Newport, Shropshire
Encyclopedia
Newport is a market town
in the borough of Telford and Wrekin
and ceremonial county
of Shropshire
, England. It lies some 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Telford
and some 12 miles (19.3 km) west of Stafford
sitting on the Shropshire
/Staffordshire
border. The 2001 census recorded 10,814 people living in the town's parish, making it the second largest town in Telford and Wrekin and the fifth in the ceremonial county of Shropshire
, with a 2008 estimate puts it between 12,444. and 15,632.
Newport is a Britain in Bloom
finalist and has been awarded the silver gilt award from the Heart of England regional, making Newport the first town in the country to win six gold awards in a row, the 2010 competition brought the towns seventh consecutive gold medal, receiving more points of any town in the United Kingdom.
and over time the name changed from Nova Burgo to Newborough and finally to Newport.
(Roman Road
that ran from Colchester
to Chester
) and partly due to the amount of fisheries (which are mentioned in the Domesday Survey) and to the north of the town is the River Meese which flows out of Aqualate Mere
.
Newport lies on the eastern border of the Welsh Marches
and west of the Aqualate Mere
, the largest natural lake in the English Midlands 1.5 km long and 5 km wide, this is sited in the grounds of the deer park which houses Aqualate Hall
.
Newport is sited on a sandstone
ridge. The area around it at the end of the last Ice Age
was part of Lake Lapworth
. This was formed from melting glaciers and covered a vast area of North Shropshire
. Early man fished here and two log boats were uncovered a mile from Newport. One has been preserved and is now at Harper Adams University College
at Edgmond.
The villages of Church Aston
, Chetwynd
and Longford
are adjoined to the south of Newport, though they remain in separate parishes. The village of Edgmond is located just to the west, separated by Cheney Hill, Chetwynd Park
and the Shrewsbury and Newport Canal.
Like many rural market towns, Newport was influenced by industry
; it served the needs of the mining
area to the east of Shropshire and was also affected by mass produced industrial goods that replaced traditional crafts.
, near where the Wreocensæte capital the Wrekin was situated and there has been activity in the area, even before the creation of the town, once established Newport became a market town
in the centre of the rural
farming area between Stafford
, Shrewsbury
and from the 1960s the new town
of Telford
Situated 10 miles north-Eastwards.
and the second, Plesc, lies south of the town near to location of the Mere-park Garden centre. In 963AD Plesc was described as having a High street, a stone quarry and a religious community. The name Plesc means fortified place or one with a palisade, thus suggesting that it was of some importance in the local area, few signs of the Saxon settlement exist today, apart from the Quarry which has now been built around.
Newport was omitted from the Domesday Book, but this is not uncommon, other towns omitted include London, Tamworth
, Oswestry
and Ludlow
, all boroughs since Saxon times.
, which William I
gave as a gift along with the county of Shropshire to Roger, Earl of Shrewsbury
. Henry I
founded the borough, first called Newborough, after the manor had come into his hands from Robert de Belesme
.
The Normans planned the new town around the older one during the reign of Henry I
. The wide main street was designed for its market
and the narrow burgage plots running at right angles to it are typical of Norman architecture
and planning, though today only Guildhall and Smallwood Lodge are clear signs of Norman buildings, due to the 1665 fire which detroyed most of the Highsteet.
Medieval Newport flourished with trade in leather
, wool
and fish
. Novoportans possessed the right to provide fish for the Royal table. The many half-timbered buildings surviving from the Late Medieval and Tudor period
s confirm Newport's success, leading to the first market charter which was granted by Henry I
.
The town is mentioned once by Leland in a list of castle
s. Though there are now no visible remains of the castle. The most probable location for this would be the traditional site of a manor house at Upper Bar where there is a fragment of a square, broad moat, or on the higher ground along the Forton road where the Castle House school stands, As regards the moat, nearly square, forming by measurement an area of 60 sq yds., two sides have been filled with rubbish. Nothing is known about the occupants of the moated site. It could have pre dated the town or, perhaps more likely, been the manor house of the Audleys, who were granted the manor in 1227. In 1421 the manor house was ruinous.
One of the main reasons for Newport's early wealth was the surrounding fisheries and the chief service of the burgesses being that of taking fish to the Royal court
wherever it might be. This custom was continued after Henry III
had granted the borough with the manor of Edgmond, to Henry de Audley, but in the middle of the 13th century James, son of Henry de Audley, granted that the burgesses need not take the fish anywhere except within the county
of Shropshire.
The burgesses received certain privileges from Henry I, since Henry II
in an undated charter granted them all the liberties, rights and customs which they had in the time of Henry I. Including a gild merchant, which is mentioned in the Quo Warranto Rolls as one of the privileges claimed by the burgesses. Confirmation charters were granted by Edward I
in 1287 and Edward II
in 1311, while the town was incorporated in 1551 by Edward VI
, whose charter was confirmed by James I
in 1604. The governing body consisted of a Lord High Steward
, deputy steward, two water-bailiffs and 28 burgesses, but the corporation was abolished by the Municipal Corporation
Act of 1883, and a Local Board was formed, which, under the Local Government Act 1894
, gave place to an urban district
council.
and Georgian
frontages, built on the site of the former Norman plots. This allows the main streets of Newport to be wider and less cluttered than those of the other towns of its age.
and open fields at Norbroom had gone making the town dependent on its rural hinterland. The few fields that remained were for hay or cattle, forming a small green belt. These estates exerted a powerful influence on the town, something obvious in the deference shown and respect paid to these landed families until at least the First World War.
Beginning in the south west of the town was the largest estate, the Lilleshall estate
of the Duke of Sutherland
. This dates from the dissolution of the monasteries, the lands of Lilleshall Abbey being purchased in 1539 by James Leverton of Wolverhampton
.
The next estate is that of in the south-east is Woodcote Hall
, a smaller one belonging to the Cotes family.
On the west between Lilley and the town was the Longford Estate
of the Tollbooths, Earl of Shrewsbury
, sold in 1789 to Ralf Lemke of Wellington
who had made his fortune in the East India Company
.
North of the town is the Chetwynd Park estate
of the Pigots
bought in 1803 by Thomas Borrow of North Derbyshire
who changed his name to Bought.
The Aqualate Estate
to the east in lies mostly in Staffordshire
.
1944 one of Hitler's V-2
bombs narrowly missed the town with the bomb landing in a nearby field. Even so, nearby buildings suffered extensive damage. This bomb is now on display at DCAE Cosford Royal Air Force Museum.
happened in the town, with attention going to surrounding towns including Wellington
and Oakengates
, which now make up the new town of Telford, but in 2007 the Telford and Wrekin council borough towns incentive was brought about and the town received major investments over the following years, including a major redevelopment of the canal and surrounding area, the lower bar of the High Street area, planned housing, bars and restaurants set to line the canal
. New sporting facilities, including a climbing wall
in the Springfield's area of the town. The High Street and St Mary's Street area were seeing new stores coming into the town to fill empty lots and some of the older ones being developed.
In the spring of 2010 the first stage of the towns was a £1.5m regeneration began with the redevelopment of Victoria Park to the rear of The Royal Victoria Hotel
, this cost between £250,000 and £300,000. The park had a new seating and new play area for along the canal front and a new car park closer to the town centre with plans to build a museum/information centre on the old car park.
The next stage of the regeneration which was mainly focused on the High street
area of the town and Central square, involved re-paving the high-street pavements and changing the design of the high-street around the Puleston Cross
removing the cobblestones and replacing them with paving and the traced outline of the 1850s market hall
On Stafford Street next to the car park, some derelict buildings where demolished to make way for a care home, which made the entrance to the high-street area more inviting and on the entrance to the town by Mere park a care village it being built on empty fields that lead onto Stafford street, across from the £5m Premier Inn and Beefeater (restaurant)
"Three Fish" and were completed in 2010 on the Newport By-pass, near to where on derelict land there are plans to build an Aldi
supermarket.
In July 2011, Telford & Wrekin Council unveiled massive plans for green land off the A518 bypass. The proposals included hundreds of new homes, a new supermarket, a business park and improvements to Burton Borough School.
House prices in the town are the highest in the TF post code area, (including the towns of Telford
and Market Drayton
) and amongst the highest in the county, due to high desirability because of the good local education establishments and easy commuting links to Birmingham
, Telford
, Stoke-on-Trent
and Stafford
.
The town is currently attempting to about acquiring Transition Towns
and Fairtrade Town
statuses
.
design. This resulted in the distinctive long wide High Street
, split into three parts, upper bar, lower bar and St Mary's street, with the centre of the high-street being the Puleston Cross
and the 19th century Newport Market Hall completed in March 1860 and was built with an Italianate frontage, replacing an earlier building that was demolished due to fire.
Burgage plots ran along either side and the church rising up in the middle, with the High Street with St Mary's Street splitting off and re-joining the high street around the island the St Nicolas church, Newport
and Butter cross, which is an ancient market cross.
After the fire of Newport in 1666 the old Norman buildings were replaced with grander Georgian architecture
, which hid the work yards behind; the shops are still there but the work yards have now been developed into housing or the Boughy gardens tennis courts, next to the literary institute
.
Despite being close to larger retail centres such as Telford
, Shrewsbury
and Stafford
, Newport has retained a large number of shops that line the High Street, Stafford Street and St Mary's Street, with St Mary's Street keeping its charm by still using Cobblestone
s and the majority of shops being small boutiques. St Mary's is also the site of various markets and fairs such as the Olde Time Market, with over 50 stalls, and various farmers markets; these tie in with Newport's indoor market.
The town also has well known companies such as Subway
, The Co-operative Food
, Greggs
, Coral, Focus Do It All two Euronics
centres and Mackay's, Seconds Ahead, Bet365
, Barclays, Lloyds TSB
, HSBC
, Boots, Halifax (United Kingdom bank), National Westminster Bank
. There is a Waitrose
superstore with a coffee shop and home delivery service on the edge of the town centre adjoining the Stafford Street car park.
The towns Woolworths
store was developed into a B&M Bargains
and a Jaspers bakers store opened in an empty store nearby.
On the Newport by-pass near to the Aqualate Mere
the A518 road
an out-of-town shopping centre has grown up around the Mere Park Garden centre
. The building work is still being extended and hotels and small shops being built; this ties in with the various other industrial estates that lie around the Newport by-pass and Springfield estate, this would also be the site of the new train station if Stafford Council
and Telford and Wrekin
councils agree terms to connecting train service between the Telford, Newport and Stafford and the where the park and ride service is set to go from in a triangle of the three main shopping centres of the town. Mere park, Audley avenue business park and the High street.
which is a butter cross positioned near to the Church of St Nicholas. this is an early 14th century cross denoting a market place and named after Sir John Puleston who lost his life during the reign of King Edward 1st in campaign against Wales.
Towards the top end of the town is the Combat stress centre, built in 1908 as the infirmary for the Newport Workhouse, it was subsequently developed as accommodation for elderly ladies until its closure in 1995. The home was purchased in 1996 and totally refurbished to provide 31 bedrooms, two of which can provide carer facilities. Set in three acres on the edge of Newport, it has easy access to all local facilities.
The town sits near the Aqualate Mere
, which is the largest natural lake in the English Midlands
.
The first recorded religious community is 963 AD where a Saxon script recorded a religious community.
This was the church of St Mary Magdalene, built in the time of Archbishop Dunstan.
