Welcome To the e-travelguide to Hotels, guest houses and attractions in Newport

Make the most of your time in Newport, use the information provided on this web site by clicking on the links above to plan your visit.

Newport – Casnewydd-ar-Wysg in Welsh – is the third largest city in Wales, and stands at the mouth of the River Usk. It is just 8 miles from the capital Cardiff, and looks out across the Mouth of the River Severn to Weston-Super-Mare and Bristol. The Welsh name translates literally to ‘New Castle on Usk’ – the castle in reference being the 12 th Century Newport Castle, whose ruins can be found close to the city centre. The history of the area can be traced back long before medieval times, however; the River Usk provided an attractive site for Bronze Age settlers and later Celtic Silures, and the region is particularly rich in remains and fortifications from this era. During the Roman occupation of the British Isles the town of Caerleon was established on the banks of the Usk, and Newport itself is believed to have been established by St Gwynllyw shortly after their departure. As the centuries passed, the convenient location of Newport led to the town becoming one of the key ports in South Wales; the Industrial Revolution and the exploitation of the rich coal seams in the Welsh Valleys accelerated Newport’s growth still further.

The export of coal and the smelting of metal ores, most notably iron, made Newport a wealthy town during the early 19 th Century – or rather it made a fortunate few extremely wealthy through the toil of their workers. Malcontent erupted in 1839 with the Chartist Uprising, when John Frost and a crowd of over 3,000 marched on the Westgate Hotel. A brief and bloody battle ensued, and while it was a tragic episode in Newport’s history, it did lead to the reforms that ultimately brought democracy to working people of the UK. Newport’s iron and steel industries continued to develop throughout the 19 th and early 20 th Centuries, and the tonnages exported from the town rose. The distinctive Transporter Bridge was built in 1906, and uses a gondola to ferry passengers across the river while still allowing large ships to pass. Although many of Newport’s traditional industries have dwindled, the city is re-inventing itself in the 21 st Century, riding the wave of popularity of nearby Cardiff, and establishing itself as a vibrant nightspot and a hub for retail and commerce in its own right. The city is also gaining publicity through the Celtic Manor Resort at nearby Cat’s Ash – one of the UK’s leading championship golf courses.

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