Historic Newport

Newport was created after the Normans conquered Gwent in 1093. In the early 12th century they built a castle by a ford in the River Usk. The town outgrew the earlier Roman town of Caerleon, gaining its first charter in 1314. It grew considerably in the 19th century, when its port became the centre of coal exports from the eastern valleys of south Wales. Until the rise of Cardiff from the 1850s, Newport was Wales’ largest coal-exporting port.
During the 20th century, the docks declined in importance, but Newport remained an important manufacturing and engineering centre for Wales. Newport suffered severely in the depression of the 1930s and unemployment was at a high, but its industries began to boom again when World War II began. Newport suffered a number of air raids during the Second World War. However after 1945 the town continued to flourish. In 1949 St Woolos Church was made a cathedral.

Social Media

Additional information on Newport can be found on its official website; Newport City Council and Newport City Council Twitter.

Famous Faces

A number of famous faces have originated from, or are connected to, Newport. Just a few are listed below.

Tony Pulis (born 16 January 1958) – Welsh football manager and former footballer, who was most recently manager of Crystal Palace.

Sir Terence Hedley Matthews KBE, FREng, FIEE (born 6 June 1943) – Welsh-Canadian business magnate, serial high tech entrepreneur and the first billionaire to be born in Wales.

Michael Sheen OBE (born 5 February 1969) – Welsh actor

Desmond Llewelyn (12 September 1914 – 19 December 1999) – Was a Welsh actor. He played Q in 17 of the James Bond films between 1963 and 1999.

Landmarks

Newport Castle

Not much remains of Newport’s pre-industrial past apart from the cathedral and the ruins of Newport Castle, squeezed between traffic-clogged Kings Way and the river. The castle was part destroyed by Owain Glynd?r in 1402 and was never properly refurbished. Only the section facing the river is still standing and sadly it’s not possible to enter the site.

St Woolos Cathedral/Newport Cathedral

Newport’s ancient cathedral provides a fascinating walk through history. The cathedral is the Diocese of Monmouth, in the Church in Wales, and seat of the Bishop of Monmouth. The name “Woolos” comes from Gwynllyw, the 5th-century Welsh saint who first founded a religious establishment on the site. When visiting the city, this is always a must-see for tourists.

Transporter Bridge

The spindly towers of the 1906 Transporter Bridge rise over the river, about a mile south of the city centre. A extraordinary piece of Edwardian engineering, it can carry up to six cars across the river in a gondola suspended beneath the high-level track, while still allowing ships to pass beneath. It’s also the largest of eight such bridges remaining in the world.

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Caerphilly cheese

Held every year in the historic town since 1997, the festival is situated on the Owain Glyndwr Playing Fields, just a twenty minute drive from the Welsh capital, Cardiff.
This year’s festival starts on Friday 26th of July and continues over the weekend, ending on Sunday 28th. On the first day, many festival goers, both adults and children, will be competing in the annual Great Cheese Race! The race itself is staged around the grounds of Britain’s second largest castle, the magnificent Caerphilly castle, built in the 13th century. Every year there is a theme with participants having to wear fancy dress. This year’s theme is the Olympics, with prizes going to the best dressed and not to forget, the winner of the race itself! Sadly it is now too late to apply to take part in the race, but we’re sure that watching this fun filled event will be just as enjoyable.Aside from the Great Cheese Race, a packed entertainment programme will ensure visitors have lots of fun over the three days.

Festival goers can expect the following;
• Funfair & traditional funfair
• Firework display (Friday 26th – around 10pm)
• Re-enactment displays
• Musical entertainment
• Educational activities
• Food hall
• Craft stalls
• Activity marquee
• Tommy Cooper tent

Caerphilly Castle viewed from David Williams Park

There is so much to do at the festival, but if you just want to relax with your friends and family there are designated picnic areas on the site, allowing you to take in all the atmosphere the charming town has to offer. This year around 80,000 people are expected to experience the Big Cheese Festival, we highly recommend that you visit, it’s definitely one of Azure’s favourite summer festivals. Remember, it starts on Friday 26th July and ends on Sunday 28th, all ages are welcome and it’s free!

http://your.caerphilly.gov.uk/bigcheese/home-page

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