Newport lies in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury and the Diocese of Lichfield
and as a Norman planned new town, religion played a strong part in the design of the town, with the centre of the town being dominated by the church of St Nicholas Church
, originally built in the reign of Henry I
and restored in 1886 and 1890.
The second church of the town is the St Peter and Paul
Catholic
church in Newport Salters Lane, Built 1857 and is the oldest Catholic church in Shropshire
and was designed by Angustus Pugin.
Lilleshall
Abbey
ruins are to be found four miles from the town centre. They include a Norman west door and part of the front, considerable remains of the church besides, and traces of domestic buildings. The abbey was founded in 1145, under charter from King Stephen
, by Richard de Baumes or Belmeis, dean of St Alkmund, Shrewsbury
, for Augustinian
canons
, who were brought from Dorchester Abbey
, Oxfordshire
.
A smaller church for the Baptist
community sits at the back of The Royal Victoria Hotel
in water lane, called Newport Baptist church, which was built in the 1960s.
The town has had a wide range of religious sites over time and this is shown in the number of churches in the town, the Independent Chapel, Beaumaris Lane, Newport, built 1803 on the site of a church dating from 1765, converted into cottages in 1832 when they finished work on the new church, the Newport Independent (Congregational) Chapel, Wellington Road, built in 1831, subsequently becoming part of the United Reformed Church. It merged with the Methodist Chapel in Avenue Road in 2001 to become Trinity Church, a joint Methodist/United Reformed Church. A major renovation was undertaken in 2010.
Due to the growth and decline of religions over time some previous churches have since been used for other uses or been demolished all together, most of these are in the Upper bar area of the town, around the Granville road and Wellington road area.
Near to the Trinity church is the Newport Primitive Methodist Chapel, built 1877, closed 1920 which replaced the one built in Stafford Road, built 1830, demolished 1877. the latest one is now a shop and bar.
Two more former churches are the Newport Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Upper Bar, Built 1829, which was turned into a shop and theatre 1876 and the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Avenue Road which was built in 1876 and closed in 2001 on merging with the Wellington Road URC Chapel; it subsequently became a gym but has since been converted into a house.
Newport is the main hub for the farming community along the Shropshire
/Staffordshire
border and as a mini business centre, with the head offices of Smith Bellerby Limited, The Hartington Group, Sambrook Research International, ReadWell Press, Classic furniture, Edgmond Foods, and The Football Association, Medical and Exercise Science Department
, based at Lilleshall Hall
on the outskirts of the town.
Newport in 2009 was the third best place in the county for house sales, after Much Wenlock
and the new housing estate at Lawley in Telford
., but in 2010 it had become the joint best selling area in the county.
A large section of Newport's economy is based around education, with a private prep school, two public schools and a large comprehensive drawing students from all over the county and a university on the edge of the town along with a regional food academy.
Retail plays a major part of the economy of the town, with the majority of shops being located in and around the High street, with larger out of town stores located on the Audley Avenue and Springfield trading estates in to the south of the town and to the east of the town the Mere park complex with the Edinburgh Woollen Mill
and Maidenhead Aquatics being the newest stores to come to the town.
The Wrekin's main economic driver is the town Newport. Newport is the hub for the farming community but it also hosts large business consultancies like the Smith Bellerby Ltd and Sambrook Research International, The Hartington Group, a solution provider for drink and food companies, and ReadWell Press, a commercial print specialist.
Newport has a wide range of different activities throughout the year and is fast becoming a Cultural centre in the area, due to the large amount of venues and areas that can support activities, this is also helped by the beauty of the town and surrounding Shropshire
country side.
The most used Venues in the town are scattered mainly along the High street, starting in the lower bar by the Shrewsbury Canal
is the Newport Cosy Hall
which is used for the Newport music festival along with The Royal Victoria Hotel
in St Mary's Street which was named after Princess Victoria
in 1832 after she stayed at the hotel.
The Guildhall is a medieval timber-framed building that is the home to Newport Town Council and is used for official purposes as well as smaller events.
Newport Market Hall built in 1860 and is considered one of the towns grandest buildings and is the location of the towns dance hall, though not used in recent times.
Newport has a lively night life for a town of its size, mainly due to the students from the Harper Adams University College along with other students from Newport. The night-life is at its most lively during the weekends, as well as Monday and Wednesday nights during 'term time'.
Royal Naval Club is the venue that hosts live music from local and national bands.
There is also a wide range of small pubs and wine bars spread up and down the main High Street of Newport, the most popular with locals being The Barley Mow, The Railway Tavern and The Pheasant, while Ozzys Wine bar in St Mary's Street was (formerly owned by rock star Ozzy Osbourne
) Harper Bar, Beau bar and Adams House are popular amongst the sizeable student
population. the town centre also boasts a nightclub
, Central Square, which was formerly called The Vine Vaults.
The town hosts many events throughout the year, but six main events bring people to Newport, which are Newport Show
is hosted yearly in Chetwynd Park
and is situated in the show-ground between Edgmond and Newport.Newport show has become one of the main shows in the count and West Midlands region
due to its position near the town and size of the show ground, which also hosts Shropshire Game Fair and British Falconry and raptor fair.
In the centre of town itself the main events are the Newport carnival, which has been staged in Newport for over 150 years and the Newport old time market which happen yearly usually on either side of Newport show in July, towards the end of the summer the newest event is the Newport Music festival which is hosted by various venues in the town.
By far the biggest event in the town is the biennial Newport Nocturne Bike Race, which brings the biggest crowds to Newport and is well covered by national press and media outlets.
Also to note is 'The Pheztival' which is organised by local band Airbag (www.airbag-music.co.uk) on the August bank holiday weekend. The event attracts acts from around the country to raise money for MacMillan Cancer. Look up 'The Pheztival' on youtube to see some great video of the event. 2011 saw a whoping £1500 raised.
and The Shropshire Magazine. All published by Shropshire Newspapers Ltd.
Nova News, first published in 1994, is a free bimonthly magazine distributed in and around the Newport area.
The town is covered by The Severn
(formally Telford FM
), BBC Radio Shropshire
and Beacon
, but there are plans for a station covering the town called TF10 Radio (named after the towns postcode), not only covering Newport but also it would have a radius of 10 miles to include surrounding villages such as Tibberton
, Edgmond and Church Aston
.
Newport was the first town in Shropshire to be on Dickinson's Real Deal
A television documentary called The Spy Who Stole My Life showed the town as the backdrop of the Robert Hendy-Freegard
story, who conned students from the town was shown by Channel Five on 7 September 2005. In Australia, this was called The spy Who Conned Me
The Army Cadet Force
has a detachment, which represented the town and United Kingdom at a ceremony where they paraded under the Menin Gate
in Ypres
, Belgium in 2005.
Charles Dickens
stayed in Newport and modelled Miss Havisham
in Great Expectations
(1861) on Elizabeth Parker, a recluse from the town.
At Harper Adams University College
just outside Newport in Edgmond
, on 10 January 1982 the English lowest temperature weather record was broken (and is kept to this day): -26.1 °C.
The town has a local ghost called Madam Pigott
which is well reported in local and national ghost publications
Newport is considered by many to have one of the best educational systems in Shropshire, due to the full range of educational establishments from Primary to University and the selective schools in the town were both in the top 70 selective schools in the country and the top two schools in the county and for a town with a population under 15,000, Newport Girls High School
was 37th and Adams' Grammar School
was 43rd and Harper Adams University College
is located in the nearby village of Edgmond and Keele University
operate teaching rooms in the new medical buildings in the main doctor's surgery
in the town for student doctors to learn in the public, for students between secondary and university education the closest colleges for the town are Telford College of Arts and Technology
& Stafford College
with Buses running from the town to both collages and to Stafford
, Wolverhampton
and Keele
Universities due to the proximity of the town to all three, just outside the town is Edgmond Hall, run by Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council for outdoor activities, is in the nearby village of Edgmond.
.
The town became prominent as a coaching town on the route between London, North Wales
and Ireland as well being on a historic junction on the road from London to Chester
and the East Midlands
. This meant that the town grew around the different roads that cross the town. At the centre of the town is a large island with the Church of St Nicholas at one end and Central Square nightclub at the other, the High Street on one side and St Mary's Street on the other side. The two streets come together at one end in front of the nightclub at the junction with the A518
from Stafford which runs through the town on an east-west route from Stafford
to Telford
. They come together at the other end by the Shrewsbury & Newport Canal beyond which is the junction with the A519 road
from Eccleshall
and Stoke-on-Trent
. At the southern end of the High Street is another junction where the A519 road
leaves on its way to Telford
Before the road network the canal was the main link into the town. It is not currently connected to the national network, but there are plans to restore it to a fully working canal by the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust
. linking in to the national canal network at Norbury Junction
to the east of the A41
which now borders the town to the east on a north-south by-pass
route opened in early 1985 to ease the congestion that plagued the High Street.
The town sits 8.8 miles (14.2 km) from the M54
and 11.1 miles (17.9 km) from the M6
Motorways.
, Telford
. Shrewsbury
, Wolverhampton
and Stoke-on-Trent
as well as a circular line that links the outlying villages and the shopping areas.
In 2009 a Park and ride
was introduced between the High Street and Mere Park centre. It is hoped that this will bring customers to each of the shopping areas and it is stated that if the town gets a new train station, the park and ride would run to the station too.
once ran through the town, but due to cuts Newport (Salop) railway station
was closed in September 1964 and has now been dismantled. The line has been restored to Donnington
, and it is possible that the next phase could be to reconnect the town to the railway network. This has been given a boost by the town council, who are currently in talks with Stafford
borough council to discuss the link to Stafford. The line is in the top 36 'Lines that should reopen' listing published by the Campaign for Better Transport and with the Telford International Freight Park
in Donnington, Telford needing better connections to the east coast and Scotland, this could mean a line going past the town and on towards Gnosall
and Stafford.
The town sits on the Way for the Millennium
walk way which is 65 km (40 mi) long.
Newport Town FC play in the Shropshire County Premier Football League
, with the youth football team called Nova United FC. Both teams play their home games at Shuker Field, a three-acre field close to the Burton Borough School
. Nova United play in the Telford Junior League. There was recently a team called Newport County Borough FC, but they now play in Telford as "Dawley Villa".
The town is also a stronghold for supporters of Wolverhampton Wanderers with a bus travelling to all Wolves away games picking up at Newportl, see telfordwolves.com
One of the main sports in the county is Crown green bowling and the team has one of the most successful teams in the area and most supported Newport Crown Green Bowls club play in the Premier Division of Shropshire after promotion from the Mid Shropshire division one as well as many other division and leagues
Newport (Salop) Rugby Union Football Club
is the highest ranked rugby club in Shropshire and the main club in the town
Newport Cricket
Club play in the Shropshire Premier Cricket League
Premier Division .
Shropshire Climbing Centre offers a state of the art bouldering
and roped climbing facility, in Newport, with over 350 sq m of bouldering, it is are the largest bouldering venue in the West Midlands.
Work in 2009 was completed on the £200,000 Newport Sk8 park which is the largest skatepark
in Shropshire and the largest W/ramp in Britain.
The other teams of Newport are as follows:
Newport is also notable for its many Performing arts organisations, with two stage schools taking residence up weekly at local venues, multiple theatre groups also are organised throughout the community most notably the amateur dramatics group, held at venue cosy hall, and youth organisation Sketch Off theatre, who have currently no base, but both have raised a considerable amount for charity and the community.
Most recently, the Burton Borough school has now under gone development to being a Arts college.
