Newport

From Free net encyclopedia

For other Newports, see Newport (disambiguation).

**City of Newport**
Image:WalesNewport.png
Geography
Area - Total - % Water	Ranked 18th 190 km² ? %
Admin HQ	Newport
ISO 3166-2	GB-NWP
ONS code	00PR
Traditional county	Monmouthshire
Ceremonial county	Gwent
OS grid reference	Template:Gbmappingsmall
Coordinates	51°35N 2°59W
Demographics
Population: - Total (2004 est.) - Density	Ranked 7th 139,500 Ranked 2nd 734 / km²
Ethnicity	95.1% White 2.6% S. Asian 1.5% Afro-Caribbean
Welsh language - Any skills	Ranked 20th 13.4%
Politics
Image:Newport-Mon-Coat-of-Arms.png Newport City Council http://www.newport.gov.uk/
Control	Labour
Mayor of Newport	Councillor Paul Cockeram
MP, Newport West:	Paul Flynn
MP, Newport East:	Jessica Morden

Newport (Welsh: Casnewydd) is the third largest city in Wales (after Cardiff and Swansea). Standing on the banks of the river Usk, it is the cultural capital of the traditional county of Monmouthshire and governed by the unitary Newport City Council.

1 General information
2 Geography
- 2.1 Population
- 2.2 Climate
3 Regeneration
4 Founding of Newport
5 Transport
6 Education
7 Business
8 Government
9 Culture and arts
10 Twinning
11 Sport
12 History
13 Coat of arms
14 External links

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General information

The full Welsh name for the city is Casnewydd-ar-Wysg (pronounced Cas-NEW-ith) ('e' as in 'men'; 'th' as in 'then'), which literally means 'New Castle-on-Usk'. This refers to the twelfth-century castle ruins near the city centre, which are 'new' compared to the Roman fortress at nearby Caerleon. Newport is also sometimes labelled Newport-on-Usk on old maps.

The city's importance as a trading port in the middle ages was re-emphasized when a 15th century ship, referred to locally as the Newport ship was recently uncovered from the bank of the Usk within Newport during the construction of a new arts centre.

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Geography

The city is largely low lying, but with a few hilly areas. Areas in the South and East of the city tend to be very flat and fertile with some housing estates and industrial areas reclaimed from marshland. Areas such as Caerleon, near the banks of the River Usk tend to also be low-lying. There is a ridge of relatively higher land running through the city that has good views of surrounding areas.

The suburbs of the city have tended to grow outwards from the inner city in different directions along the main roads, leading to many out of town shopping centres being built, as they are more convenient than travelling several miles to shop in the town centre. The suburbs are continuing to expand rapidly with new estates being constantly built.

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 '*':

Ward	Communities	Other geographic areas
Allt-yr-yn	Allt-yr-yn	Ridgeway, Barrack Hill, Glasllwch
Alway	Alway	Somerton
Beechwood	Beechwood
Bettws	Bettws
Caerleon	Caerleon	Christchurch
Gaer	Gaer	Maesglas, St. Davids, Stelvio
Graig	Graig*	Rhiwderin, Bassaleg
Langstone	Langstone, Llanvaches, Penhow*	Parc Seymour
Llanwern	Bishton Llanmartin, Goldcliff, Llanwern, Redwick*	Underwood, Uskmouth
Liswerry	Liswerry, Nash*	Broadmead/Moorland Park
Malpas	Malpas
Marshfield	Coedkernew, Marshfield, Michaelstone-y-Fedw, Wentloog	Castleton, St. Brides
Pillgwenlly	Pillgwenlly	Level of Mendalgief
Ringland	Ringland	Bishpool, Coldra
Rogerstone	Rogerstone*	High Cross
Shaftesbury	Shaftesbury	Brynglas, Crindau, Marshes
St. Julian's	St. Julians	East Usk, Barnardtown
Stow Hill	Stow Hill	St.Woolos, Baneswell
Tredegar Park	Tredegar Park	Duffryn
Victoria	Victoria	Maindee

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Population

1801: 6,657

1851: 29,238

1881: 48,069

1901: 79,342

1941: 116,434

1981: 131,016

2001: 137,017

2004 (est.): 139,500

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Climate

Newport has a moderate temperate climate, with the weather rarely staying the same for long periods of time. Newport is one of the warmer UK locations and it's sheltered location often protects from extreme weather. Like all of the UK, Newport benefits from the warming effect of the Gulf Stream. Newport has warm summers and fairly cool winters. Thunderstorms are intermittent throughout late-spring and summer. Rainfall falls throughout the year but spring is often the driest season. Snow falls every winter but doesn't usually settle to great depths and often melts within a day or 2 after falling, snow does not settle every winter. Newport only records a few days with gales every year but a light breeze is often present. Frosts are fairly common November - April, being situated on the edge of the Welsh Marches.

