15″W / 51.69583°N 2.90417°W / 51.69583; -2.90417 This article relating to
1680-636: Is the cathedral of the Diocese of Monmouth within the Church in Wales , and the seat of the Bishop of Monmouth . Its official title is Newport Cathedral of St Woolos, King and Confessor. The name of the saint, Woolos, is an anglicisation of the Welsh name Gwynllyw . It became a cathedral in 1949 and while it is the size of a large parish church rather than a typical cathedral, its history and development from
1764-436: 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. Newport Cathedral Newport Cathedral ( Welsh : Eglwys Gaderiol Casnewydd ), also known as St Gwynllyw's or St Woolos' Cathedral,
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#17327655244551848-588: 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
1932-619: 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
2016-695: The Creation , Fall , Flood , Baptism of Christ , and the Trinity . Scenes from the lives of Gwynllyw and Cattwg have also been suggested. More recently, it has been suggested that they were intended to be understood on two levels as the scenes may have echoes both in the Bible and in the lives of the two saints honoured at this site. The style of the hair and tunics on the figures on the north (left-hand) capital echoes fourth-century Roman art which suggests that we are indeed contemplating sculpture which looks back to
2100-628: 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 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
2184-599: 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
2268-657: The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions. He was the husband of St Gwladys and their son was one of the greatest of all Welsh saints and scholars, Cadoc (Cattwg in Welsh). After their conquest of South Wales , the Anglo-Normans built the first castle in Newport in the late eleventh century or early twelfth century, close to Gwynllyw's church, which would itself have been rebuilt by then, probably in stone. A much greater transformation took place at
2352-513: 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
2436-598: 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
2520-481: The built-up core . Its villages are of considerable archaeological importance. Newport Cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Monmouth and 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
2604-458: The first Newport Castle and river crossing downstream from Caerleon and 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
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2688-932: 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
2772-493: 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 ,
2856-552: 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 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
2940-665: 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
3024-515: 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 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
3108-548: The Usk, as it differentiated the "New port" from the " Old Roman port " at Caerleon . Bronze Age fishermen settled around 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),
3192-623: The arms of the Morgan family and of the Dioceses of Gloucester and Llandaff which had rights over St Woolos before the Diocese of Monmouth was created. Niche in the last column of the nave, south arcade – Statue of Gwynllyw holding up his church in memory of Noel Morris, who died in 1967 and was the son of Edwin Morris , a former Archbishop of Wales . While there has been speculation that
3276-477: 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
3360-431: The building. This chapel is a place to savour the established tradition of Celtic Christianity in Wales, which long predates the arrival of St Augustine to convert England. Towards the west end of the chapel is a splendid Victorian reconstruction of a Romanesque font based on a surviving fragment of the original which has been incorporated in the later work. The shaft and base of the font look medieval. Low down on
3444-720: 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
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3528-413: The castle was replaced by a new castle on the bank of the River Usk . The town of Newport ( Casnewydd in Welsh, meaning 'new castle') grew near the castle and river. St Gwynllyw's church remained prominent on its hill-top in a rural location, well outside the town boundaries and its defensive gates. It retained its status as the parish church of Newport due to its prestige. In the late nineteenth century
3612-562: 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
3696-533: 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
3780-466: The church become surrounded by the western suburbs of Newport. The cathedral is usually approached from the west door, so the visitor moves from the west towards the east end, passing through the tower, then St Mary's chapel and through the Romanesque portal to the larger church beyond and finally to the twentieth-century eastern extensions. The tower dates from the fifteenth century and is built in
3864-604: 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
3948-505: 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
4032-498: 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 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 ,
4116-595: 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
4200-420: The effigy remains, but the tomb as a whole demonstrates fine Renaissance work. East end of north aisle, (Crindau Chapel) – Memorial brass to Octavius Morgan MP FSA (1803–1885), distinguished Welsh historian and antiquarian and of the family of Sir John Morgan above. He took a great interest in the history of St Woolos. His house, The Friars, is in the parish of St Woolos. A nearby stained glass window features
4284-419: 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
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#17327655244554368-574: 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
4452-522: The iconic view of the main body of the cathedral. The outer order of decoration is derived from Gloucester Cathedral , while the inner order has parallels in the Herefordshire School of Romanesque Sculpture. There are some remains of paint on parts of the portal, and it was almost certainly fully painted originally. The site of the archway may well mark the site of an opening to an earlier, smaller chancel, perhaps ending in an apse, before
4536-462: The individual visitor. In the north wall of the chancel there is a low thirteenth-century window relocated from the earlier chancel. Tradition asserts that this was a window for lepers to watch services (and in its original position would have been near the ground), but this purpose is not certain. In the Middle Ages , at the entrance to the chancel, there would have been a rood screen with
4620-622: 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 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