- formerly the country retreat and hunting lodge for the Duke of Sutherland
, situated just two miles from the centre of Newport and is now home to the Lilleshall National Sports Centre.
which has a long list of notable alumni or at the Harper Adams University College
, which brings in academics from all over the world.
and Lilleshall
to smaller hamlet
s all of which are joined to the town or separated only by a small distance; most of these settlements are seen as parts of the town's catchment zone and as Newport is on the Shropshire/ Staffordshire border many lie in South Staffordshire
but their postal address is still Newport, these are as follows:
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in the borough of Telford and Wrekin
Telford and Wrekin
Telford and Wrekin is a unitary district with borough status in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. The district was created in 1974 as The...
and ceremonial county
Ceremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
of Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England. It lies some 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
and some 12 miles (19.3 km) west of Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
sitting on the Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
/Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
border. The 2001 census recorded 10,814 people living in the town's parish, making it the second largest town in Telford and Wrekin and the fifth in the ceremonial county of Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, with a 2008 estimate puts it between 12,444. and 15,632.
Newport is a Britain in Bloom
Britain in Bloom
RHS Britain in Bloom, supported by Anglian Home Improvements, is the largest horticultural campaign in the United Kingdom. It was first held in 1963, initiated by the British Tourist Board based on the example set by Fleurissement de France. It has been organised by the Royal Horticultural Society ...
finalist and has been awarded the silver gilt award from the Heart of England regional, making Newport the first town in the country to win six gold awards in a row, the 2010 competition brought the towns seventh consecutive gold medal, receiving more points of any town in the United Kingdom.
Naming
The Normans planned a New Town called Novo Burgo between the older settlements of Edgmond and Plesc which is located near to where the Old Quarry and Mere Park garden centre. The first market charter was granted by Henry IHenry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
and over time the name changed from Nova Burgo to Newborough and finally to Newport.
Location
The site was chosen partly because of its location near the Via DevanaVia Devana
The Via Devana was a Roman Road in England that ran from Colchester in the south-east to Chester in the north-west. Both were important Roman military centres and it is conjectured that the main reason the road was constructed was military rather than civilian. The Latin name for Chester is Deva...
(Roman Road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
that ran from Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
to Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
) and partly due to the amount of fisheries (which are mentioned in the Domesday Survey) and to the north of the town is the River Meese which flows out of Aqualate Mere
Aqualate Mere
Aqualate Mere is the largest natural lake in the English Midlands and is managed as a National Nature Reserve by Natural England. It is a remnant of the prehistoric Lake Lapworth....
.
Newport lies on the eastern border of the Welsh Marches
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
and west of the Aqualate Mere
Aqualate Mere
Aqualate Mere is the largest natural lake in the English Midlands and is managed as a National Nature Reserve by Natural England. It is a remnant of the prehistoric Lake Lapworth....
, the largest natural lake in the English Midlands 1.5 km long and 5 km wide, this is sited in the grounds of the deer park which houses Aqualate Hall
Aqualate Hall
Aqualate Hall a 20th century country house, is located in Staffordshire, England, some 3.5 km east of the market town of Newport, Shropshire and 17 km west of the County town of Stafford...
.
Newport is sited on a sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
ridge. The area around it at the end of the last Ice Age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
was part of Lake Lapworth
Lake Lapworth
Lake Lapworth existed in England in the Ice Age when ice from Wales and the north blocked the outlet of the River Dee near the site of Chester. The Dee backed up, forming Lake Lapworth, until it overflowed southwards and cut the Ironbridge gorge, permanently diverting part of the Dee drainage into...
. This was formed from melting glaciers and covered a vast area of North Shropshire
North Shropshire
North Shropshire was a local government district in Shropshire, England. The district council was based at Edinburgh House, in Wem. Other settlements included the towns of Ellesmere, Market Drayton, Wem and Whitchurch, as well as the large villages of Shawbury and Baschurch...
. Early man fished here and two log boats were uncovered a mile from Newport. One has been preserved and is now at Harper Adams University College
Harper Adams University College
Harper Adams University College is a higher education institution located close to the village of Edgmond , in Shropshire, England. It is the UK's leading specialist provider of higher education for the agri-food chain and rural sector....
at Edgmond.
The villages of Church Aston
Church Aston
Church Aston is a village and parish in Shropshire, England.It is to the south of Newport, though has become merged with the town in recent years due to suburban growth.Also in the parish is the small village of Longford and part of the hamlet of Cheswell....
, Chetwynd
Chetwynd, Shropshire
Chetwynd is a rural civil parish just to the north of Newport, Shropshire in England.Although the parish contains no substantial nucleated settlements it includes the Chetwynd Park estate, in addition to Sambrook, Howle, Pickstock and a number of other small hamlets.The north-eastern boundary of...
and Longford
Longford, Newport
Longford is a small village near the town of Newport, Shropshire, England. It lies in the parish of Church Aston.Longford Hall, the junior boarding house and sports fields of Adams' Grammar School, is located here. The village and parish of Edgmond is to the north....
are adjoined to the south of Newport, though they remain in separate parishes. The village of Edgmond is located just to the west, separated by Cheney Hill, Chetwynd Park
Chetwynd Park
Chetwynd Park is an 18th century landscape garden with woodland, on the edge of Newport, Shropshire.The park can trace its history back to 1388, when it lay southeast of Chetwynd Park estate. The country house is now lost, but the medieval deer park survives as an agricultural showground, used for...
and the Shrewsbury and Newport Canal.
Like many rural market towns, Newport was influenced by industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
; it served the needs of the mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
area to the east of Shropshire and was also affected by mass produced industrial goods that replaced traditional crafts.
History
Newport is located in the historic kingdom of MerciaMercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
, near where the Wreocensæte capital the Wrekin was situated and there has been activity in the area, even before the creation of the town, once established Newport became a market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in the centre of the rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
farming area between Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
, Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
and from the 1960s the new town
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
of Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
Situated 10 miles north-Eastwards.
Saxon Times
In Saxon times there were two settlements in the location of the modern day town, the first Eastun, has been identified as Church AstonChurch Aston
Church Aston is a village and parish in Shropshire, England.It is to the south of Newport, though has become merged with the town in recent years due to suburban growth.Also in the parish is the small village of Longford and part of the hamlet of Cheswell....
and the second, Plesc, lies south of the town near to location of the Mere-park Garden centre. In 963AD Plesc was described as having a High street, a stone quarry and a religious community. The name Plesc means fortified place or one with a palisade, thus suggesting that it was of some importance in the local area, few signs of the Saxon settlement exist today, apart from the Quarry which has now been built around.
Newport was omitted from the Domesday Book, but this is not uncommon, other towns omitted include London, Tamworth
Tamworth
Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
, Oswestry
Oswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
and Ludlow
Ludlow
Ludlow is a market town in Shropshire, England close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. It lies within a bend of the River Teme, on its eastern bank, forming an area of and centred on a small hill. Atop this hill is the site of Ludlow Castle and the market place...
, all boroughs since Saxon times.
Norman Times
At the time of the Norman Conquest, The Land where Newport sits then formed part of the manor of EdgmondEdgmond, Shropshire
Edgmond is a village in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. It lies 1 mile north-west of the town of Newport.Harper Adams University College is in Edgmond...
, which William I
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
gave as a gift along with the county of Shropshire to Roger, Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the peerage of England.-First creation, 1074:The first creation occurred in 1074 for Roger de Montgomerie, one of William the Conqueror's principal counselors...
. Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
founded the borough, first called Newborough, after the manor had come into his hands from Robert de Belesme
Robert of Bellême, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury
Robert de Bellême, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury , also spelled Belleme or Belesme, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman, and one of the most prominent figures in the competition for the succession to England and Normandy between the sons of William the Conqueror...
.
The Normans planned the new town around the older one during the reign of Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
. The wide main street was designed for its market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
and the narrow burgage plots running at right angles to it are typical of Norman architecture
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
and planning, though today only Guildhall and Smallwood Lodge are clear signs of Norman buildings, due to the 1665 fire which detroyed most of the Highsteet.
Medieval Newport flourished with trade in leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
, wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
and fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
. Novoportans possessed the right to provide fish for the Royal table. The many half-timbered buildings surviving from the Late Medieval and Tudor period
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
s confirm Newport's success, leading to the first market charter which was granted by Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
.
The town is mentioned once by Leland in a list of castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
s. Though there are now no visible remains of the castle. The most probable location for this would be the traditional site of a manor house at Upper Bar where there is a fragment of a square, broad moat, or on the higher ground along the Forton road where the Castle House school stands, As regards the moat, nearly square, forming by measurement an area of 60 sq yds., two sides have been filled with rubbish. Nothing is known about the occupants of the moated site. It could have pre dated the town or, perhaps more likely, been the manor house of the Audleys, who were granted the manor in 1227. In 1421 the manor house was ruinous.
One of the main reasons for Newport's early wealth was the surrounding fisheries and the chief service of the burgesses being that of taking fish to the Royal court
Royal court
Royal court, as distinguished from a court of law, may refer to:* The Royal Court , Timbaland's production company*Court , the household and entourage of a monarch or other ruler, the princely court...
wherever it might be. This custom was continued after Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
had granted the borough with the manor of Edgmond, to Henry de Audley, but in the middle of the 13th century James, son of Henry de Audley, granted that the burgesses need not take the fish anywhere except within the county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Shropshire.
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
in an undated charter granted them all the liberties, rights and customs which they had in the time of Henry I. Including a gild merchant, which is mentioned in the Quo Warranto Rolls as one of the privileges claimed by the burgesses. Confirmation charters were granted by Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
in 1287 and Edward II
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
in 1311, while the town was incorporated in 1551 by Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
, whose charter was confirmed by James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
in 1604. The governing body consisted of a Lord High Steward
Lord High Steward
The position of Lord High Steward of England is the first of the Great Officers of State. The office has generally remained vacant since 1421, except at coronations and during the trials of peers in the House of Lords, when the Lord High Steward presides. In general, but not invariably, the Lord...
, deputy steward, two water-bailiffs and 28 burgesses, but the corporation was abolished by the Municipal Corporation
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
Act of 1883, and a Local Board was formed, which, under the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
, gave place to an urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
council.
Regency Period
In 1665 many buildings were damaged in the Great Fire of Newport and only a few of the medieval structures remain. However, there remain many fine RegencyRegency architecture
The Regency style of architecture refers primarily to buildings built in Britain during the period in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to later buildings following the same style...
and Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
frontages, built on the site of the former Norman plots. This allows the main streets of Newport to be wider and less cluttered than those of the other towns of its age.
Edwardian Period
By the 19th century, Newport was surrounded by large estates that came right to the back door of the town, determining size and development. The vivaryVivarium
A vivarium is a usually enclosed area for keeping and raising animals or plants for observation or research...
and open fields at Norbroom had gone making the town dependent on its rural hinterland. The few fields that remained were for hay or cattle, forming a small green belt. These estates exerted a powerful influence on the town, something obvious in the deference shown and respect paid to these landed families until at least the First World War.
Beginning in the south west of the town was the largest estate, the Lilleshall estate
Lilleshall Hall
Lilleshall Hall is a large former country house and estate located near Lilleshall in Shropshire, England. It was founded as an Augustinian Abbey in the 12th century, with its estate running to some...
of the Duke of Sutherland
Duke of Sutherland
Duke of Sutherland, derived from Sutherland in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom held by the head of the Leveson-Gower family. It was created by William IV in 1833 for George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Marquess of Stafford...
