Newport (Welsh: Casnewydd) is a city and county borough in south-east Wales, on the River Usk where it meets the Severn Estuary. It covers 74 square miles (191 km2) and had 159,587 residents at the 2021 census, making it the third largest urban authority in Wales after Cardiff and Swansea.
The council is based at the Civic Centre on Godfrey Road. Newport gained city status in 2002 and became a unitary authority in 1996. Its population grew 9.5% between 2011 and 2021, the fastest rise of any Welsh local authority.
| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Welsh name | Casnewydd |
| Status | City and county borough |
| Area | 74 sq mi (191 km2) |
| Population (2021) | 159,587 |
| Density | 836 people per km2 |
| Welsh speakers | 7.5% (2021 census) |
| Council | Newport City Council |
| Postcodes | NP10, NP18, NP19, NP20 |
Towns and Villages in Newport
Newport has 57 named settlements. Alongside the city’s own districts there are three distinct outer areas: Caerleon and Ponthir on the upper Usk, the western suburbs of Rogerstone, Bassaleg and Marshfield, and the farming villages of the Gwent Levels, such as Goldcliff, Whitson, Redwick and Peterstone Wentlooge.
- Allt-yr-yn
- Baneswell
- Barnardtown
- Barrack Hill
- Bassaleg
- Began
- Bishton
- Broadstreet Common
- Brynglas
- Caerau Park
- Caerleon
- Castleton
- Christchurch
- Coed-y-caerau
- Coldra
- Crindau
- Duffryn
- Gatlas
- Glasllwch
- Goldcliff
- High Cross
- Langstone
- Lawrence Hill
- Liswerry
- Llanbeder
- Llandevaud
- Llanmartin
- Llanvaches
- Llanwern
- Lower Machen
- Maes-glas
- Maindee
- Marshfield
- Michaelston-y-Fedw
- Michaelstone-y-Fedw Bridge
- Nash
- Newport
- Parc Seymour
- Pen-y-lan
- Pengam
- Penhow
- Peterstone Wentlooge
- Pillgwenlly
- Pye Corner
- Redwick
- Rhiwderin
- Ridgeway
- Rogerstone
- Saltmarsh
- St Woolos
- Stelvio
- Stow Park
- Summerhill
- The Village
- Underwood
- Whitson
- Wilcrick
Geography
The Usk splits the city in two and is crossed by six bridges within the built-up area. Its tidal range is among the largest in the world, exposing wide mudbanks twice a day.
Flat, drained farmland lies on both sides of the city: the Wentlooge Level to the west towards Cardiff, the Caldicot Level to the east towards Monmouthshire. These are the Gwent Levels, reclaimed in Roman times and still worked through a network of drainage reens. Torfaen and Caerphilly lie to the north and north-west, where the ground rises quickly towards the valleys at Rogerstone and Bettws.
Demographics
The 2021 census counted 159,587 usual residents, up 13,851 on 2011. Growth came from housing on the eastern edge at Llanwern and Glan Llyn, the redevelopment of the old dockside, and inward migration; Newport is one of the most ethnically diverse places in Wales outside Cardiff.
7.5% of residents aged three and over could speak Welsh in 2021, the second lowest share of any Welsh authority after Blaenau Gwent. Welsh-medium education is concentrated at Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed, the city’s first Welsh-language secondary school, opened in 2016.
Economy and Local Life
Newport has moved from heavy industry to services. Public bodies are now among the biggest employers: the Office for National Statistics, the Intellectual Property Office, HM Passport Office and the Prudential all have major sites here.
Steel continues at Llanwern, which now rolls and coats rather than smelts. Semiconductors are made at the Newport wafer fab in Duffryn. Friars Walk, opened in 2015, anchors the city-centre retail, and the Celtic Manor Resort at Coldra hosted the 2010 Ryder Cup and the 2014 NATO summit.
History
The Second Augustan Legion built the fortress of Isca at Caerleon in about AD 75; its amphitheatre, barracks and baths are the most complete Roman military remains in Britain. The Normans followed with Newport Castle on the Usk, and the town grew as a river port.
Coal from the Monmouthshire valleys made Newport the largest coal-exporting port in Wales in the early 1800s, before Cardiff overtook it. On 4 November 1839 several thousand Chartists marched on the Westgate Hotel demanding the vote; soldiers opened fire and at least 22 died. It was the last large-scale armed rising in Britain.
The Transporter Bridge opened in 1906 and is one of only a handful still standing anywhere in the world. In 2002 the timbers of a fifteenth-century merchant ship were found in the river bank during theatre construction; the Newport Ship is now being conserved for display.
Getting There
The M4 runs the length of the city at junctions 23A to 28, with the Brynglas tunnels carrying it under the northern suburbs. The A48 Southern Distributor Road takes traffic across the Levels, the A449 heads north to Usk and Raglan, and the A467 climbs the Ebbw valley.
Newport station is on the South Wales Main Line, about 1 hour 50 minutes from London Paddington and 12 minutes from Cardiff Central. The Severn Tunnel carries all through services into England. Rogerstone and Pye Corner are on the Ebbw Valley line to Ebbw Vale. Cardiff Airport is about 22 miles away and Bristol Airport about 30.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Newport?
159,587 at the 2021 census, a rise of 9.5% since 2011 and the largest increase of any Welsh local authority.
Is Newport a city?
Yes. Newport was granted city status in 2002 as part of the Golden Jubilee honours, and the council is Newport City Council.
How many villages are there in Newport?
57 named settlements are listed above, including the Levels villages of Goldcliff, Whitson, Redwick and Peterstone Wentlooge.
What is Newport’s Welsh name?
Casnewydd, short for Casnewydd-ar-Wysg, meaning the new castle on the Usk.
What are the postcodes for Newport?
NP20 covers the city centre and west, NP19 the east, NP18 Caerleon and Langstone, and NP10 Rogerstone, Bassaleg, Marshfield and the Wentlooge Level.
Where is Newport?
In south-east Wales on the Severn Estuary, 12 miles east of Cardiff and 138 miles west of London.