Newport -- a potted history

NEWPORT — A POTTED HISTORY

The ancient township of Newport lies between the north facing slope of Carn Ingli and the south bank of the River Nevern estuary, surrounded by diverse and beautiful landscapes. Situated on the edge of the Preseli Hills within Britain’s only coastal National Park, the countryside here is rich in local and natural history. The well-planned walks enable visitors to enjoy the town, the nearby hills and the coastal scenery. The town offers a variety of attractions from prehistoric burial sites to a Norman castle and a medieval pottery kiln. Newport's location makes it a popular centre from which to explore the whole of North Pembrokeshire including Mynydd Preseli.

Carreg Coetan

 

Origins of Newport

The area abounds with evidence of its early inhabitants. Carreg Coetan Arthur is a Neolithic burial chamber or cromlech. Both Carn Ingli and Carn Ffoi show abundant traces of Iron Age forts and hut circles, but some features are probably much older. In the 6th century Saint Brynach (the local saint) is said to have climbed Carn Ingli often, to ‘commune with the angels’. The Welsh name for Newport is Trefdraeth — ‘the township on the shore’. This early Celtic settlement was at Parrog on the Nevern estuary, and the Normans founded the garrison town of Newport many centuries later. 

Newport Castle

Newport Castle & Barony

Newport was incorporated as a Norman borough, in the Lordship of Cemaes, in the early 13th century. A crescent shaped earthwork, known as Hen Gastell on the estuary to the north of Newport Castle is probably the site of the first wooden stronghold of William Fitzmartin. It was used after he had been ousted from Nevern by the Welsh Prince Rhys ap Gruffydd in 1191. His fort was destroyed by Llewelyn the Great in 1215. Rebuilt, it was again destroyed, along with the town, by Llywellyn ap Gruffydd in 1257. Rebuilt this time in stone, it was later attacked and destroyed by Owain Glyndwr during the Welsh uprising of 1400 to 1409. Famous Elizabethan antiquarian George Owen was Baron of Cemaes during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. A private residence was incorporated into the ruined gatehouse in the 19th century. The Court Leet of the Barony continues to meet today, the present Lord Marcher exercising the privilege of nominating the mayor of Newport every 2 years. In August the beating of the bounds takes place, when a procession of local people ‘perambulates’ the boundary of the parish. (The castle is not open to the public except on very rare occasions).

Agriculture

Newport was originally made up of burgages with narrow frontages along the streets of the town. Each burgage plot had a dwelling built from a mixture of clay and straw and was long enough to grow crops and keep a few animals. Many plots extended to hand hewn water channels running parallel to the north-south streets giving Newport its distinctive mediaeval layout. Burgage holders, called burgesses, were required to attend the Court Leet (being fined for any absence), to grind their corn at the Castle Mill and, for a toll, they were allowed to sell their produce at the town market. In 1434 there were 233 burgages but by 1594 only 50 of those were habitable. Sheep farming had always been important in the area but with the General Enclosure Act of 1801 people lost their rights to graze animals. Poor harvests led to a shortage of bread and many inhabitants emigrated to America. Later in the 19th century Newport began to prosper again with the rise in importance of coastal trading.

Parrog and Sea Trade

Records show Newport was a trading port in the 16th century, with wool and cloth making up two thirds of all exports. At this time slate was quarried from the sea cliffs and exported. In the 1740s herring was exported to Bristol, Wexford, Dublin and as far as the Mediterranean. Herrings from Newport and Fishguard fed the armies of Queen Elizabeth in Spain. Ships would come in on a high tide and settle on the shore as the tide went out. Old photographs show cargoes being loaded into horse-drawn carts. In the 18th & 19th centuries shipbuilding took place along the estuary. The single-mast sloop and the two-mast brig were the most common types of vessel. Imports in the 19th century were primarily of limestone, coal and culm. Storehouses were built to accommodate this trade. The only one to survive now houses Newport Boat Club. From the 1850s many ports in Pembrokeshire were in decline as a result of the coming of the railways. But because Newport had no rail connection, coastal trading continued until 1934 when the Angus, carrying a cargo of coal, was the last ship to use Newport harbour. 

Parrog steps

Limekilns

The soil in Pembrokeshire is extremely acidic. Farmers spread lime on their fields as early as the 16th century. Limestone was brought by sea from the south of the county, burnt in kilns over a culm fire, cooled and carted to the farmland. Culm, also originating from the south, is a mixture of anthracite coal dust and clay, mixed with water and moulded by hand into balls. This burnt in domestic fireplaces as well as kilns. Originally, there were many lime-kilns in the Newport area but only 2 remain, both double-kilns. One can be found opposite Newport on the north side of the River Nevern and the other on Parrog, next to its limeburner’s cottage.