. This dates from the dissolution of the monasteries, the lands of Lilleshall Abbey being purchased in 1539 by James Leverton of Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
.
The next estate is that of in the south-east is Woodcote Hall
Woodcote Hall
Woodcote Hall is situated on the edge of Newport, Shropshire on the Staffordshire border and is currently a nursing home.Rebuilt in 1875 by F.P. Cockerell after the 18th century mansion was destroyed by fire...
, a smaller one belonging to the Cotes family.
On the west between Lilley and the town was the Longford Estate
Longford Hall
Longford Hall is a large country house in Longford, a village in Shropshire, England near the town of Newport, built in 1785 for Ralph Leeke who was political agent of the British East India Company, designed by Joseph Bonomi , who had worked with Robert and James Adam.The hall is placed on top of...
of the Tollbooths, Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury
Earl of Shrewsbury is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the peerage of England.-First creation, 1074:The first creation occurred in 1074 for Roger de Montgomerie, one of William the Conqueror's principal counselors...
, sold in 1789 to Ralf Lemke of Wellington
Wellington, Shropshire
Wellington is a town in the unitary authority of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England and now forms part of the new town of Telford. The population of the parish of Wellington was recorded as 20,430 in the 2001 census, making it the third largest town in Shropshire if...
who had made his fortune in the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
.
North of the town is the Chetwynd Park estate
Chetwynd Park estate
The Chetwynd Park estate lies in the small village of Chetwynd on the outskirts of the town Newport, Shropshire, England.The estate is positioned in a gap north of Newport, where the road having crossed the marshland, clings to a steep slope of the Scaur above the meadowlands of the River Meese,...
of the Pigots
Madam Pigott
Madam Pigott is the local ghost story in the market town of Newport, Shropshire-The Tale:Squire Pigott lived at the Chetwynd Park estate; he took himself a wife. He was a harsh uncaring husband who simply needed an heir to his wealth and estates...
bought in 1803 by Thomas Borrow of North Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
who changed his name to Bought.
The Aqualate Estate
Aqualate Hall
Aqualate Hall a 20th century country house, is located in Staffordshire, England, some 3.5 km east of the market town of Newport, Shropshire and 17 km west of the County town of Stafford...
to the east in lies mostly in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
.
20th century
The town came close to being destroyed for a second time when on Christmas EveChristmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
1944 one of Hitler's V-2
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
bombs narrowly missed the town with the bomb landing in a nearby field. Even so, nearby buildings suffered extensive damage. This bomb is now on display at DCAE Cosford Royal Air Force Museum.
Modern Day Newport
From the 1960s very little in the way of redevelopmentRedevelopment
Redevelopment is any new construction on a site that has pre-existing uses.-Description:Variations on redevelopment include:* Urban infill on vacant parcels that have no existing activity but were previously developed, especially on Brownfield land, such as the redevelopment of an industrial site...
happened in the town, with attention going to surrounding towns including Wellington
Wellington, Shropshire
Wellington is a town in the unitary authority of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England and now forms part of the new town of Telford. The population of the parish of Wellington was recorded as 20,430 in the 2001 census, making it the third largest town in Shropshire if...
and Oakengates
Oakengates
Oakengates is a town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, and now forms part of the new town of Telford...
, which now make up the new town of Telford, but in 2007 the Telford and Wrekin council borough towns incentive was brought about and the town received major investments over the following years, including a major redevelopment of the canal and surrounding area, the lower bar of the High Street area, planned housing, bars and restaurants set to line the canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
. New sporting facilities, including a climbing wall
Climbing wall
A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet, usually used for indoor climbing, but sometimes located outdoors as well. Some are brick or wooden constructions, but on most modern walls, the material most often used is a thick multiplex board with holes drilled...
in the Springfield's area of the town. The High Street and St Mary's Street area were seeing new stores coming into the town to fill empty lots and some of the older ones being developed.
In the spring of 2010 the first stage of the towns was a £1.5m regeneration began with the redevelopment of Victoria Park to the rear of The Royal Victoria Hotel
The Royal Victoria Hotel
The Royal Victoria Hotel is a hotel situated in Newport, Shropshire. It dates back to 1830 and gains its name from Queen Victoria who opened the hotel in 1832 and who gifted the hotel with a pair of tortoise shells to commemorate the opening...
, this cost between £250,000 and £300,000. The park had a new seating and new play area for along the canal front and a new car park closer to the town centre with plans to build a museum/information centre on the old car park.
The next stage of the regeneration which was mainly focused on the High street
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
area of the town and Central square, involved re-paving the high-street pavements and changing the design of the high-street around the Puleston Cross
Puleston Cross
The Puleston Cross is a Butter cross in the market town of Newport, ShropshireThe Cross sits in Middle Row, formerly Rotten Row, and denotes the market place...
removing the cobblestones and replacing them with paving and the traced outline of the 1850s market hall
On Stafford Street next to the car park, some derelict buildings where demolished to make way for a care home, which made the entrance to the high-street area more inviting and on the entrance to the town by Mere park a care village it being built on empty fields that lead onto Stafford street, across from the £5m Premier Inn and Beefeater (restaurant)
Beefeater (restaurant)
Beefeater is a chain of pub restaurants in the United Kingdom, owned by Whitbread. There are currently 131 Beefeater restaurants in the UK.- History :...
"Three Fish" and were completed in 2010 on the Newport By-pass, near to where on derelict land there are plans to build an Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
supermarket.
In July 2011, Telford & Wrekin Council unveiled massive plans for green land off the A518 bypass. The proposals included hundreds of new homes, a new supermarket, a business park and improvements to Burton Borough School.
House prices in the town are the highest in the TF post code area, (including the towns of Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
and Market Drayton
Market Drayton
Market Drayton is a small market town in north Shropshire, England. It is on the River Tern, between Shrewsbury and Stoke-on-Trent, and was formerly known as "Drayton in Hales" and earlier simply as "Drayton" ....
) and amongst the highest in the county, due to high desirability because of the good local education establishments and easy commuting links to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
, Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
and Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
.
The town is currently attempting to about acquiring Transition Towns
Transition Towns
Transition Towns is a grassroots network of communities that are working to build resilience in response to peak oil, climate destruction, and economic instability...
and Fairtrade Town
Fairtrade Town
Fairtrade Town is a status awarded by a recognized Fairtrade certification body describing an area which is committed to the promotion of Fairtrade certified goods...
statuses
.
The High Street
The main street in Newport follows the NormanNorman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
design. This resulted in the distinctive long wide High Street
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
, split into three parts, upper bar, lower bar and St Mary's street, with the centre of the high-street being the Puleston Cross
Puleston Cross
The Puleston Cross is a Butter cross in the market town of Newport, ShropshireThe Cross sits in Middle Row, formerly Rotten Row, and denotes the market place...
and the 19th century Newport Market Hall completed in March 1860 and was built with an Italianate frontage, replacing an earlier building that was demolished due to fire.
Burgage plots ran along either side and the church rising up in the middle, with the High Street with St Mary's Street splitting off and re-joining the high street around the island the St Nicolas church, Newport
St Nicolas church, Newport
St Nicholas's Church is an Anglican church in the market town of Newport, Shropshire, lying within the Diocese of Lichfield. It is dedicated to St Nicholas, the patron saint of fishermen and of Early English and Perpendicular architecture. The church sits on an island in the centre of the town and...
and Butter cross, which is an ancient market cross.
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
, which hid the work yards behind; the shops are still there but the work yards have now been developed into housing or the Boughy gardens tennis courts, next to the literary institute
Institute
An institute is a permanent organizational body created for a certain purpose. Often it is a research organization created to do research on specific topics...
.
Despite being close to larger retail centres such as Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
, Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
and Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
, Newport has retained a large number of shops that line the High Street, Stafford Street and St Mary's Street, with St Mary's Street keeping its charm by still using Cobblestone
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
s and the majority of shops being small boutiques. St Mary's is also the site of various markets and fairs such as the Olde Time Market, with over 50 stalls, and various farmers markets; these tie in with Newport's indoor market.
The town also has well known companies such as Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
, The Co-operative Food
The Co-operative Food
The Co-operative Food, abbreviated sometimes to the Co-op, is a brand devised for the supermarket and convenience store business of the UK's consumers' co-operative movement. It is the name of the largest division of The Co-operative Group, and is used by other independent consumer co-operatives...
, Greggs
Greggs
Greggs plc is the largest specialist retail bakery chain in the United Kingdom. It was established in the 1930s as a single shop but has approximately 1,500 outlets....
, Coral, Focus Do It All two Euronics
Euronics
EURONICS International Ltd. is a European electronics group based in Amsterdam. Members of Euronics are all independent retailers, with 11,500 stores and branches in 28 European countries....
centres and Mackay's, Seconds Ahead, Bet365
Bet365
bet365 Group Limited, is a United Kingdom based gambling company. bet365 is one of the world’s leading online gambling groups with over 6 million customers in 200 different countries...
, Barclays, Lloyds TSB
Lloyds TSB
Lloyds TSB Bank Plc is a retail bank in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1995 by the merger of Lloyds Bank, established in Birmingham, England in 1765 and traditionally considered one of the Big Four clearing banks, with the TSB Group which traces its origins to 1810...
, HSBC
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
, Boots, Halifax (United Kingdom bank), National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank Plc, commonly known as NatWest, is the largest retail and commercial bank in the United Kingdom and has been part of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc since 2000. The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is ranked as the second largest bank in the world by assets...
. There is a Waitrose
Waitrose
Waitrose Limited is an upmarket chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom and is the food division of the British retailer and worker co-operative the John Lewis Partnership. Its head office is in Bracknell, Berkshire, England...
superstore with a coffee shop and home delivery service on the edge of the town centre adjoining the Stafford Street car park.
The towns Woolworths
Woolworths Group
Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...
store was developed into a B&M Bargains
B & M
B&M Retail Ltd is a retail chain of discount stores operating in the United Kingdom since 1976....
and a Jaspers bakers store opened in an empty store nearby.
Aqualate Mere
Aqualate Mere is the largest natural lake in the English Midlands and is managed as a National Nature Reserve by Natural England. It is a remnant of the prehistoric Lake Lapworth....
the A518 road
A518 road
The A518 is a road in the United Kingdom which runs from Uttoxeter, Staffordshire to Telford, Shropshire via Stafford and Newport. Between Uttoxeter and Stafford it is a single carriageway, with a staggered junction with the dual carriageway A51...
an out-of-town shopping centre has grown up around the Mere Park Garden centre
Garden centre
A garden centre is a retail firm that sells plants and products related to gardens as its primary business. It is open to the public, with facilities to care for and display plants.- UK :...
. The building work is still being extended and hotels and small shops being built; this ties in with the various other industrial estates that lie around the Newport by-pass and Springfield estate, this would also be the site of the new train station if Stafford Council
Stafford (borough)
Stafford is a local government district with borough status in Staffordshire in England. It is named after and includes the town of Stafford. It also includes the smaller town of Stone and numerous villages....
and Telford and Wrekin
Telford and Wrekin
Telford and Wrekin is a unitary district with borough status in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. The district was created in 1974 as The...
councils agree terms to connecting train service between the Telford, Newport and Stafford and the where the park and ride service is set to go from in a triangle of the three main shopping centres of the town. Mere park, Audley avenue business park and the High street.
