Maesglas
Encyclopedia
Maesglas is a neighbourhood in the south west of the city of Newport
, South Wales
. In the 16th century it was known as Greenfield but in later years the Welsh language
Maesglas has come to be more widely used.
It is located in the Gaer
ward directly north of the A48
Southern Distributor Road
, south of Cardiff Road and south west of the South Wales Main Line
railway.
The Newport-born author Leslie Thomas
wrote of Maesglas:
This quote is incorporated into a mural telling the history of the estate painted on the side of the Maesglas shops http://flickr.com/photos/left_handed_male/2229294468/.
but are arranged in all sorts of different rows and shapes of street, due to being built in the suburbs and having more room to build wider roads. A significant percentage of the houses are council-owned
.
In the centre of the estate, there are two schools: Maesglas primary school and Maes-Ebbw School for older students with severe learning difficulties. The nearest Highschools in the area are St. Josephs (Roman Catholic) and Duffryn High School
which is attended by most teenagers of the estate.
Semi-detached houses either side of Cardiff Road, St. Bride's Gardens next to the Ebbw River
and the small estate (St David's Crescent) next to St. David's R.C. primary school, are also "sometimes" considered to be part of Maesglas.
including the Harlech Retail Park, Maesglas Retail Park and 28 East Retail Park.
Maesglas is also home to the headquarters of the Monmouthshire region's local newspaper: the South Wales Argus
.
South-east of the railway line lies the Maesglas Industrial Estate, although this is actually in the Pill
ward.
Both the Maesglas estate and the nearby Gaer
estate are Communities First
areas of Newport, recognised as being high on the index of multiple deprivation used by the Welsh Assembly to establish the poverty of an area.
Maesglas has benefited hugely since the beginning of the scheme.
Maesglas has many recreational areas nearby such as Tredegar Park
as well as football field in the grounds of the Maesglas Primary school. It is surrounded by history as Maesglas is close to Tredegar House
of the famous Morgan family. Maesglas is said to have an ancient burial ground towards the back of the estate next to the children's playground.
Maesglas school is built over a castle and grounds.
A new suburban railway station will be built to serve Maesglas within the next few years.
Maesglas is situated in the Newport West UK Parliamentary constituency
and the Newport West National Assembly for Wales constituency
. The current AM is Rosemary Butler
, currently Deputy Presiding Officer within the National Assembly. The Current MP
is Paul Flynn
a well-known back-bencher.
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...
, 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...
. In the 16th century it was known as Greenfield but in later years the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
Maesglas has come to be more widely used.
It is located in the Gaer
Gaer, Newport
Gaer is a community and electoral district of the city of Newport, South Wales.The ward includes both the Gaer and Maesglas estates. The name "Gaer" is from the Welsh word for fort , as found in Caerleon. It has an area which is recognised to be an old hillfort site, believed to be Iron Age -...
ward directly north of the A48
A48 road
The A48 is a major trunk road in Great Britain. It runs from the A40 at Highnam west of Gloucester to the A40 at Carmarthen. Before the construction of the M4 motorway and the first Severn Bridge in the mid 1960s it was the principal route into South Wales. For most of its journey through Wales,...
Southern Distributor Road
Southern Distributor Road
The Southern Distributor Road is a principal distributor road in Newport that runs from the Coldra roundabout in the east of Newport to Tredegar Park M4 Junction 28) in the west of Newport and includes City Bridge, a bow-string arch bridge spanning the River Usk...
, south of Cardiff Road and south west of the South Wales Main Line
South Wales Main Line
The South Wales Main Line , originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain...
railway.
The Newport-born author Leslie Thomas
Leslie Thomas
Leslie Thomas, OBE is a British author.- Virgin Soldiers :His novels about 1950s British National Service such as "The Virgin Soldiers" spawned two film versions, in 1969 and 1977, whilst his Tropic of Ruislip and Dangerous Davies, The Last Detective have been adapted for television Leslie...
wrote of Maesglas:
This quote is incorporated into a mural telling the history of the estate painted on the side of the Maesglas shops http://flickr.com/photos/left_handed_male/2229294468/.
