Newport, Newport County is located just across the Severn estuary from England, making Newport the gateway to South Wales. The city of Newport sits along the bank of the river Usk in South Wales. With its close proximity to Cardiff (16 miles away) and Bristol (31 miles away), Newport is in an excellent spot to explore South Wales and the West country.

2010 Ryder Cup

2010 promises to be one of the most exciting in the long history of Newport.  Already the town is gearing up for the 2010 Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort. The world's major international golfing tournament the Ryder Cup comes to Newport and it's not only the golfing fraternity that are excited about the prospect of the world's best golfers competing in South Wales. The whole of the Welsh golfing community and indeed the Welsh tourist trade are excited by the prospect, with hopes of a bonanza for golfing holidays and tourism throughout Wales. The local tourist authorities with the help of Wales' national tourist board are working flat out to offer a warm welcome to both the European and American golf teams.

But Newport has more than just golf to offer the visitors to South Wales.

City Centre

In January 2008 Newport was awarded ‘Fairtrade City’ status, and currently has 28 retail outlets and 14 cafes, all offering fair-trade products. Being a city, it has everything you could expect of high street shopping. Well known stores include Primark, HMV, W H Smith, Marks & Spencer, MK One, Game, Boots and BHS.

Want to get away from the chain stores? The two storey covered market is a popular shopping venue no matter what you’re looking for, with a wide selection of stalls selling everything you could possibly need, from fruit and veg to batteries and screwdrivers.

Newport Gallery is definitely a place worth visiting if you have a passion for art. It incorporates paintings, decorative ceramics, watercolours and contemporary prints into its three different collections, the Hildred Collection, Fox Collection and Wait Collection, all displaying works by artists such as L S Lowry, Stephen Conroy and Newport’s own 19th century artist James Flewitt Mullock.

If you fancy watching a film during your time in Newport, then the City Cinema is situated on Bridge Street, showing the latest blockbuster films. You can even watch the film whilst enjoying a hot dog and a refreshing drink.

Attractions

Newport Wetlands Reserve

Newport Wetlands Reserve is a huge wildlife reserve located at the edge of Newport, attracting a diversity of wildlife such as orchids, butterflies, dragonflies and otters. Footpaths and cycle paths make it easy for you spot them and the recently opened Environmental Education and Visitor Centre gives you a place to relax whilst watching the birds in their natural environment. Visitors can also enjoy a coffee at the café also housed in the Visitor Centre or buy a gift from the reserve’s shop, whilst children can participate in the activities and events held here annually.

Tredegar House


Tredegar House is a splendid 17th century Charles II mansion which is just waiting to be visited! Sitting in 90 acres of parkland, there are plenty of areas to explore both in and around Tredegar House. Take a tour of the incredible state rooms and servants’ quarters, whilst appreciating the earliest surviving part of the building, dating back to the early 1500s. The House holds many events throughout the year, such as themed tours of the building, the gardens, exhibitions, not to mention Halloween and Christmas celebrations. With all this going on, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t visit Tredegar House.

Fourteen Locks

Alongside the Monmouth and Brecon Canal, just outside of Newport, you can find the Fourteen Locks Canal Visitor Centre. Take a ‘virtual’ journey along the canal, even having a go at working a lock, and all without stepping foot out of the Centre. Interested in the history of the canal and the locks? Then you can trace the growth and decline of the canal and discover its role transporting products such as limestone, coal, iron and bricks from South Wales’s valleys to Newport Docks. If you finally become a little tired and need a rest, there is a tea room with an outside patio, where you can while away the summer days with a cold, refreshing drink.
Boat trips along the canal are organised from time to time, giving you a unique opportunity to experience the canal and locks first hand. So if you fancy something a bit different, head to Fourteen Locks.

Cefn Mably Farm Park

This farm park is a huge hit with young children, who can’t wait to explore the various areas of the farm and discover the number of rare animals living here. They can take pony rides, touch and feed the small animals, and view the larger animals in an impressive undercover animal viewing area. There is also a play barn and a coffee shop for those parents who want a break away from their kids for just a few minutes, safe in the knowledge that the children are being cared for in the play barn.

Cwm Hedd Fishing Lakes

Cwm Hedd is an 8 acre lake, 10 minutes from Newport city centre, and a perfect place for fishing. The lake is regularly stocked with rainbow, blue trout, brownies and tigers, ensuring that you at least have one fish to take home with you for tea! The area surrounding the lake is also an ideal place for enjoyable walk—as you can see Cwm Hedd Lake has something for everyone.

Get Out—Go Country! Activities

Get Out—Go Country! is the perfect place to head to if you love outdoor activities. The team arrange challenging but enjoyable outdoor adventure activities, usually at Cwm Hedd Lakes, and you can take part in any activities from canoeing, kayaking and rafting, to team building and archery on the dry land. Get Out—Go Country!’s outdoor activities are a must for anyone with bundles of energy and just can’t wait to get outside!

Castle

The original castle would have been a motte and bailey settlement constructed opposite the St Woolos cathedral. If the legend is anything to go by, the cathedral was built as a church in the 5th century by St Gwynllyw, but by the 9th century had become known as St Woolos cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of Monmouth. However, it was between 1327 and 1386 that the stone castle, of which the ruins remain today, was built by the Norman Hugh d’Audle or his son-in-law Ralph who was the Earl of Stafford.

The castle only had an active life for 200 years; it was seldom occupied by its lord, and for a short time in the 16th century it was the home of Jasper Tudor, Henry VIII’s uncle. After 1521 when the third Duke of Buckingham was executed, the castle was neglected and sadly in the 18th century, most of it had been destroyed and only its ruins remained. Still, it is these same romantic ruins which still stand and which we can still appreciate today.

History

The name ‘Newport’ derives from the fact that Caerleon, also in South Wales, would have once been the old port. However, when the cargo and porting ships became too big to fit into Caerleon’s port, a new port was built at Newport, and so the city was born. The name in Welsh, ‘Casnewydd yn Wysg’, translates as ‘New Castle in Usk’, referring to the old motte and bailey settlement in existence before the stone castle.

Newport also played a vital role during the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century. With many pits and mines in the area, South Wales became key suppliers of coal and iron, which was transported down the rivers and new canals towards the ever-growing Newport Docks. As a result of the Industrial Revolution, Newport became one of Wales’s largest cities and a focus point for the mining communities of South Wales.

Interestingly, in June 2002, a medieval ship was discovered on the banks of the river Usk during construction of the Riverfront Theatre. Afterwards the ship was excavated by a team of archaeologists and lifted from the banks timber by timber—a process which obviously took a long and lengthy time!

Accommodation

You needn’t worry for somewhere to stay in Newport: being a city it offers many luxurious hotels and guesthouses, and if you don’t fancy staying in Newport itself, try one of the hotels in Cardiff or Bristol instead. Self-catering cottages can be found across the Severn estuary around the Bristol area, and there are many camping sites along the A449 towards Monmouth, and in the area north of Newport, towards Nelson and Blackwood.

So fancy coming to the Welsh country? Then go through the new gates of South Wales, the city of Newport…