Goldcliff, Newport
Encyclopedia
Goldcliff is a village
and community parish
to the south east of the city
of Newport
in South Wales
. It lies within the Newport city boundaries, in the historic county of Monmouthshire
and the preserved county of Gwent
.
cliff, about 60 feet high, at Hill Farm, rising over a great bed of yellow mica
which breaks the level at the shore and has a glittering appearance in sunshine, especially to ships passing in the Bristol Channel
.
Giraldus Cambrensis
, who toured Wales in 1188 refers to it as "Gouldclyffe" and describes it in Latin as "...glittering with a wonderful brightness".
and Whitson
, it is one of "The Three Parishes" which have long been a unit - geographical, socially, economically and ecclesiastically. All three parishes are typical of the Caldicot Levels
.
At the highest tides the village lies below sea-level. The entire area is drained by a vast network of inter-linking ditches or 'reens
' . A main drainage ditch, with an origin near Llanwern
, known as "Monksditch" or "Goldcliff Pill" (probably from the Welsh "pwll" for pool) passes through the village on its way to the sea. Local folklore maintains that the sides of the Monksditch are laced with smuggler's brandy.
Fields are drained by low depressions, running the width of the fields, known locally as grips. The field area between grips is termed a span or spain. The grips drain into the reens which are slow-moving and, in Summer months, often stagnant. Reens run towards the sea where they empty into the sea, between tides, at a gout. The level of reens is controlled by means of a series of sluices or stanks, separate boards in which may be raised or lowered to keep water levels high enough for livestock to drink. The faster flowing Monksditch carries water from more distant higher ground, above tbe level of the reens, some of which pass underneath the ditch by means of culverts.
) human footprints and the intertidal region of the coast near Goldcliff has attracted considerable archaeological interest (see Archaeology below). Goldcliff has notable evidence of occupation by the Silures
.
A connection with Roman
activity was firmly established with the discovery near Goldcliff Point in 1878 of the inscribed "Goldcliff Stone" recording the work of legionaries on a linear earthwork, presumably a sea wall. Further evidence of occupation was found when ash pits were dug at Nash during construction of the Uskmouth
Power Station.
Goldcliff was originally owned by the native princes of Wales, but was taken from Owen Wan by the Norman
nobleman Robert de Chandos who, shortly before 1113, founded a priory there.
The higher coastal parts of the area were certainly reclaimed by the late 11th century and early 12th century when Goldcliff and Nash were granted to the Benedictine
priory
. Lower-lying areas inland were enclosed and drained by the 13th century and 14th century.
in Normandy
, it passed during the fifteenth century into the control of Tewkesbury Abbey
and then of Eton College
.
of salmon
, which may well have had its origins with the Priory or even in Roman times. The technique used the so-called "putcher
" basket traditionally made from hazel
rods and withy (willow
) plait, set out against the tides in huge wooden "ranks". The last main exponent of the art of wooden putcher-making at Goldcliff was George Whittaker, although a working knowledge of the technique was also kept into the 1970s by Wyndham Howells of Saltmarsh Farm, the last fulltime fisherman at Goldcliff. Deeds for Saltmarsh Farm for 1867–1918 are held by Gwent Record Office
The mixed school for the parishes of Goldcliff and Whitson was erected in 1872 for 60 children and in 1901 had an average attendance of 46, with a Miss Mary Edith Tomlinson as the mistress. Until it closed in July 1954, the school received an annual gift of £2 from Eton College
Kelly's
1901 Directory lists the only private residence in the village as "The Moorlands", but has no fewer than 27 commercial concerns, mostly farmers, but also including a haulier, two fishermen, a female publican, a farm bailiff, a hay dealer, a mason and a shoe maker. The Directory also lists a Mrs Annie Louise Taylor as hotellier at "The Temperance Hotel". The hotel, situated at the end of the Sea Wall Road, was a well-known landmark as late as the 1950s.
, probably connected with the Priory. Also lying off Chapel Lane, the farmhouse and barn at Great Newra Farm has Grade II Listed buildings.
The quaint Congregational
(later United Reformed Church
) chapel
near the junction of the Sea Wall Road, built in 1840 and restored 1900/1901, is now also a private dwelling, but was still active as late as the 1980s.
