Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for NEWPORT

NEWPORT, a small town and a parish in the district of Cardigan and county of Pembroke. The town stands at the head of a small bay of its own name, and at the mouth of the river Nevern, 6 miles E by N of Fishguard, and 10 S W by W of Cardigan r. station; is known to the Welsh as Trefdraeth, signifying "sand-town; " was founded either by Martin de Tours, first lord of Kemess, or by his immediate followers; has a castle, built by William, the son of Martin de Tours; was made an administrative centre of the territory conquered by Martin; rose to such prosperity as to monopolize most of thetrade of Pembrokeshire; carried on extensive woollen manufacture at the beginning of the 16th century; suffered then such devastation by plague as occasioned the transference of much of its business to Fishguard; went rapidly afterwards into decadence; still retains some importance as a sub-port to Cardigan; has an export tradein corn, butter, and slates, and an import trade in timber, limestone, coal, and culm; can be reached by vessels only at high water, in consequence of a broad bar of sand lying across the entrance of its harbour; consists of irregularly built streets, shaded with trees, and engirt withwooded environs; is a seat of petty sessions and a polling-place; ranks as a corporate town, governed by a mayor, recorder, aldermen, and other office-bearers, but was not included in any of the schedules of the new municipalact; and has a post-office‡ under Haverfordwest, a goodinn, a church, three dissenting chapels, a weekly market on Friday, and fairs on 10 April, 27 June, 3 Aug., and 16 Oct. The castle overlooks the town and the bay; was, till recently, a picturesque ruin; is now incorporated with a modern residence, belonging to T. D. Lloyd, Esq., the lord of the manor; and retains an elegant tower, with square base and circular superstructure of the 13th century, with an upper polygonal story of later date, and with a vaulted chamber, whose roof rests on a centralearly decorated English pier. The church is said to be of the 13th century; but has been modernized, and is now very plain. The parish comprises 4, 606 acres ofland and 105 of water. Real property, £3, 511. Pop.in 1851, 1, 716; in 1861, 1, 575. Houses, 457. Two cromlechs are at respectively Pentre-Evan and Llech-y-Driebedd. The living is a rectory in the diocese of St. David's. Value, £216.* Patron, T. D. Lloyd, Esq.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a small town and a parish"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Newport AP/CP       Cardiganshire AncC       Pembrokeshire AncC
Place names: NEWPORT     |     TREFDRAETH
Place: Newport

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