Housing
The main housing estate was first built in the 1930s, then many newer houses were added between the 1970s and 1990s in the Bideford Road area, next to the Great Western Main Line. Homes on the Maesglas estate are fairly compact but all have front and back gardens. Most of the houses are terracedTerraced house
In architecture and city planning, a terrace house, terrace, row house, linked house or townhouse is a style of medium-density housing that originated in Great Britain in the late 17th century, where a row of identical or mirror-image houses share side walls...
but are arranged in all sorts of different rows and shapes of street, due to being built in the suburbs and having more room to build wider roads. A significant percentage of the houses are council-owned
Council house
A council house, otherwise known as a local authority house, is a form of public or social housing. The term is used primarily in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well-built homes on secure tenancies at...
.
In the centre of the estate, there are two schools: Maesglas primary school and Maes-Ebbw School for older students with severe learning difficulties. The nearest Highschools in the area are St. Josephs (Roman Catholic) and Duffryn High School
Duffryn High School
Duffryn High School is a comprehensive school on the south-western outskirts of Newport, south Wales. It is in the suburb of Duffryn and opened in 1959...
which is attended by most teenagers of the estate.
Semi-detached houses either side of Cardiff Road, St. Bride's Gardens next to the Ebbw River
Ebbw River
The Ebbw River is a river in South Wales.The main Ebbw River is formed by the confluence of the two minor Ebbw rivers, Ebbw Fach, and Ebbw Fawr ....
and the small estate (St David's Crescent) next to St. David's R.C. primary school, are also "sometimes" considered to be part of Maesglas.
Facilities
Maesglas is surrounded by several retail parksShopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
including the Harlech Retail Park, Maesglas Retail Park and 28 East Retail Park.
Maesglas is also home to the headquarters of the Monmouthshire region's local newspaper: 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....
.
South-east of the railway line lies the Maesglas Industrial Estate, although this is actually in the Pill
Pillgwenlly
Pillgwenlly is an electoral district and coterminous community parish in the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Origin of the name :...
ward.
Both the Maesglas estate and the nearby Gaer
Gaer, Newport
Gaer is a community and electoral district of the city of Newport, South Wales.The ward includes both the Gaer and Maesglas estates. The name "Gaer" is from the Welsh word for fort , as found in Caerleon. It has an area which is recognised to be an old hillfort site, believed to be Iron Age -...
estate are Communities First
Communities First
Communities First is a programme designed to increase participation and develop the capacity of Welsh communities to make decisions and run projects. The programme was established by the Welsh Government’s Department for Social Justice and Regeneration in 2002...
areas of Newport, recognised as being high on the index of multiple deprivation used by the Welsh Assembly to establish the poverty of an area.
Maesglas has benefited hugely since the beginning of the scheme.
Maesglas has many recreational areas nearby such as Tredegar Park
Tredegar Park
Tredegar Park is a large municipal park located near the housing estates of Duffryn, Maesglas, and Gaer in the city of Newport in South Wales.- History :...
as well as football field in the grounds of the Maesglas Primary school. It is surrounded by history as Maesglas is close to Tredegar House
Tredegar House
Tredegar House in Newport, set in the 90 acre Tredegar Park, is one of the best examples of a 17th century Charles II country house mansion in the United Kingdom.-History of the Building:...
of the famous Morgan family. Maesglas is said to have an ancient burial ground towards the back of the estate next to the children's playground.
Maesglas school is built over a castle and grounds.
A new suburban railway station will be built to serve Maesglas within the next few years.
Politics
The estate is part of the Gaer ward of Newport City Council, which elects three councillors for a four-year term.Maesglas is situated in the Newport West UK Parliamentary constituency
Newport West (UK Parliament constituency)
Newport West is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system...
and the Newport West National Assembly for Wales constituency
Newport West (National Assembly for Wales constituency)
Newport West is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election...
. The current AM is Rosemary Butler
Rosemary Butler (politician)
Rosemary Janet Mair Butler is a British politician and Labour Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Newport West since 1999. Serving briefly as Assembly Secretary for Education in the first two years of the Assembly, she was elected Deputy Presiding Officer of the Assembly in May 2007...
, currently Deputy Presiding Officer within the National Assembly. The Current MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
is Paul Flynn
Paul Flynn (politician)
Paul Philip Flynn is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Newport West since the 1987 general election. He was born in Cardiff of Welsh/Irish parentage....
a well-known back-bencher.