The church of Saint Mary Magdelene has a well maintained churchyard with a beautiful tree arch canopy and many old gravestones. It is an ancient stone building in the Early English
style and is located directly behind The Farmer's Arms public house. At the front of the churchyard are the remains of an ancient mounded cross. The church itself has a small brass plaque, on the north wall near the altar, commemorating the Great Flood of 1607
when a tidal wave (possibly tsunami
) swept along the Bristol Channel
drowning 2,000 people. The plate, about three feet above ground level today at this point, marks the height of the flood waters.
The tower contains one bell, recast by Taylors of Loughborough in 1969.
The former vicarage for the Three Parishes, located in Whitson
, is now a private dwelling. The minister for the Rectoral Benefice of Magor, which includes Magor
, Nash
, Undy
, Llanwern
, Wilcrick
, Bishton
, Llanmartin
, Langstone
and Redwick
is based in Magor
.
Following interior re-decoration in 2006, including the removal of the old pews and pulpit, a service of re-dedication was held on 4 February 2007 with the Bishop of Monmouth
. The interior is now tastefully decorated with individually dedicated chairs and matching carpet.
and CADW
, has been produced by Martin Bell and colleagues. Bell was instrumental in the discovery of the mesolithic
human footprints.(see History above) and in 2004 his work at Goldcliff featured on Channel 4
's Time Team
television programme. Further archaeological excavation has also been carried out by Martin Locock and colleagues prior to the introduction of the Wetlands Reserve, for example at Hill Farm.
, opened in March 2000 as a mitigation for the loss of mudflats caused by the building of the Cardiff Bay Barrage
. Parts of Goldcliff and Whitson together are designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest SSSI.
The village pub is The Farmer's Arms , located close to the church. The village still has use of a communal parish room located in the Old School at the side of the Monksditch, which there forms the border with Whitson
.
The village enjoys a regular public bus service (Route 63, seven a day, six days a week) provided by Veolia Transport Cymru
. The local newspaper is the South Wales Argus
which is published in Newport.
Goldcliff Community Council is a member of the Campaign Against the Levels Motorway (CALM) Alliance formed in 2006 by the Friends of the Earth Cymru
Goldcliff is a popular venue for sea fishing and for ornithology.
and the Goldcliff, Newport community council
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and community parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
to the south east of the city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. It lies within the Newport city boundaries, in the historic county of Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
and the preserved county of Gwent
Gwent (county)
Gwent is a preserved county and a former local government county in south-east Wales. It was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was named after the ancient Kingdom of Gwent....
.
Origin of the name
The name is said to have originated from the silicious limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
cliff, about 60 feet high, at Hill Farm, rising over a great bed of yellow mica
Mica
The mica group of sheet silicate minerals includes several closely related materials having highly perfect basal cleavage. All are monoclinic, with a tendency towards pseudohexagonal crystals, and are similar in chemical composition...
which breaks the level at the shore and has a glittering appearance in sunshine, especially to ships passing in the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
.
Giraldus Cambrensis
Giraldus Cambrensis
Gerald of Wales , also known as Gerallt Gymro in Welsh or Giraldus Cambrensis in Latin, archdeacon of Brecon, was a medieval clergyman and chronicler of his times...
, who toured Wales in 1188 refers to it as "Gouldclyffe" and describes it in Latin as "...glittering with a wonderful brightness".
Character
Together with the neighbouring parishes of NashNash, Newport
Nash is a village and community parish to the south of the city of Newport, south-east Wales, in the Liswerry ward.- Origin of the name :...
and Whitson
Whitson
- Location :Whitson is located seven miles south east of Newport city centre on the Caldicot Levels, a large area of coastal land reclaimed from the sea...
, it is one of "The Three Parishes" which have long been a unit - geographical, socially, economically and ecclesiastically. All three parishes are typical of the Caldicot Levels
Caldicot and Wentloog Levels
The Caldicot and Wentloog Levels are two areas of low-lying estuarine alluvial wetland and intertidal mudflats adjoining the north bank of the Severn estuary, either side of the River Usk estuary near Newport in south east Wales...
.
At the highest tides the village lies below sea-level. The entire area is drained by a vast network of inter-linking ditches or 'reens
Rhyne
A rhyne , rhine/rhyne , or reen is a drainage ditch, or canal, used to turn areas of wetland at around sea level into useful pasture....