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Regeneration

The city is currently undergoing a huge regeneration programme, involving thousands of new jobs being created. The main projects include: the Riverfront Arts Centre, this was the first structure to be built as part of Newport's regeneration by Newport Unlimited. A new road bridge has recently been built, as part of the Southern Distributor Road. A new footbridge across the Usk in central Newport is nearly completed. In the next few years, a riverside University campus [1] and new city centre shopping complex will be created in time for the 2010 Ryder Cup in Newport. The bus and railway stations will be extensively redeveloped. Thousands of homes will be built, especially in the Riverside area, near Pill. A new M4 bypass skirting the southern edge of the urban area of Newport is to built, reducing the congestion on the existing motorway and making Newport and the surrounding areas more accessible by road. There are proposals to transform the disused Llanwern steelworks into a pleasant area with 4,000 houses, shops and other facilities, with the creation of up to 6,000 jobs [2]. There are also calls for a barrage across the River Usk to be incorporated with the M4 bypass, so the level of the river stays permanently at high tide.

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Founding of Newport

The facts of the matter are somewhat obscured by time; However it is widely regarded that Newport was founded by St. Gwynllyw (roughly "G-win-th-loo") who gives his name (albeit twisted out of recognition) to Newport's St. Woolos Cathedral. [3]

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Transport

Image:Citybridgenewport.jpgThe city is excellently served in communication terms - the M4 motorway comes within a mile of the city centre, and Newport has six junctions. The Great Western main railway line also passes right through the heart of the city, stopping at High Street station, this takes passengers to and from Cardiff, Bristol and London primarily, and also other towns and cities on the great Western Line, such as Swansea, Swindon and Reading. There are also train services directly to Birmingham, Southampton, Manchester, Nottingham, Derby, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Gloucester, West Wales, the South Wales Valleys and many other smaller towns. The A48 is a major road running from west to east through Newport, serving as an alternative to the M4 for getting to Cardiff. It is also the primary road for travelling to rural Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire. Newport Transport provide the Newport Bus service in the city. Cardiff, Bristol and Heathrow Airports are within driving distance for those travelling by plane.

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Education

Newport is home to the University of Wales, Newport which has two campuses in the city - one in Caerleon and the other in Allt-yr-yn. The university can trace its roots back to the founding of the Newport Mechanics Institute in 1841. The Newport School of Art was one of the first Schools to be awarded degree status in 1963 and enjoyed a high reputation in Painting and Sculpture throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

Plans have been granted for the first phase of a new £60m city centre university campus as part of the riverside regeneration plans by the urban regeneration company Newport Unlimited. This phase will see the return of the renowned Newport School of Art and Design to the city centre.

Newport is home to 8 state comprehensive schools of varying pupil abilities and backgrounds.

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Business

The National Statistics Office and a large Panasonic manufacturing plant are based in the West of Newport. There is a huge plant in the West of Newport built for LG Group electronics but they pulled out of the deal, so the factory is currently unused. There are many plans of what to use the plant for, such as transforming it into a cinema or a large supercasino. Industry in the East of Newport was formerly based on the Corus Steelworks at Llanwern but this has also shut down.

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Government

Newport has long been the largest town in the traditional Monmouthshire county and became a unitary authority area when Gwent County Council was abolished. The City of Newport is currently divided between the parliamentary constituencies of Newport West and Newport East. These 2 parliamentary constituencies cover a very similar area to that of the City area controlled by Newport City Council. The city formally had only one parliamentary until 1983 when the city was split into Newport West and East to due population expansion.

The city has traditionally had a fairly strong support for the Labour party with many working clas areas, but the Conservatives have a significant minority especially in the middle class areas in the West. There has been a sharp increase in Liberal Democrat voters in recent elections with people becoming more disillusioned with the 2 main parties. In the 2005 general election, the Lib Dems pushed the Conservatives into 3rd place in Newport East with Labour still holding on to a sizable majority but in Newport West the Conservatives gained a swing on Labour, making their majority fairly slim and fragile.

