Newport

:For other Newports, see Newport (disambiguation).

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.

Related Topics:
River Usk - Bronze Age - Silures - Caerleon - Normans - 1090 - 1385

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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)

Related Topics:
Chartist - 1839 - John Frost - Westgate Hotel - Chartism

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

Related Topics:
County borough - City - 2002 - Queen Elizabeth II - Golden Jubilee

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