' . A main drainage ditch, with an origin near Llanwern
Llanwern
Llanwern is an electoral ward and community in the urban-rural fringe of the City of Newport, South Wales. Llanwern ward is bounded by the M4 and Langstone to the north, Ringland, Liswerry and the River Usk to the west, the River Severn to the south and the city boundary to the east...
, known as "Monksditch" or "Goldcliff Pill" (probably from the Welsh "pwll" for pool) passes through the village on its way to the sea. Local folklore maintains that the sides of the Monksditch are laced with smuggler's brandy.
Fields are drained by low depressions, running the width of the fields, known locally as grips. The field area between grips is termed a span or spain. The grips drain into the reens which are slow-moving and, in Summer months, often stagnant. Reens run towards the sea where they empty into the sea, between tides, at a gout. The level of reens is controlled by means of a series of sluices or stanks, separate boards in which may be raised or lowered to keep water levels high enough for livestock to drink. The faster flowing Monksditch carries water from more distant higher ground, above tbe level of the reens, some of which pass underneath the ditch by means of culverts.
Prehistoric, Roman and Medieval
Hidden in the laminated silts of the Severn estuary foreshore at Goldcliff are 8,000-year-old (mesolithicMesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
) human footprints and the intertidal region of the coast near Goldcliff has attracted considerable archaeological interest (see Archaeology below). Goldcliff has notable evidence of occupation by the Silures
Silures
The Silures were a powerful and warlike tribe of ancient Britain, occupying approximately the counties of Monmouthshire, Breconshire and Glamorganshire of present day South Wales; and possibly Gloucestershire and Herefordshire of present day England...
.
A connection with Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
activity was firmly established with the discovery near Goldcliff Point in 1878 of the inscribed "Goldcliff Stone" recording the work of legionaries on a linear earthwork, presumably a sea wall. Further evidence of occupation was found when ash pits were dug at Nash during construction of the Uskmouth
Uskmouth
- Location :Uskmouth is effectively in the west of the village of Nash. It is at Uskmouth that the River Usk meets the Severn estuary.- Amenities :...
Power Station.
Goldcliff was originally owned by the native princes of Wales, but was taken from Owen Wan by the Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
nobleman Robert de Chandos who, shortly before 1113, founded a priory there.
The higher coastal parts of the area were certainly reclaimed by the late 11th century and early 12th century when Goldcliff and Nash were granted to the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
. Lower-lying areas inland were enclosed and drained by the 13th century and 14th century.
Goldcliff Priory
On the site of Hill Farm, situated on a prominent knoll of high ground, south of the village and next to the sea, stood Goldcliff Priory. Founded in 1113 as a subject house of the Abbey of BecBec Abbey
Bec Abbey in Le Bec Hellouin, Normandy, France, once the most influential abbey in the Anglo-Norman kingdom of the twelfth century, is a Benedictine monastic foundation in the Eure département, in the Bec valley midway between the cities of Rouen and Bernay.Like all abbeys, Bec maintained annals...
in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, it passed during the fifteenth century into the control of Tewkesbury Abbey
Tewkesbury Abbey
The Abbey of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Tewkesbury in the English county of Gloucestershire is the second largest parish church in the country and a former Benedictine monastery.-History:...
and then of Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
.
Local Industry and education
Goldcliff has long been associated with the tidal putcher fishingPutcher fishing
Putcher fishing is a type of fishing which employs a large number of putcher baskets, set in a fixed wooden frame, against the tide in a river estuary, notably on the River Severn, in England and South East Wales.-History:...
of salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
, which may well have had its origins with the Priory or even in Roman times. The technique used the so-called "putcher
Putcher
A putcher is a type of fish trap in the form of a conical-shaped basket, similar in appearance to a five-foot ice-cream cone...