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Culture and arts

Newport is known for its many works of civic art, including the steel Wave on the banks of the Usk, and the mechanical clock in the city centre. It also has one of the few remaining working transporter bridges (the other British example being in Middlesbrough).

Image:Tredegar-House.png Set in a beautiful 90 acre (360,000 m²) park, Tredegar House is one of the best examples of a 17th century Charles II mansion in Britain. The earliest surviving part of the building dates back to the early 1500s. For over five hundred years, it was home to one of the greatest of Welsh families, the Morgans - later Lords Tredegar - until they left in 1951. The house was then used as a girl's 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 is known for its nightlife, containing many pubs, bars and nightclubs in a relatively small area. The most famous of these is probably T.J.'s, an alternative music club where it is rumoured that Kurt Cobain proposed to Courtney Love.

Newport hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1897, 1988 and 2004.

Satirical rap group Goldie Lookin' Chain are based in Newport. Grant Nicholas, lead singer of Feeder grew up nearby and went to St Julians Comprehensive in the city. Fellow Feeder member Jon Lee, poet W. H. Davies, actress and television presenter Josie D'Arby, olympic sprinter Christian Malcolm, football freestyle performer Abbas Farid, stuntman and star of MTV show 'Dirty Sanchez' Lee Dainton, chartist John Frost, actor in James Bond movies Desmond Llewelyn, who played 'Q' and Wales' first billionaire Terry Matthews are all Newport natives. Olympic gold medal winning sprinter Darren Campbell is a resident of Newport.

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Twinning

Newport has three international twinning links:

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Heidenheim

The Newport - Heidenheim Twinning Association was formed in 1980 to promote and assist Newport’s link with Heidenheim. Further information is available from:

The Secretary, 
Newport Heidenheim Twinning Association,
Flat 102
The Aspect
140 Queen Street
Cardiff
CF10 2GP

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Kutaisi

The twinning arrangement between Newport and Kutaisi, Georgia dates from 1989. Kutaisi is the second city in Georgia, set in a beautiful location between the Caucasian mountains and the Black Sea. The Newport - Kutaisi Twinning Association was founded to promote international friendships and to strengthen links between the two communities. Further information about the twinning of Newport with Kutaisi is available from:

Newport Kutaisi Association
Ingleside
Fields Park Crescent
Newport
NP20 5BN

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Guangxi

Newport has been twinned with Guangxi Province in China since 1996.

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Sport

The city has a formidable sporting reputation, owed mainly to the exploits of the world-famous Newport Rugby Club. 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 Blacks 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.

Newport also has a famous (association) football club, Newport County: although currently a non-league club, it has an enviable reputation in Welsh football, having continually provided many non-league international players. Newport also has a speedway track, home to the Newport Wasps speedway team, and is home to one of the few indoor velodromes in Britain.

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History

The river Usk at Newport has always proved an attractive place to make a home. Bronze Age fishermen settled around its fertile estuary and later the Celtic Silures built hill forts overlooking it. On the very edge of their empire, the Roman legions built a fortress at Caerleon to defend the river crossing. The Normans arrived in 1090 to build a castle and river crossing downstream. Around the settlement, the New Town grew to be become Newport, and was granted a charter by Hugh, Earl of Stafford in 1385.

Newport was the focal point of a major Chartist uprising in 1839, where John Frost and 3,000 others marched on the Westgate Hotel. John Frost Square, in the centre of the city, is named in his honour. (See Chartism for more information)

The county borough of Newport was granted city status in 2002 to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee.

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Coat of arms

Newport's Coat of Arms is unusual for two reasons. Firstly, it places a cherub above the shield of arms; secondly, one of the supporters is a winged sea lion - Newport was the first authority to use this rare heraldic device. In 1929 Newport obtained a grant to use the armorial bearings which, in fact, it had already been using for some time - certainly since 1835. This is a gold shield with a red chevron in reverse; the shield is ensigned by a cherub. The shield is that of the Staffords, Earls and Dukes of Buckingham, lords of the Manor of Newport in the 14th and 15th centuries - but the reversed chevron marks the difference between these Borough Arms and those of the family.

In 1957 it was decided to petition the Earl Marshal for the supporters which all Boroughs are entitled to possess. A year later the College of Arms granted this request and a winged sea dragon and a winged sea lion were brought into use. These supporters represent strength on land, sea and in the air. The motto Terra Marique was adopted at the same time and means 'By land and sea'.

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