•  Newport, Pembrokeshire

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In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Newport like this:

NEWPORT, a small town and a parish in the district of Cardigan and county of Pembroke. The town stands at the head of a small bay of its own name, and at the mouth of the river Nevern, 6 miles E by N of Fishguard, and 10 S W by W of Cardigan r. station; is known to the Welsh as Trefdraeth, signifying "sand-town; " was founded either by Martin de Tours, first lord of Kemess, or by his immediate followers; has a castle, built by William, the son of Martin de Tours; was made an administrative centre of the territory conquered by Martin; rose to such prosperity as to monopolize most of thetrade of Pembrokeshire; carried on extensive woollen manufacture at the beginning of the 16th century; suffered then such devastation by plague as occasioned the transference of much of its business to Fishguard; went rapidly afterwards into decadence; still retains some importance as a sub-port to Cardigan; has an export tradein corn, butter, and slates, and an import trade in timber, limestone, coal, and culm; can be reached by vessels only at high water, in consequence of a broad bar of sand lying across the entrance of its harbour; consists of irregularly built streets, shaded with trees, and engirt withwooded environs; is a seat of petty sessions and a polling-place; ranks as a corporate town, governed by a mayor, recorder, aldermen, and other office-bearers, but was not included in any of the schedules of the new municipalact; and has a post-office‡ under Haverfordwest, a goodinn, a church, three dissenting chapels, a weekly market on Friday, and fairs on 10 April, 27 June, 3 Aug., and 16 Oct. ...

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The castle overlooks the town and the bay; was, till recently, a picturesque ruin; is now incorporated with a modern residence, belonging to T. D. Lloyd, Esq., the lord of the manor; and retains an elegant tower, with square base and circular superstructure of the 13^th century, with an upper polygonal story of later date, and with a vaulted chamber, whose roof rests on a centralearly decorated English pier. The church is said to be of the 13th century; but has been modernized, and is now very plain. The parish comprises 4, 606 acres ofland and 105 of water. Real property, £3, 511. Pop.in 1851, 1, 716; in 1861, 1, 575. Houses, 457. Two cromlechs are at respectively Pentre-Evan and Llech-y-Driebedd. The living is a rectory in the diocese of St. David's. Value, £216.* Patron, T. D. Lloyd, Esq.

Newport through time

Newport is now part of Pembrokeshire district. Click here for graphs and data of how Pembrokeshire has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Newport itself, go to Units and Statistics.

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