" basket traditionally made from hazel
Hazel
The hazels are a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae, though some botanists split the hazels into a separate family Corylaceae.They have simple, rounded leaves with double-serrate margins...
rods and withy (willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
) plait, set out against the tides in huge wooden "ranks". The last main exponent of the art of wooden putcher-making at Goldcliff was George Whittaker, although a working knowledge of the technique was also kept into the 1970s by Wyndham Howells of Saltmarsh Farm, the last fulltime fisherman at Goldcliff. Deeds for Saltmarsh Farm for 1867–1918 are held by Gwent Record Office
The mixed school for the parishes of Goldcliff and Whitson was erected in 1872 for 60 children and in 1901 had an average attendance of 46, with a Miss Mary Edith Tomlinson as the mistress. Until it closed in July 1954, the school received an annual gift of £2 from Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
Kelly's
Kelly's Directory
Kelly's Directory was a trade directory in the United Kingdom that listed all businesses and tradespeople in a particular city or town, as well as a general directory of postal addresses of local gentry, landowners, charities, and other facilities. In effect, it was a Victorian version of today's...
1901 Directory lists the only private residence in the village as "The Moorlands", but has no fewer than 27 commercial concerns, mostly farmers, but also including a haulier, two fishermen, a female publican, a farm bailiff, a hay dealer, a mason and a shoe maker. The Directory also lists a Mrs Annie Louise Taylor as hotellier at "The Temperance Hotel". The hotel, situated at the end of the Sea Wall Road, was a well-known landmark as late as the 1950s.
Historic sites
A small enclosure on Chapel Lane, to the north of the present parish church, is thought to hold the remains of an ancient chapelChapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
, probably connected with the Priory. Also lying off Chapel Lane, the farmhouse and barn at Great Newra Farm has Grade II Listed buildings.
The quaint Congregational
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
(later United Reformed Church
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
) chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
near the junction of the Sea Wall Road, built in 1840 and restored 1900/1901, is now also a private dwelling, but was still active as late as the 1980s.
The Church
English Gothic architecture
English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...
style and is located directly behind The Farmer's Arms public house. At the front of the churchyard are the remains of an ancient mounded cross. The church itself has a small brass plaque, on the north wall near the altar, commemorating the Great Flood of 1607
Bristol Channel floods, 1607
The Bristol Channel floods, which occurred on 30 January 1607 , resulted in the drowning of a large number of people and the destruction of a large amount of farmland and livestock...
when a tidal wave (possibly tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
) swept along the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
drowning 2,000 people. The plate, about three feet above ground level today at this point, marks the height of the flood waters.
The tower contains one bell, recast by Taylors of Loughborough in 1969.
The former vicarage for the Three Parishes, located in Whitson
Whitson
- Location :Whitson is located seven miles south east of Newport city centre on the Caldicot Levels, a large area of coastal land reclaimed from the sea...
, is now a private dwelling. The minister for the Rectoral Benefice of Magor, which includes Magor
Magor
Magor may refer to the following:* Ivan Martin Jirous – a Czech underground poet* Magor , a character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium of Middle-earth* Magor is a legendary ancestor of the Hungarian people, see Hunor and Magor...
, Nash
Nash, Newport
Nash is a village and community parish to the south of the city of Newport, south-east Wales, in the Liswerry ward.- Origin of the name :...
, Undy
Undy
Undy is a village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, adjoining the village of Magor with which it forms the community and parish of "Magor with Undy"...
, Llanwern
Llanwern
Llanwern is an electoral ward and community in the urban-rural fringe of the City of Newport, South Wales. Llanwern ward is bounded by the M4 and Langstone to the north, Ringland, Liswerry and the River Usk to the west, the River Severn to the south and the city boundary to the east...
, Wilcrick
Wilcrick
Wilcrick is a small village within the administrative boundary of the city of Newport, South Wales, just to the west of Magor. It is within the historic county of Monmouthshire.The name translates from the Welsh as "bare hill"...
, Bishton
Bishton
Bishton or Bishopston is a small rural community in the east of the city of Newport, south Wales. The parish lies in the Llanwern electoral district and contains the eastern end of Llanwern Steelworks, the Underwood estate as well as Bishton itself.- Government :The area is governed by the...
, Llanmartin
Llanmartin
Llanmartin is a parish in the city of Newport, Wales.- The community :It consists of several groups of communities within the parish, which is centred on the parish church dedicated to St. Martin which gives the name "Llan" as in church or Holy Ground and Martin being the saint of the church...
