Newport is a city and principal area in Wales, in the United Kingdom. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, located roughly between Cardiff and Bristol, it is the cultural capital and largest urban area in the historic county of Monmouthshire and is governed by the unitary Newport City Council. The population of Newport is 140,100, making it the third most populous city in Wales. According to Census 2001 data the population of the core built-up area was 116,143.
The name 'Newport' derives from the fact that Caerleon was the 'old port' on the river Usk, but as ships became bigger, they could no longer navigate the river to Caerleon so a new port/dock was built near where the Riverfront Arts Centre stands today.
The Welsh language name for the city, Casnewydd-ar-Wysg (IPA: [kasˈnɛwɪð ar ˈwɪsk]) means 'New castle-on-Usk' (this is a shortened version of Castell Newydd ar Wysg). This refers to the twelfth-century castle ruins near the city centre. The original Newport Castle was a small Motte-and-bailey castle in the park opposite St. Woolos Cathedral. It was buried in rubble excavated from the railway tunnels that were dug under Stow Hill in the 1840s and no part of it is currently visible. Newport also has the Latin name Novus Burgus, meaning new borough or new town. It is sometimes labelled Newport-on-Usk on old maps.
The city's importance as a trading port in the Middle Ages grew steadily, although the town itself remained relatively small. In 2002, an unusually large merchant ship, referred to locally as the Newport ship, was uncovered and rescued from the bank of the Usk, during the construction of the Riverfront Arts Centre. The ship has been dated to some time between 1445 and 1469 and it remains the only vessel of its type from this period yet discovered. |
