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The Great Britain Guide

Towns & cities · South Wales

Newport

Free admission

Newport — city in south east Wales, United Kingdom.

Newport, towns & cities in South Wales

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Plan your visit

Typical visit
3 h–6 h
Nearest railway station
Newport · 0.2 km
  • Free entry
  • Family-friendly
  • Dog-friendly

About

Newport is a town, city, village or settlement in the United Kingdom. It covers approximately 73 km². Recent population estimates put it at around 159,600 people. Address: NP. Wikidata describes it as: "city in south east Wales, United Kingdom". Coordinates: 51.5886°, -2.9978°.

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Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: Severn Estuary SSSI

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Newport (Welsh: Casnewydd [kasˈnɛwɨð]) is a city and county borough in Wales, on the River Usk near its confluence with the Severn Estuary, approximately 12 mi (19 km) northeast of Cardiff. The population grew significantly between the 2011 and the 2021 census, increasing 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 the 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 the Middle Ages, originating with the construction of Newport Castle by the Normans. The town eventually outgrew the earlier Roman settlement of Caerleon, located just upstream and now incorporated into the city. Newport received its first charter in 1314. The town experienced significant growth during the 19th century, as its port became a major hub for coal exports from the eastern South Wales Valleys. For a time, Newport was the largest coal-exporting port in Wales, until Cardiff surpassed it in the mid-1800s. Newport was also the site of the last large-scale armed insurrection in Great Britain, the Newport Rising of 1839. In the 20th century, Newport’s docks declined in significance, but the town remained a vital hub for manufacturing and engineering. More recently, its economy has benefitted from its location within the high-technology M4 corridor, with expanding aerospace and semiconductor industries. Newport was granted city status in 2002. The Celtic Manor Resort, located in the city, hosted the Ryder Cup in 2010 and the NATO summit in 2014. While the urban core is well developed, Newport also includes rural areas, with several villages of notable archaeological interest. Newport Cathedral, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Monmouth, serves as the cathedral for the Diocese of Monmouth.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

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), 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…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.5886, -2.9978
District
Newport
Parish
Stow Hill
Postcode
NP
Parliamentary constituency
Newport East
Phone
+44 7557 300 298
Population
159,600
Nearest railway station
Newport0.2 km
Official site
newport.gov.uk

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Newport?
Newport is in South Wales, United Kingdom (postcode NP), in the parish of Stow Hill.
Who owns Newport?
Newport is owned by Newport City Council.
Is Newport a protected site?
Yes — Newport is part of the Severn Estuary SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Is Newport free to visit?
Yes, Newport is free to enter.
How do I get to Newport?
The nearest railway station is Newport, about 0.2 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode NP.