, Langstone
Langstone
Langstone is a village near Havant, Hampshire in the south east of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. It has good railway connections to London, Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton, from the nearby Havant railway station. There are many large gated detached houses on the main road,...
and Redwick
Redwick, Newport
Redwick is a small village and community parish to the south east of the city of Newport, in South Wales, United Kingdom. It lies within the Newport city boundaries, in the historic county of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent.- Location :...
is based in Magor
Magor
Magor may refer to the following:* Ivan Martin Jirous – a Czech underground poet* Magor , a character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium of Middle-earth* Magor is a legendary ancestor of the Hungarian people, see Hunor and Magor...
.
Following interior re-decoration in 2006, including the removal of the old pews and pulpit, a service of re-dedication was held on 4 February 2007 with the Bishop of Monmouth
Bishop of Monmouth
The Bishop of Monmouth is the diocesan bishop of the Church in Wales Diocese of Monmouth.The see covers the historic county of Monmouthshire with the bishop's seat located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Woolos in Newport, which had been elevated to that status in 1921.The Bishop's residence is...
. The interior is now tastefully decorated with individually dedicated chairs and matching carpet.
Archaeology
A considerable amount of archaeology has centred on Goldcliff. A useful report, published jointly by CBACouncil for British Archaeology
Established in 1944, the is an educational charity working throughout the UK to involve people in archaeology and to promote the appreciation and care of the historic environment for the benefit of present and future generations...
and CADW
Cadw
-Conservation and Protection:Many of Wales's great castles and other monuments, such as bishop's palaces, historic houses, and ruined abbeys, are now in Cadw's care. Cadw does not own them but is responsible for their upkeep and for making them accessible to the public...
, has been produced by Martin Bell and colleagues. Bell was instrumental in the discovery of the mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
human footprints.(see History above) and in 2004 his work at Goldcliff featured on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Time Team
Time Team
Time Team is a British television series which has been aired on Channel 4 since 1994. Created by television producer Tim Taylor and presented by actor Tony Robinson, each episode features a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days, with Robinson explaining...
television programme. Further archaeological excavation has also been carried out by Martin Locock and colleagues prior to the introduction of the Wetlands Reserve, for example at Hill Farm.
Amenities
Goldcliff is home to part of the extensive Newport Wetlands ReserveNewport Wetlands Reserve
Newport Wetlands Reserve is a wildlife reserve between Uskmouth, Nash and Goldcliff, in the south-east of the city of Newport, South Wales.- History :...
, opened in March 2000 as a mitigation for the loss of mudflats caused by the building of the Cardiff Bay Barrage
Cardiff Bay Barrage
The Cardiff Bay Barrage lies across the mouth of Cardiff Bay, Wales between Queen Alexandra Dock and Penarth Head. It was one of the largest civil engineering projects in Europe during construction in the 1990s.-History:...
. Parts of Goldcliff and Whitson together are designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest SSSI.
The village pub is The Farmer's Arms , located close to the church. The village still has use of a communal parish room located in the Old School at the side of the Monksditch, which there forms the border with Whitson
Whitson
- Location :Whitson is located seven miles south east of Newport city centre on the Caldicot Levels, a large area of coastal land reclaimed from the sea...
.
The village enjoys a regular public bus service (Route 63, seven a day, six days a week) provided by Veolia Transport Cymru
Veolia Transport Cymru
Veolia Transport Cymru is a division of the Veolia Transport group , part of the French multinational Veolia Environnement. Formed by the purchase of a number of smaller independent coach and bus firms, the company has its headquarters in Parc Nantgarw, mid way between Cardiff and...
. The local newspaper is the South Wales Argus
South Wales Argus
The South Wales Argus is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Newport, south Wales. The Argus is distributed in Newport and the historic area of Monmouthshire....
which is published in Newport.
Goldcliff Community Council is a member of the Campaign Against the Levels Motorway (CALM) Alliance formed in 2006 by the Friends of the Earth Cymru
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth International is an international network of environmental organizations in 76 countries.FOEI is assisted by a small secretariat which provides support for the network and its agreed major campaigns...
Goldcliff is a popular venue for sea fishing and for ornithology.
Government
The area is governed by the Newport City CouncilNewport City Council
Newport City Council is the governing body for the city of Newport, one of the subdivisions of Wales within the United Kingdom. It consists of 50 councillors, representing the city's 20 wards. Since the 2008 election, the council has been controlled jointly by the Conservatives and Liberal...
and the Goldcliff, Newport community council
Community council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies...
.