Other areas
The oldest man-made landmark in the town in the Puleston CrossPuleston Cross
The Puleston Cross is a Butter cross in the market town of Newport, ShropshireThe Cross sits in Middle Row, formerly Rotten Row, and denotes the market place...
which is a butter cross positioned near to the Church of St Nicholas. this is an early 14th century cross denoting a market place and named after Sir John Puleston who lost his life during the reign of King Edward 1st in campaign against Wales.
Towards the top end of the town is the Combat stress centre, built in 1908 as the infirmary for the Newport Workhouse, it was subsequently developed as accommodation for elderly ladies until its closure in 1995. The home was purchased in 1996 and totally refurbished to provide 31 bedrooms, two of which can provide carer facilities. Set in three acres on the edge of Newport, it has easy access to all local facilities.
The town sits near the Aqualate Mere
Aqualate Mere
Aqualate Mere is the largest natural lake in the English Midlands and is managed as a National Nature Reserve by Natural England. It is a remnant of the prehistoric Lake Lapworth....
, which is the largest natural lake in the English Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
.
Religious sites
This was the church of St Mary Magdalene, built in the time of Archbishop Dunstan.
Newport lies in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury and the Diocese of Lichfield
Diocese of Lichfield
The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, England. The bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Chad in the city of Lichfield. The diocese covers 4,516 km² The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England...
and as a Norman planned new town, religion played a strong part in the design of the town, with the centre of the town being dominated by the church of St Nicholas Church
St Nicolas church, Newport
St Nicholas's Church is an Anglican church in the market town of Newport, Shropshire, lying within the Diocese of Lichfield. It is dedicated to St Nicholas, the patron saint of fishermen and of Early English and Perpendicular architecture. The church sits on an island in the centre of the town and...
, originally built in the reign of Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
and restored in 1886 and 1890.
The second church of the town is the St Peter and Paul
St Peter and Paul Church, Newport
St. Peter and Pauls Church is a Catholic Church in Newport, Shropshire, England.Salters Hall is in Salters lane, Newport, Shropshire, attached to the Church of Saints Peter and Paul and was designed by Angustus Pugin....
Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
church in Newport Salters Lane, Built 1857 and is the oldest Catholic church in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
and was designed by Angustus Pugin.
Lilleshall
Lilleshall
Lilleshall is a village in Shropshire, England.It lies between the towns of Telford and Newport, on the A518, in the Telford and Wrekin borough and the Wrekin constituency....
Abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
ruins are to be found four miles from the town centre. They include a Norman west door and part of the front, considerable remains of the church besides, and traces of domestic buildings. The abbey was founded in 1145, under charter from King Stephen
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
, by Richard de Baumes or Belmeis, dean of St Alkmund, Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, for Augustinian
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
canons
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
, who were brought from Dorchester Abbey
Dorchester Abbey
Dorchester Abbey is a Church of England parish church in Dorchester on Thames, Oxfordshire, about southeast of Oxford. It was formerly a Norman abbey church and was built on the site of a Saxon cathedral.-History:...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
.
A smaller church for the Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
community sits at the back of The Royal Victoria Hotel
The Royal Victoria Hotel
The Royal Victoria Hotel is a hotel situated in Newport, Shropshire. It dates back to 1830 and gains its name from Queen Victoria who opened the hotel in 1832 and who gifted the hotel with a pair of tortoise shells to commemorate the opening...
in water lane, called Newport Baptist church, which was built in the 1960s.
Due to the growth and decline of religions over time some previous churches have since been used for other uses or been demolished all together, most of these are in the Upper bar area of the town, around the Granville road and Wellington road area.
Near to the Trinity church is the Newport Primitive Methodist Chapel, built 1877, closed 1920 which replaced the one built in Stafford Road, built 1830, demolished 1877. the latest one is now a shop and bar.
Two more former churches are the Newport Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Upper Bar, Built 1829, which was turned into a shop and theatre 1876 and the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Avenue Road which was built in 1876 and closed in 2001 on merging with the Wellington Road URC Chapel; it subsequently became a gym but has since been converted into a house.
- Newport General Cemetery was opened for burials on 2 March 1859 with its first interment taking place on 5 March 1859 when it is noted that some 1,000 people witnessed the burial. The cemetery contains a chapelChapelA 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,...
built at the same time and is bounded at the public road side by fine wrought iron railings and gates. The cemetery was originally laid out with four oval lawns around a cross-shaped set of roads with the chapel centrally placed.
Economy
As the second town of Telford and Wrekin, Newport serves as a main economic part of the Borough, Telford and Wrekin council plan to make Newport into one of the most desirable towns in the country,Newport is the main hub for the farming community along the Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
/Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
border and as a mini business centre, with the head offices of Smith Bellerby Limited, The Hartington Group, Sambrook Research International, ReadWell Press, Classic furniture, Edgmond Foods, and The Football Association, Medical and Exercise Science Department
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
, based at Lilleshall Hall
Lilleshall Hall
Lilleshall Hall is a large former country house and estate located near Lilleshall in Shropshire, England. It was founded as an Augustinian Abbey in the 12th century, with its estate running to some...
on the outskirts of the town.
Newport in 2009 was the third best place in the county for house sales, after Much Wenlock
Much Wenlock
Much Wenlock, earlier known as Wenlock, is a small town in central Shropshire, England. It is situated on the A458 road between Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth. Nearby, to the northeast, is the Ironbridge Gorge, and the new town of Telford...
and the new housing estate at Lawley in Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
., but in 2010 it had become the joint best selling area in the county.
A large section of Newport's economy is based around education, with a private prep school, two public schools and a large comprehensive drawing students from all over the county and a university on the edge of the town along with a regional food academy.
Retail plays a major part of the economy of the town, with the majority of shops being located in and around the High street, with larger out of town stores located on the Audley Avenue and Springfield trading estates in to the south of the town and to the east of the town the Mere park complex with the Edinburgh Woollen Mill
Edinburgh Woollen Mill
The Edinburgh Woollen Mill is a Langholm based clothing retailer targeting men and women over the age of 40.- History :The Edinburgh Woollen Mill was founded in 1946 by Drew Stevenson as the Langholm Dyeing and Finishing Company, dyeing wool yarn to order...
and Maidenhead Aquatics being the newest stores to come to the town.
The Wrekin's main economic driver is the town Newport. Newport is the hub for the farming community but it also hosts large business consultancies like the Smith Bellerby Ltd and Sambrook Research International, The Hartington Group, a solution provider for drink and food companies, and ReadWell Press, a commercial print specialist.
Events and venues
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
country side.
The most used Venues in the town are scattered mainly along the High street, starting in the lower bar by the Shrewsbury Canal
Shrewsbury Canal
The Shrewsbury Canal was a canal in Shropshire, England. Authorised in 1793, the main line from Trench to Shrewsbury was fully open by 1797, but it remained isolated from the rest of the canal network until 1835, when the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal built the Newport Branch from...
is the Newport Cosy Hall
Cosy Hall
Cosy Hall is a community hall in the market town of Newport, Shropshire, UK.sited on the side of the Shrewsbury and Newport Canal.The hall had been a Music Hall in 1925, a Gospel Hall in 1881 and a coach factory in 1852....
which is used for the Newport music festival along with The Royal Victoria Hotel
The Royal Victoria Hotel
The Royal Victoria Hotel is a hotel situated in Newport, Shropshire. It dates back to 1830 and gains its name from Queen Victoria who opened the hotel in 1832 and who gifted the hotel with a pair of tortoise shells to commemorate the opening...
in St Mary's Street which was named after Princess Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
in 1832 after she stayed at the hotel.
The Guildhall is a medieval timber-framed building that is the home to Newport Town Council and is used for official purposes as well as smaller events.
Newport Market Hall built in 1860 and is considered one of the towns grandest buildings and is the location of the towns dance hall, though not used in recent times.
Newport has a lively night life for a town of its size, mainly due to the students from the Harper Adams University College along with other students from Newport. The night-life is at its most lively during the weekends, as well as Monday and Wednesday nights during 'term time'.
Royal Naval Club is the venue that hosts live music from local and national bands.
There is also a wide range of small pubs and wine bars spread up and down the main High Street of Newport, the most popular with locals being The Barley Mow, The Railway Tavern and The Pheasant, while Ozzys Wine bar in St Mary's Street was (formerly owned by rock star Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
) Harper Bar, Beau bar and Adams House are popular amongst the sizeable student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
population. the town centre also boasts a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, Central Square, which was formerly called The Vine Vaults.
| Wine Bar | Ozzys Wine bar - (formerly owned by Ozzy Osbourne Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal... ) |
| Student Bar | Harper Adams Student union |
| High street (Upper bar) | The Railway Tavern The Pheasant The Shakespeare Inn |
| High street (Lower bar) | The Kings Head The Bridge The Swan |
| Hotels | The Royal Victoria Hotel Adams House Hotel The Newport Arms Hotel |
| Off the high street | The Weatsheaf The New Inn The Last Inn |
| Edge of town | The Lion The Lamb Norwood House The Fox The Swan at Forton The Honeysuckle |
| Nightclubs | Central Square The Barley |
| Members clubs | Newport Bowling club British Legion The Audco Newport Rugby Club Newport Cricket Club Newport Naval Club |
Town events
Newport Show
Newport Show is held at Chetwynd Park show ground at Chetwynd, Shropshire, England, between Newport and Edgmond.-History:The show can trace its roots back to 1890, when a group of local farmers joined to become Newport and District Agricultural Society.Friday, August 8, 1890 was the date of the...
is hosted yearly in Chetwynd Park
Chetwynd Park
Chetwynd Park is an 18th century landscape garden with woodland, on the edge of Newport, Shropshire.The park can trace its history back to 1388, when it lay southeast of Chetwynd Park estate. The country house is now lost, but the medieval deer park survives as an agricultural showground, used for...
and is situated in the show-ground between Edgmond and Newport.Newport show has become one of the main shows in the count and West Midlands region
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
due to its position near the town and size of the show ground, which also hosts Shropshire Game Fair and British Falconry and raptor fair.
In the centre of town itself the main events are the Newport carnival, which has been staged in Newport for over 150 years and the Newport old time market which happen yearly usually on either side of Newport show in July, towards the end of the summer the newest event is the Newport Music festival which is hosted by various venues in the town.
By far the biggest event in the town is the biennial Newport Nocturne Bike Race, which brings the biggest crowds to Newport and is well covered by national press and media outlets.
Also to note is 'The Pheztival' which is organised by local band Airbag (www.airbag-music.co.uk) on the August bank holiday weekend. The event attracts acts from around the country to raise money for MacMillan Cancer. Look up 'The Pheztival' on youtube to see some great video of the event. 2011 saw a whoping £1500 raised.
Restaurants and cafés
Newport has a wide range of restaurants, mostly on the High Street and branch streets. These range from family run cafés to international companies.| Pub food | The Barley The Swan at Forton The Fox The Lion The Lamb The Last Inn |
| Tea Rooms | The Lutine Bell Smallwood lodge Waitrose |
| Take Away | Jones chip shop Zach's Plaice Spice Island The Wan loi Chinese China Palace Newport Kebab House Star Pizza & Kebab Raja's Combinations |
| Restaurants | The Royal Victoria Hotel Mischa's Restaurant & Brasserie Norwood House Shimla Licensed Tandoori Taste Of Paradise The Munchbox The Three fishes Subway Subway (restaurant) Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011... Shanghai City Christy’s Ristorante Italiano |
- The Royal Victoria Hotel - a historical building dating back to 1830, first opened by the Princess Victoria and now operating as a hotel, bar and restaurant, now running rock and indie nights.