St Mary’s Parish Church

Newport's Parish Church was built in the 13th century by William Fitz Martin, grandson of the first invader of Cemaes. By the middle of the 19th century the church was in a very poor state of repair. By 1879 it had been restored and rebuilt to its present state. All that is left of the Norman building is the sturdy tower, a fine Norman cushion-type font and a holy water stoup. Attractive Victorian stained glass windows commemorate former Rectors and John Morgan, master of Madam Bevan’s School for 47 years. The extensive graveyard holds over 1000 memorials of which more than 200 have references to the seafaring families of Newport. An upright stone near the west door is inscribed with an early Christian cross, probably 6th or 7th century. This stone was found in use as a gate post near Cnwcau Farm.

Church Door

 

Chapels of Newport

There are four chapels in Newport. The oldest is the Ebenezer, the Congregationalist Chapel in Lower St. Mary Street, established in 1743 and rebuilt in 1844. The Church Chapel of St. Mary's Church in Upper St. Mary Street was built in 1799, for the use of Methodists and non-Methodists alike. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, preached at St. Mary’s Church several times. In 1811 the Methodists separated from the Anglican Church and they built their own, Tabernacle Chapel, in Long Street in 1815. The Baptists held services in a private house in Upper Bridge Street in the mid 17th century. In the same street in 1789, the Bethlehem Chapel was built. Sixty years later it was rebuilt with its tall Gothic windows that remain today.

Education

The first school in Newport was established in College Square in 1809, funded by and named after Madam Bevan of Laugharne. It was part of the nationwide ‘Circulating Schools’ movement, which was set up to give children in rural communities the opportunity to receive an education and maintain the Welsh language. It was also used as a base to train teachers. Madam Bevan's Central School continued until 1870 when the Education Act was passed. It is now a private residence. The Board School (now used by the YHA and as a small business centre) was opened in 1875 on Lower St Marys Street and was enlarged in 1914. The present school, Ysgol Bro Ingli, in Long Street was opened in 1993.

Memorial Hall and its Medieval Pottery Kiln

The Hall was built as a memorial to the men of Newport who had given their lives in The Great War. Dr David Havard, the Mayor of Newport, 1917-1920, established ‘Our Boys Fund’ to raise money for its construction. The site was given by his mother Mrs Margaret Havard and the ladies of Newport raised additional funds to add a library and reading room. The Hall was opened in 1922. While preparing the foundations in January 1921, builders found two 15th century pottery kilns, which are now understood to be the only medieval pottery kilns to be discovered in nWales. One of the kilns is still intact under the stage of the hall, and can be seen through a glass screen, following a major restoration project.

The Iron Bridge

A stone bridge with 6 arches was constructed here in the 13th century. This was demolished in the 16th century during an epidemic, probably to stop infected people entering Newport. A ford and an alternative stepping stone crossing, which can still be seen at low tide, were used for almost 300 years. The original ‘iron bridge’ was built in 1890 and replaced in 1998. This has always been a popular place to admire the views and watch the estuary birds. 

Stepping stones

Fairs, Markets and Traders

A right to hold fairs and markets in Newport was granted by the Norman Lords who benefited from the tolls payable on every beast sold and stall erected. The main fair of the year was Ffair Curig, St Curig’s Fair, at the end of June, and that time of year is still Newport's annual fair week. In the middle of the 16th century, Newport was exporting principally wool and locally woven cloth, its harbour providing a haven for the small coastal trading vessels. The cloth trade declined for a number of reasons, including a smaller population (probably due to disease) and competition from cheaper goods in England, but the export of the wool fleeces increased. By the 19th century, the maritime trade was flourishing and flannel cloth was again an important export. Many of the larger houses in the town were built at this time by sea captains and merchants. The 1875 Directory of England and Wales listed 28 farmers in the parish of Newport and over 70 different trades including bakers, blacksmiths, carpenters, drapers, ironmongers, maltsters, a manure agent, millers, milliners, weavers, etc. and even a photographer, and a further 17 inns and public houses. Many of the latter would open only when a ship came to port! Today Newport has more shops and cafes than many communities of its size.

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Acknowledgements: The Ancient Borough of Newport in Pembrokeshire, by Dillwyn Miles

Text researched and written by Newport Heritage Group

Illustrations: Roger Hill

First published by PLANED

(21.10.2021. Needs more editing………..)