4704-460: The later medieval Perpendicular style with wider and flatter arches than earlier Gothic styles . The headless statue on the outside of the third story of the tower is traditionally associated with Jasper Tudor who may have funded its construction. He had strong Welsh connections and was the uncle of Henry VII , the first king of the Tudor dynasty . Tradition also asserts that his head on the statue
4788-518: The major extension of the church took place. The most unusual elements are the columns and capitals incorporated in the archway. The columns are definitely Roman in origin and perhaps brought from the Roman Legionary Fortress nearby at Caerleon . One theory is that they had been brought here at a rather earlier date to form part of the shrine which may have previously existed over Gwynllyw ’s grave and subsequently relocated into
4872-406: The medieval fabric of the cathedral and the scale of the windows provide plenty of light. More controversial aspects are provided at the east end by John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens , incorporating a round window with gold and brown stained glass and a great mural of red, white, black and grey which swirls down from the window to behind the high altar. The interpretation of this art is very much for
4956-458: 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
5040-475: 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
5124-712: 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
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#17327655244555208-406: 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
5292-502: The north wall recesses of the chapel. In the central recess is a sculptured panel of four weepers bearing the heraldic arms of Sir John Morgan of Tredegar , who died in 1493, a member of the Morgan family, which was influential in South Wales for centuries right up to the twentieth century. He was rewarded with important local positions for supporting the seizure of the English crown by Henry Tudor in 1485. West end of south aisle – The tomb of Sir Walter Herbert (died 1568). Not much of
5376-429: 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,
5460-441: The other an organ built by Hill which was salvaged from the demolished Newport Old Town Hall. This 1966 organ was rebuilt in 1997 by Nicholson of Worcester. The organist and choirmaster is Thomas Coxhead, who was appointed in 2024. Former Organists/Choirmasters Former assistant organists During the Chartist Uprising in favour of democratic rights which centred on Newport on 4 November 1839, at least 22 people were shot by
5544-410: 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
5628-505: The patron saint of Newport and King of Gwynllwg founded the church which would become Newport Cathedral . The church 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
5712-414: The portal to lead the way into the new building. If so, they would be symbols of the power of his cult and the desire of the Anglo-Norman conquerors of Wales to associate themselves with him. The capitals are of Roman Composite type and, if they were indeed also originally Roman, they have been recut. Over generations, scholars have debated what the scenes represent. They were thought to be Biblical scenes –
5796-410: 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
5880-518: 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,
5964-532: The rounded clerestory windows would once have let in daylight, but are now internal windows since the aisles to north and south were rebuilt with higher roofs in the Perpendicular style of the 15th century, with characteristically pointed flatter and wider windows. While the principal aim here was to increase the capacity of the church, it might also have been a reaction to fire damage caused during an attack of followers of Owain Glyndwr in 1402, in his attempt to re-establish an independent Wales. Supporting this theory
6048-473: The sculpture may be by Elizabeth Frinck, no artistic or documentary evidence for this has yet come to light. Apart from two abstract twentieth century windows by Frank Roper in the north side of St Mary's Chapel, the glass is Victorian and Edwardian . Some windows have had their decorative backgrounds removed. Several are by John Hardman and Co , including the Good Samaritan in the south wall of
6132-568: 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 (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
6216-465: The site in the later twelfth century when a large new church was built in the Romanesque style with round-headed arches, favoured by the Normans. Instead of building this new church directly on the original site of Gwynllyw's church, it was built to the east, but attached to it, respecting the sanctity of the original site and indicating of the strength of the cult of Gwynllyw. In the 14th century,
6300-441: The sixth to the twentieth century make it arguably one of the most interesting religious buildings in Wales . The church was founded by St Gwynllyw , who lived in the later fifth century, after the Roman occupation , at a time when Wales was beginning to develop a national identity. Gwynllyw was the king of Gwynllwg , an area which lay between later Glamorgan and Gwent . There seems little doubt of his historical existence as
6384-463: The south aisle and Christ blessing Children in the west wall of the north aisle as well as the window of Gwynllyw , Gwladys and Cattwg illustrated above. There is a long tradition of choral singing at the cathedral and music forms an important part in its life. The cathedral choir consists of three separate groups of singers: boys and girl choristers and adults, providing alto, tenor and bass parts. The choir sings at Sunday services and at Evensong on
6468-419: The south side of the chapel, a curious medieval octagonal window has been cut into the fabric which is believed to have been relocated here in 1913 when the south porch (now the cathedral shop) of the main building was remodelled. It is from St Mary's chapel that we first view the chief glory of the cathedral – the wonderful twelfth-century Romanesque portal with its characteristic zig-zag chevron motifs framing
6552-474: The very earliest phase of Christianity in Britain . The nave consists of five Romanesque round arches rising from massive columnar piers on each side – a grand 12th century architectural scheme, but with rather less decoration than the Romanesque portal we have come through. This work was carried out under the patronage of the great abbey of Gloucester , or possibly Robert, Earl of Gloucester . Above,
6636-459: 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,
6720-689: 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
6804-409: 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
6888-407: 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
6972-421: Was shot down during the English Civil War by Cromwell ’s supporters. The tower contains a ring of 13 bells, the largest ring of bells in Wales . Although a fine tower, it is separated from the main body of the church by St Mary's chapel. It is not certain whether there was an earlier tower on the site. To enter St Mary's chapel, which now links the tower with the main body of the cathedral, we pass through
7056-530: 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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