- Smallwood Lodge- A half timbered chocolate box building where Anne BoleynAnne BoleynAnne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
, Henry VIIIHenry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
's second wife once stayed - The Lutine Bell - a popular and long standing restaurant down an alley off the high street
- The town has two cheeses named after it: Newport and Newport 1665Newport 1665 (Cheese)Newport 1665 is an artisan, unpasteurised cows' milk cheese from Mr Moyden's Grove Farm at Newport, Shropshire. Named after the great fire of Newport which destroyed most of the medieval town, it is a smoked version of Newport cheese. The milk is from British Friesian cows.Wheels of Newport cheese...
, both are made in the town along with Marches Blue and Wrekin WhiteWrekin White CheeseWrekin White is a cow's milk cheese made in the United Kingdom. The Wrekin White was first made in the 1990s at the Grove Farm dairy in Newport, Shropshire England by Martin Moyden, and is named after The Wrekin Hill in Shropshire-Description:...
Media
The Newport Advertiser, is the towns weekly newspaper, that's been in publication since 1854, located on St Mary's Street, the town is also covered by the county wide Shropshire StarShropshire Star
The Shropshire Star is a regional newspaper covering the whole of Shropshire, plus parts of Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Cheshire, the Llangollen area and northern Powys in the United Kingdom.-About:The editor is Keith Harrison....
and The Shropshire Magazine. All published by Shropshire Newspapers Ltd.
Nova News, first published in 1994, is a free bimonthly magazine distributed in and around the Newport area.
The town is covered by The Severn
The Severn (radio)
The Severn is a local commercial station owned by MNA Broadcasting which is split into three areas covering Shrewsbury & Central Shropshire, Oswestry & North Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin in the United Kingdom. The Shrewsbury and Oswesrty radio stations launched at 7am on Monday 18 September 2006...
(formally Telford FM
Telford FM
107.4 Telford FM was a commercial local radio station broadcasting in Telford, Shropshire and the surrounding areas including Bridgnorth and Newport from the 3rd May 1999 until 10am on the 20th September 2010....
), BBC Radio Shropshire
BBC Radio Shropshire
BBC Radio Shropshire is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Shropshire. Launched on 23 April 1985 it broadcasts from its studios in Shrewsbury on 96 , 90 , 95 , 104.1 FM and DAB...
and Beacon
Beacon (Radio)
Beacon , is an independent local radio station, broadcasting to the Black Country and Shropshire in the West Midlands region of England.-History:The station began broadcasting to Wolverhampton and the Black Country from studios at 267 Tettenhall Road,...
, but there are plans for a station covering the town called TF10 Radio (named after the towns postcode), not only covering Newport but also it would have a radius of 10 miles to include surrounding villages such as Tibberton
Tibberton, Shropshire
Tibberton is a village in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England.It is a fairly small village with some new barn conversions contrasting with the older houses. The River Meese flows just to the north of the village...
, Edgmond and Church Aston
Church Aston
Church Aston is a village and parish in Shropshire, England.It is to the south of Newport, though has become merged with the town in recent years due to suburban growth.Also in the parish is the small village of Longford and part of the hamlet of Cheswell....
.
In the media
Christmas Guisers' Play from Newport, Shropshire [1883] is about the townNewport was the first town in Shropshire to be on Dickinson's Real Deal
Dickinson's Real Deal
Dickinson's Real Deal is an ITV, UK modern antiques and collectables television programme presented by David Dickinson. The new series air on the ITV Network whereas old episodes are repeated on ITV3.-The show:...
A television documentary called The Spy Who Stole My Life showed the town as the backdrop of the Robert Hendy-Freegard
Robert Hendy-Freegard
Robert Hendy-Freegard is a British barman, car salesman, conman and impostor who masqueraded as an MI5 agent and fooled several people to go underground for fear of IRA assassination...
story, who conned students from the town was shown by Channel Five on 7 September 2005. In Australia, this was called The spy Who Conned Me
The Army Cadet Force
Army Cadet Force
The Army Cadet Force is a British youth organisation that offers progressive training in a multitude of the subjects from military training to adventurous training and first aid, at the same time as promoting achievement, discipline, and good citizenship, to boys and girls aged 12 to 18 and 9...
has a detachment, which represented the town and United Kingdom at a ceremony where they paraded under the Menin Gate
Menin Gate
The Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing is a war memorial in Ypres, Belgium dedicated to the commemoration of British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of the First World War and whose graves are unknown...
in Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
, Belgium in 2005.
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
stayed in Newport and modelled Miss Havisham
Miss Havisham
Miss Havisham is a significant character in the Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations . She is a wealthy spinster, who lives in her ruined mansion with her adopted daughter, Estella, whom she has sent to France, while she herself is described as looking like "the witch of the place."Although she...
in Great Expectations
Great Expectations
Great Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens. It was first published in serial form in the publication All the Year Round from 1 December 1860 to August 1861. It has been adapted for stage and screen over 250 times....
(1861) on Elizabeth Parker, a recluse from the town.
At Harper Adams University College
Harper Adams University College
Harper Adams University College is a higher education institution located close to the village of Edgmond , in Shropshire, England. It is the UK's leading specialist provider of higher education for the agri-food chain and rural sector....
just outside Newport in Edgmond
Edgmond, Shropshire
Edgmond is a village in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. It lies 1 mile north-west of the town of Newport.Harper Adams University College is in Edgmond...
, on 10 January 1982 the English lowest temperature weather record was broken (and is kept to this day): -26.1 °C.
The town has a local ghost called Madam Pigott
Madam Pigott
Madam Pigott is the local ghost story in the market town of Newport, Shropshire-The Tale:Squire Pigott lived at the Chetwynd Park estate; he took himself a wife. He was a harsh uncaring husband who simply needed an heir to his wealth and estates...
which is well reported in local and national ghost publications
Education
Newport Girls High School
Newport High School is an all girls school in Newport, Shropshire, England. The school was opened in the 1920s. The school is selective and is an all girls intake. In 2003, the school started to take in a double intake of around 56 students a year and reached its full capacity in the 2007-2008...
was 37th and Adams' Grammar School
Adams' Grammar School
Adams' Grammar School is a selective state grammar school in Newport, Shropshire, rated by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills as a Grade 1 outstanding school , the latest OFSTED report concludes "this is a truly impressive school"...
was 43rd and Harper Adams University College
Harper Adams University College
Harper Adams University College is a higher education institution located close to the village of Edgmond , in Shropshire, England. It is the UK's leading specialist provider of higher education for the agri-food chain and rural sector....
is located in the nearby village of Edgmond and Keele University
Keele University
Keele University is a campus university near Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as an experimental college dedicated to a broad curriculum and interdisciplinary study, Keele is most notable for pioneering the dual honours degree in Britain...
operate teaching rooms in the new medical buildings in the main doctor's surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
in the town for student doctors to learn in the public, for students between secondary and university education the closest colleges for the town are Telford College of Arts and Technology
Telford College of Arts and Technology
Telford College of Arts and Technology is a further education college in Telford, Shropshire, England. It operates from one main site and many in-company training sites and community-based courses spread out across Shropshire and the whole of the United Kingdom...
& Stafford College
Stafford College
Stafford College is a large provider of further and higher education based in Stafford, England.The college campus is on Earl Street in Stafford Town Centre. Qualifications taught include a wide range of A-levels, with additional choice offered through the Stafford Collegiate, which is a...
with Buses running from the town to both collages and to Stafford
Staffordshire University
Staffordshire University is a university with its main campus based in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and with other campuses in Stafford, Lichfield and Shrewsbury.- History :...
, Wolverhampton
University of Wolverhampton
The University of Wolverhampton is a British university located on four campuses across the West Midlands and Shropshire. The city campus is located in Wolverhampton city centre with a second campus at Compton Park, Wolverhampton; a third in Walsall and a fourth in Telford...
and Keele
Keele University
Keele University is a campus university near Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as an experimental college dedicated to a broad curriculum and interdisciplinary study, Keele is most notable for pioneering the dual honours degree in Britain...
Universities due to the proximity of the town to all three, just outside the town is Edgmond Hall, run by Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council for outdoor activities, is in the nearby village of Edgmond.
| Primary | Church Aston Infant SchoolMoorfield Primary School St Peter & St Paul RC Primary SchoolNewport Infant School |
| Secondary | Newport Junior School Moorfield junior School |
| Comprehensive | Burton Borough School Burton Borough School The Burton Borough School is situated on the southern edge of Newport, Shropshire, England, in Audley Avenue. The school was opened in 1957 and since then has developed steadily. In September 2004 it was designated a Specialist Arts College.... |
| Sixth form colleges | Newport Girls High School Newport Girls High School Newport High School is an all girls school in Newport, Shropshire, England. The school was opened in the 1920s. The school is selective and is an all girls intake. In 2003, the school started to take in a double intake of around 56 students a year and reached its full capacity in the 2007-2008... |
| Grammar | Adams' Grammar School Adams' Grammar School Adams' Grammar School is a selective state grammar school in Newport, Shropshire, rated by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills as a Grade 1 outstanding school , the latest OFSTED report concludes "this is a truly impressive school"... |
| Independent (preparatory) | Castle house school |
| Independent (Private) | Edgmond Hall, Run by Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council |
| Universities | Harper Adams University College Harper Adams University College Harper Adams University College is a higher education institution located close to the village of Edgmond , in Shropshire, England. It is the UK's leading specialist provider of higher education for the agri-food chain and rural sector.... Keele University Keele University Keele University is a campus university near Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as an experimental college dedicated to a broad curriculum and interdisciplinary study, Keele is most notable for pioneering the dual honours degree in Britain... (Medical education centre due 2010) |
Transport
The town has been a well used crossing point even before the creation of the settlement and sits on the historical crossing point the Via DevanaVia Devana
The Via Devana was a Roman Road in England that ran from Colchester in the south-east to Chester in the north-west. Both were important Roman military centres and it is conjectured that the main reason the road was constructed was military rather than civilian. The Latin name for Chester is Deva...
.
The town became prominent as a coaching town on the route between London, North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
and Ireland as well being on a historic junction on the road from London to Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
and the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
. This meant that the town grew around the different roads that cross the town. At the centre of the town is a large island with the Church of St Nicholas at one end and Central Square nightclub at the other, the High Street on one side and St Mary's Street on the other side. The two streets come together at one end in front of the nightclub at the junction with the A518
A518 road
The A518 is a road in the United Kingdom which runs from Uttoxeter, Staffordshire to Telford, Shropshire via Stafford and Newport. Between Uttoxeter and Stafford it is a single carriageway, with a staggered junction with the dual carriageway A51...
from Stafford which runs through the town on an east-west route from Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
to Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
. They come together at the other end by the Shrewsbury & Newport Canal beyond which is the junction with the A519 road
A519 road
The A519 is a road in the United Kingdom that runs between Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire and Newport, Shropshire.At Newport it meets the A518 and A41...
from Eccleshall
Eccleshall
Eccleshall is a town in Staffordshire, England. It is located seven miles north west of Stafford, and six miles west of Stone. Eccleshall is twinned with Sancerre in France.-History:...
and Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
. At the southern end of the High Street is another junction where the A519 road
A519 road
The A519 is a road in the United Kingdom that runs between Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire and Newport, Shropshire.At Newport it meets the A518 and A41...
leaves on its way to Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust
The Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust is a waterway society and a registered charity which exists to promote the restoration of the Shrewsbury Canal and the Newport Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal...
. linking in to the national canal network at Norbury Junction
Norbury Junction
Norbury Junction lies about one mile to the south east of Norbury, Staffordshire, England, UK.The small settlement here is named after the canal junction between the main line of the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal and its Newport Branch which ran south-west through Newport to link to the...
to the east of the A41
A41 road
The A41 is a formerly-major trunk road in England that links London and Birkenhead, although it has now largely been superseded by motorways. It passes through or near various towns and cities including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Aylesbury, Solihull, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton,...
which now borders the town to the east on a north-south by-pass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
route opened in early 1985 to ease the congestion that plagued the High Street.
The town sits 8.8 miles (14.2 km) from the M54
M54 motorway
The M54 is a 23 mile east-west motorway in the English counties of Shropshire and Staffordshire. It is also referred to as the Telford Motorway, after the road's primary westbound destination, the new town of Telford...
and 11.1 miles (17.9 km) from the M6
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
Motorways.
Buses
The town is served by buses to and from StaffordStafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
, Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
. Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
and Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
as well as a circular line that links the outlying villages and the shopping areas.
In 2009 a Park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
was introduced between the High Street and Mere Park centre. It is hoped that this will bring customers to each of the shopping areas and it is stated that if the town gets a new train station, the park and ride would run to the station too.
Rail
The former Stafford to Shrewsbury LineStafford to Shrewsbury Line
The Shrewsbury to Stafford line was a former railway line that ran between the two county towns of Shropshire and Staffordshire via the towns of Newport and Wellington from 1849 to 1966....
once ran through the town, but due to cuts Newport (Salop) railway station
Newport railway station (Shropshire)
Newport station was a railway station serving the Shropshire market town of Newport that was situated on the Stafford to Shrewsbury Line...
was closed in September 1964 and has now been dismantled. The line has been restored to Donnington
Donnington, Telford
Donnington was not part of the new town of Telford but part of the already oudated Wellington Rural District which had built many council houses from the 1920s onwards. It is located in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England...
, and it is possible that the next phase could be to reconnect the town to the railway network. This has been given a boost by the town council, who are currently in talks with Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
borough council to discuss the link to Stafford. The line is in the top 36 'Lines that should reopen' listing published by the Campaign for Better Transport and with the Telford International Freight Park
Railways of Shropshire
The English county of Shropshire has a fairly large railway network, with 19 National Rail stations on various national lines, as well as a small number of heritage and freight lines, including the famous heritage Severn Valley Railway running along its eastern border with Worcestershire.The...
in Donnington, Telford needing better connections to the east coast and Scotland, this could mean a line going past the town and on towards Gnosall
Gnosall
Gnosall is a large village in the Borough of Stafford, Staffordshire, England, with a population of approximately 5,000. It lies on the A518, approximately half-way between the towns of Newport and the county town of Staffordshire, Stafford...
and Stafford.
Walking
Newport is on National Route 55 and Regional Route 75 of the Sustrans National Cycle Network.The town sits on the Way for the Millennium
Way for the Millennium
The Way for the Millennium is an east-west route across Staffordshire, deliberately designed for easy walking, using towpaths, old railway lines and footpaths and visiting attractive countryside and green spaces.-Route:...
walk way which is 65 km (40 mi) long.
Sport and clubs
Newport is home to a large extent of different sports clubs, playing at all different levels of professionalism and covering all different sports, with all the main sports in the UK catered for in and around the town, with football, cricket, bowls and archery located in the Granville avenue/Audley avenue area of the town, surrounding Audley villa which was once the club house of Newport horse racing course, floodlit tennis courts are located in the High street, rugby is at top of Forton road, swimming and fishing located by Victoria park and most else can be catered for at Lillishall hall which is a national sports centreNewport Town FC play in the Shropshire County Premier Football League
Shropshire County Premier Football League
The Shropshire County Premier Football League is an English association football league based in the county of Shropshire...
, with the youth football team called Nova United FC. Both teams play their home games at Shuker Field, a three-acre field close to the Burton Borough School
Burton Borough School
The Burton Borough School is situated on the southern edge of Newport, Shropshire, England, in Audley Avenue. The school was opened in 1957 and since then has developed steadily. In September 2004 it was designated a Specialist Arts College....
. Nova United play in the Telford Junior League. There was recently a team called Newport County Borough FC, but they now play in Telford as "Dawley Villa".
The town is also a stronghold for supporters of Wolverhampton Wanderers with a bus travelling to all Wolves away games picking up at Newportl, see telfordwolves.com
One of the main sports in the county is Crown green bowling and the team has one of the most successful teams in the area and most supported Newport Crown Green Bowls club play in the Premier Division of Shropshire after promotion from the Mid Shropshire division one as well as many other division and leagues
Newport (Salop) Rugby Union Football Club
Newport RUFC are an English rugby team that play at the Old Showground, just outside the town of Newport, Shropshire. They currently play in the National League 3 Midlands league.-History:...
is the highest ranked rugby club in Shropshire and the main club in the town
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
Club play in the Shropshire Premier Cricket League
Shropshire Premier Cricket League
The Shropshire Premier Cricket League is the highest level club cricket competition in Shropshire. It is one step above the Shropshire Cricket League, and acts as a feeder league to the Birmingham and District Premier League, which is at the top of the English club cricket pyramid.The league is...
Premier Division .
Shropshire Climbing Centre offers a state of the art bouldering
Bouldering
Bouldering is a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs over a crash pad so that a fall will not result in serious injury. It is typically practiced on large natural boulders or artificial boulders in gyms and outdoor urban areas...
and roped climbing facility, in Newport, with over 350 sq m of bouldering, it is are the largest bouldering venue in the West Midlands.
Work in 2009 was completed on the £200,000 Newport Sk8 park which is the largest skatepark
Skatepark
A skatepark is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, aggressive inline skating and scooters. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, quarter pipes, spine transfers, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, pools, bowls, snake runs stairsets,...
in Shropshire and the largest W/ramp in Britain.
The other teams of Newport are as follows:
- Athletics; Newport Running Club, Newport Gymnastic Club and Newport Athletics club
- Ball games; Aqualate Golf Club, Boughey Gardens Tennis Club, Forton Cricket Club, Newport Badminton Club, Newport & District Netball Club, Newport Roller Hockey Club
- Archery; Audco Archers, Grand National Archery Society
- Water sports; Newport & District Synchronised Swimming Club, Newport Water Polo Club. Newport Swimming club, Serck Audco Angling Club
- Motor sports; Newport Motocross Team
- Other teams; Newport Chess Club
- Newport Comedy, Music, Movies, Politics, Walking & Writers!
Newport is also notable for its many Performing arts organisations, with two stage schools taking residence up weekly at local venues, multiple theatre groups also are organised throughout the community most notably the amateur dramatics group, held at venue cosy hall, and youth organisation Sketch Off theatre, who have currently no base, but both have raised a considerable amount for charity and the community.
Most recently, the Burton Borough school has now under gone development to being a Arts college.
Lilleshall Sports Centre
Lilleshall HallLilleshall Hall
Lilleshall Hall is a large former country house and estate located near Lilleshall in Shropshire, England. It was founded as an Augustinian Abbey in the 12th century, with its estate running to some...
- formerly the country retreat and hunting lodge for the Duke of Sutherland
Duke of Sutherland
Duke of Sutherland, derived from Sutherland in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom held by the head of the Leveson-Gower family. It was created by William IV in 1833 for George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Marquess of Stafford...
, situated just two miles from the centre of Newport and is now home to the Lilleshall National Sports Centre.
Notable residents
Newport has had many notable residents in its long history, both residing in the town or being educated in one of the schools in the town such as the Adams' Grammar SchoolAdams' Grammar School
Adams' Grammar School is a selective state grammar school in Newport, Shropshire, rated by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills as a Grade 1 outstanding school , the latest OFSTED report concludes "this is a truly impressive school"...
which has a long list of notable alumni or at the Harper Adams University College
Harper Adams University College
Harper Adams University College is a higher education institution located close to the village of Edgmond , in Shropshire, England. It is the UK's leading specialist provider of higher education for the agri-food chain and rural sector....
, which brings in academics from all over the world.
Arts
- Barrington J. BayleyBarrington J. BayleyBarrington J. Bayley was an English science fiction writer.Bayley was born in Birmingham and educated in Newport, Shropshire...
- writer - Michael J. BassettMichael J. BassettMichael J. Bassett is an English screenwriter and film director. He has produced a variety of films, both for television and cinema. Bassett's first feature, the horror film Deathwatch, was set in the trenches of World War One. Bassett's most recent project, Solomon Kane had a nationwide cinema...
– film director and scriptwriter - James SuttonJames Sutton (actor)James Sutton is an English television actor, best known for playing the parts of John Paul McQueen in the British Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks and Ryan Lamb in the ITV soap Emmerdale.-Personal life:...
- actor - John Meeson ParsonsJohn Meeson ParsonsJohn Meeson Parsons was an art collector.Parsons, youngest son of Thomas Parsons of Newport, Shropshire, was born at Newport on 27 Oct. 1798, and educated by the Rev. Richard Thurstfield of Pattingham, then by the Rev...
– (1798–1870) art collector - Francis NeilsonFrancis NeilsonFrancis Neilson , was an accomplished actor, playwright, stage director, political figure avid lecturer, and author of more than 60 books, plays and opera librettos and a leader in the Georgist movement.-Early:Born as Francis Butters, the eldest of nine siblings, in the Claugton Road,...
– (1867–1961) writer - Matthew SmithMatthew Smith (spy)Matthew Smith was a 17th century spy and the author of "Memoirs of Secret Service", which was published in London in 1699. "Memoirs of Secret Service" is seen as the prototype of the literary genre of spy autobiographies and there is some controversy as to whether Smith wrote the book or whether...
– spy, intriguer and writer - Richard BarnfieldRichard BarnfieldRichard Barnfield , English poet, was born at Norbury, Staffordshire, and brought up in Newport, Shropshire.He was baptized on 13 June 1574, the son of Richard Barnfield, gentleman. His obscure though close relationship with Shakespeare has long made him interesting to scholars...
– (1574–1620) poet - Ewen HendersonEwen HendersonEwen Henderson may refer to:*Ewen Henderson , artist*Ewen Henderson , fiddler and bagpiper...
– (1934–2000) ceramic artist - James Hain FriswellJames Hain FriswellJames Hain Friswell was an English essayist and novelist.He was born at Newport, Shropshire, son of William Friswell, of 93 Wimpole Street, London, attorney-at-law, and educated at Apsley School, near Woburn, Bedfordshire...
– (1825–1878) essayist and novelist - Samuel JohnsonSamuel JohnsonSamuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
– (1709–1784) author - Simon BatesSimon BatesSimon Bates is a UK disc jockey and radio presenter. Between 1976 and 1993 he worked at BBC Radio 1, presenting the station's weekday mid-morning show for most of this period. He later became a regular presenter on Classic FM...
– (1947– ) BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
DJ
Sport
- Adam ProudlockAdam ProudlockAdam David Proudlock is an English footballer who plays for AFC Telford United as a striker. He notably played as a professional for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday, having also featured for Clyde, Nottingham Forest, Tranmere Rovers, Ipswich Town, Stockport County, Darlington and...
- Wolverhampton Wanderers FC footballer - Paul BracewellPaul BracewellPaul Bracewell , in Heswall, Merseyside), but was brought up in Newport, Shropshire, is an English former international footballer who played as a midfielder, although his career was hampered by injuries as the years went by.-Career:...
- England international footballer - Reuben JonesReuben JonesReuben Jones was an Olympic equestrian rider who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.-Equestrian career:Jones was part of the British team that travelled to Tokyo in 1964 to compete in team eventing...
- medallist in the Olympics for horseriding - Simon HoltSimon HoltSimon Holt is a British composer.-Biography:Holt was educated at Bolton School. Shortly after graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music, he became firmly established on the new music circuit with a series of commissions and fruitful collaborations with the London Sinfonietta and the Nash...
- cyclist - Ryan Palmer - chessChessChess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
champion - David Gittus M.B.E. World Trail Orienteering Champion 2006 (Finland)
- Herbert ElliottHerbert ElliottHerbert Denis Edleston Elliott was an English cricketer. Elliott's batting and bowling styles are unknown. He was born at Newport, Shropshire and educated in the town at Newport School....
- cricketer
Military
- Admiral John BenbowJohn BenbowJohn Benbow was an English officer in the Royal Navy. He joined the navy aged 25 years, seeing action against Algerian pirates before leaving and joining the merchant navy where he traded until the Glorious Revolution of 1688, whereupon he returned to the Royal Navy and was commissioned.Benbow...
- (1653?–1702) - Colonel Benbow - shot in 1651 by the Roundheads, outside Shrewsbury CastleShrewsbury CastleShrewsbury Castle is a red sandstone castle in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. It stands on a hill in the neck of the meander of the River Severn on which the town originally developed. The castle is situated directly above Shrewsbury railway station....
Other
- Thomas Louis Green - (1799–1893) priest and controversialist.
- Thomas BrownTom Brown (satirist)Tom Brown was an English translator and writer of satire, largely forgotten today save for a four-line gibe he wrote concerning Dr John Fell....
(1663–1704) - satirist - Thomas RoseThomas RoseThomas Ginnever Rose was an English cricketer who played six first-class matches, all for Worcestershire in 1922....
- (died 1837) thief - Robert Hendy-FreegardRobert Hendy-FreegardRobert Hendy-Freegard is a British barman, car salesman, conman and impostor who masqueraded as an MI5 agent and fooled several people to go underground for fear of IRA assassination...
- (born 1971) barman, car salesman, conmanConfidence trickA confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. A confidence artist is an individual working alone or in concert with others who exploits characteristics of the human psyche such as dishonesty and honesty, vanity, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility,...
and impostorImpostorAn impostor or imposter is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often to try to gain financial or social advantages through social engineering, but just as often for purposes of espionage or law enforcement....
who masqueraded as an MI5MI5The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
agent - Michael JackMichael JackJohn Michael Jack is the interim Chairman of the Office of Tax Simplification. Before he took upon this unpaid position that will be filled by a new appointment in 2011, he was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom and was Member of Parliament for Fylde between 1987 and 2010, ...
- chairman of the Hartington Group, which has its headquarters in the town - William AdamsWilliam Adams (Haberdasher)William Adams was a 17th Century London Haberdasher born in Newport, Shropshire, who founded Adams' Grammar School in 1656. After his death in 1660, the school was governed by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers.-External links:* *...
- haberdasherHaberdasherA haberdasher is a person who sells small articles for sewing, such as buttons, ribbons, zips, and other notions. In American English, haberdasher is another term for a men's outfitter. A haberdasher's shop or the items sold therein are called haberdashery.-Origin and use:The word appears in... - Craig PhillipsCraig PhillipsCraig Phillips is an English builder, DIY expert, television personality and presenter, best known for winning the first series of the British reality television show Big Brother...
- winner of Big Brother 2000 - Boughey BaronetsBoughey BaronetsThe Fletcher, later Boughey Baronetcy, of Newcastle-under-Lyme in the County of Stafford, is a title in the Baronetage of Great Britain. It was created on 24 August 1798 for Thomas Fletcher, of Betley Court, Staffordshire, High Sheriff of Staffordshire in 1783 and 1789 and Deputy Lieutenant of the...
- William CuretonWilliam Cureton-Life:He was born in Westbury, Shropshire. After being educated at the Adams' Grammar School in Newport, Shropshire and at Christ Church, Oxford, he took orders in 1832, became chaplain of Christ Church, sublibrarian of the Bodleian, and, in 1837, assistant keeper of manuscripts in the British Museum...
- orientalistOrientalismOrientalism is a term used for the imitation or depiction of aspects of Eastern cultures in the West by writers, designers and artists, as well as having other meanings...
Science and mathematics
- Sir Oliver Lodge - (1851–1940) invented the electrical sparkElectrostatic dischargeElectrostatic discharge is a serious issue in solid state electronics, such as integrated circuits. Integrated circuits are made from semiconductor materials such as silicon and insulating materials such as silicon dioxide...
ignitionCombustionCombustion or burning is the sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat and conversion of chemical species. The release of heat can result in the production of light in the form of either glowing or a flame...
for the internal combustion engineInternal combustion engineThe internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
, first principal of Birmingham University. - James Edward Quibell - (1867–1935) EgyptologistEgyptologyEgyptology is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the AD 4th century. A practitioner of the discipline is an “Egyptologist”...
- Percy John HeawoodPercy John HeawoodPercy John Heawood was a British mathematician educated at Queen Elizabeth's School, Ipswich, and Exeter College, Oxford....
- (1861–1955) mathematician
Politics
- Charles Silvester HorneCharles Silvester HorneCharles Silvester Horne was a famous late 19th century and early 20th century Congregationalist who additionally served as Liberal M.P. for Ipswich....
- MPMember of ParliamentA 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,...
for IpswichIpswichIpswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell... - Peter BottomleyPeter BottomleySir Peter James Bottomley is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Worthing West...
- MP for Worthing WestWorthing WestWorthing West is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:... - John BenbowJohn BenbowJohn Benbow was an English officer in the Royal Navy. He joined the navy aged 25 years, seeing action against Algerian pirates before leaving and joining the merchant navy where he traded until the Glorious Revolution of 1688, whereupon he returned to the Royal Navy and was commissioned.Benbow...
- clerk of the Crown whose right to use a coat of arms was confirmed in 1622 - Robert PulestonRobert PulestonRobert Puleston was a brother-in-law and supporter of Owain Glyndŵr, at the time of his rebellion against King Henry IV of England in the early 15th century and afterwards.- Lineage :He was from a well established Welsh Marcher family...
- supporter of Owain GlyndŵrOwain GlyndwrOwain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
, at the time of his rebellion against King Henry IVHenry IV of EnglandHenry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke... - William Kenyon-SlaneyWilliam Kenyon-SlaneyWilliam Slaney Kenyon-Slaney , sportsman, soldier and politician.Kenyon-Slaney was born in Rajkot in Gujarat in India, the son of Captain William Kenyon of the 2nd Bombay cavalry and Frances Catherine Slaney, daughter of Robert A. Slaney of Shropshire...
- sportsman, soldier and politician
Surrounding villages and hamlets
The town is surrounded by many different small villages, ranging from the larger settlements of EdgmondEdgmond, Shropshire
Edgmond is a village in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. It lies 1 mile north-west of the town of Newport.Harper Adams University College is in Edgmond...
and Lilleshall
Lilleshall
Lilleshall is a village in Shropshire, England.It lies between the towns of Telford and Newport, on the A518, in the Telford and Wrekin borough and the Wrekin constituency....
to smaller hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
s all of which are joined to the town or separated only by a small distance; most of these settlements are seen as parts of the town's catchment zone and as Newport is on the Shropshire/ Staffordshire border many lie in South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. The district lies to the north and west of Wolverhampton and the West Midlands, bordering Shropshire to the west and Worcestershire to the south...
but their postal address is still Newport, these are as follows:
- Church AstonChurch AstonChurch Aston is a village and parish in Shropshire, England.It is to the south of Newport, though has become merged with the town in recent years due to suburban growth.Also in the parish is the small village of Longford and part of the hamlet of Cheswell....
- ChetwyndChetwynd, ShropshireChetwynd is a rural civil parish just to the north of Newport, Shropshire in England.Although the parish contains no substantial nucleated settlements it includes the Chetwynd Park estate, in addition to Sambrook, Howle, Pickstock and a number of other small hamlets.The north-eastern boundary of...
- LongfordLongford, ShropshireLongford is a small village near the town of Market Drayton, Shropshire, England. It is just off the A53, near to Ternhill and lies in the parish of Moreton Say....
- EdgmondEdgmond, ShropshireEdgmond is a village in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. It lies 1 mile north-west of the town of Newport.Harper Adams University College is in Edgmond...
- Moreton, StaffordshireMoreton, StaffordshireMoreton is a small rural village in Staffordshire, England. It lies south-west from Gnosall railway station, and south-east from Newport, both on the Stafford and Shrewsbury section of the former London and North Western Railway.- Description :...
- Meretown
- AdeneyAdeneyThis article is about a village. Adeney may also refer to missionary David Howard Adeney or flautist Richard Adeney.Adeney is a hamlet in the English county of Shropshire, in the civil parish of Edgmond....
- Stockton, Shropshire
- Pave Lane
- Bromstead Heath (Staffordshire)
- Great ChatwellGreat ChatwellGreat Chatwell is a small village in the county of Staffordshire, England. It is located 1 mile north-west of Blymhill on the border with Shropshire....
(Staffordshire) - FortonForton, StaffordshireForton is a small village on the Staffordshire/Shropshire situated east of the market town of Newport, Shropshire.Situated around Forton Hall and the 14th century All Saints church and sited on the Roman road Via Devana and the modern A519 road between Newport and Newcastle-under-Lyme-External links:...
, (Staffordshire) - Coley (Staffordshire)
- OutwoodsOutwoods, StaffordOutwoods is a hamlet in the English county of Staffordshire.Outwoods is located in the extreme west of the county near to the town of Newport, Shropshire. It forms part of the civil parish of Gnosall and the borough of Stafford.- External links :...
(Staffordshire) - Wilbrighton.
Closest cities, towns and villages
See also
- Wrekin White CheeseWrekin White CheeseWrekin White is a cow's milk cheese made in the United Kingdom. The Wrekin White was first made in the 1990s at the Grove Farm dairy in Newport, Shropshire England by Martin Moyden, and is named after The Wrekin Hill in Shropshire-Description:...
- Newport 1665 (Cheese)Newport 1665 (Cheese)Newport 1665 is an artisan, unpasteurised cows' milk cheese from Mr Moyden's Grove Farm at Newport, Shropshire. Named after the great fire of Newport which destroyed most of the medieval town, it is a smoked version of Newport cheese. The milk is from British Friesian cows.Wheels of Newport cheese...
- Shropshire Star Newport NocturneShropshire Star Newport NocturneThe Shropshire Star Newport Nocturne is Britain's first flood lit road bicycle race and is biennial held in Newport, Shropshire. The race was first run in 1970 at a distance of . It was won in 2007 by Malcolm Elliott. The race was first run as a night race under flood lights in 1989 and returned in...
- Shrewsbury and Newport Canal
- Newport ShowNewport ShowNewport Show is held at Chetwynd Park show ground at Chetwynd, Shropshire, England, between Newport and Edgmond.-History:The show can trace its roots back to 1890, when a group of local farmers joined to become Newport and District Agricultural Society.Friday, August 8, 1890 was the date of the...
- Newport (Shropshire) (UK Parliament constituency)Newport (Shropshire) (UK Parliament constituency)Newport is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency for the town of Newport, Shropshire. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1918...