Newport Bridge | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 51°35′26″N2°59′38″W / 51.5905°N 2.9938°W |
Carries | Motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians |
Crosses | River Usk |
Locale | Newport |
Official name | Newport Bridge |
Maintained by | Newport City Council |
Characteristics | |
Design | Five-span arch bridge |
Total length | ? feet (? metres) |
Width | Four-lane carriageway, two cycle/footpaths |
Longest span | ? m (? ft) |
History | |
Opened | 22 June 1927 |
Location | |
Newport Bridge (colloquially called Town Bridge), opened in 1927 across the River Usk in Newport, connects the High Street and Clarence Place with Newport Castle and Newport city centre.
The first stone bridge on the site was a bridge of five arches, erected in the year 1800 by David Edwards (son of William Edwards). It was widened and improved in 1866 by adding footpaths on both sides. [1]
The original foundation stone bearing the inscription "This bridge was erected at the expense of the County by David Edwards and his two sons William and Thomas. Completed AD MDCCC." is now set into the stonework of Caerleon Bridge.
A blue plaque on the bridge erected by Newport Civic Society commemorates the Newport harbour commissioners landing stage and states "Paddle steamers of P&A Campbell's famous white funnel fleet regularly sailed from near this point. Opened in the 1880s, extended in the mid 1890s and closed in the 1950s". [2]
On 5 March 1913 the famous escape artist Harry Houdini jumped off Newport Bridge with his hands manacled and his feet shackled. He had been turned back by police but caught a taxi cab across the bridge and entered from the opposite side. [3] [4] He was arrested the following week by the police for obstructing a public highway and for holding a public entertainment on the bridge. [5]
In 1911 the Town Council sought designs for a new replacement bridge. [1] In December 1923 a decision was made to proceed immediately with the construction of the new bridge, partly as a scheme to find work for the unemployed. [6]
To best achieve this a temporary wooden bridge was erected alongside it [1] and all power and gas lines were re-routed onto it. Even the town's tram lines and their accompanying overhead power system were moved over.
The old bridge was then demolished and the new one erected.
On 22 June 1927 the new bridge was complete and opened to traffic by the Transport Minister Wilfrid Ashley.
On four of its pillars the new bridge has a stone cherub, painted in gold, and shield, modelled after the coat of arms of Newport.
In 1994 John Squire, guitarist of The Stone Roses, designed the cover of the band's single "Love Spreads", basing it on a photograph of a stone cherub and shield on Newport Bridge. The song was the band's biggest selling single, reaching number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. The cherub design found its way onto many pieces of merchandise for Second Coming , the album from which "Love Spreads" was taken, and the designed also featured in the CD itself in monochrome.
Caerleon is a town and community in Newport, Wales. Situated on the River Usk, it lies 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Newport city centre, and 5.5 miles (9 km) southeast of Cwmbran. Caerleon is of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hillfort. Close to the remains of Isca Augusta are the National Roman Legion Museum and the Roman Baths Museum. The town also has strong historical and literary associations: Geoffrey of Monmouth elevated the significance of Caerleon as a major centre of British history in his Historia Regum Britanniae, and Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote Idylls of the King (1859–1885) while staying in Caerleon.
Usk is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Newport. It is located on the River Usk, which is spanned by an arched stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. Usk Castle, above the town, overlooks the ancient crossing point. It developed as a small market town, with some industry including the making of Japanware, and with a notable prison built in 1841/2. In recent years Usk has become known for its history of success in Britain in Bloom competitions, winning the Large Village award in 2005. The resident population of the town in 2001 was 2,318, increasing to 2,834 at the 2011 census.
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain, Wales, in the westernmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially forming the boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys, it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and Abergavenny after which it takes a more southerly course.
Newport is a city and county borough in Wales, situated on the River Usk close to its confluence with the Severn Estuary, 12 mi (19 km) northeast of Cardiff. With a population of 145,700 at the 2011 census, Newport is the third-largest authority with city status in Wales, and seventh most populous overall. Newport became a unitary authority in 1996 and forms part of the Cardiff-Newport metropolitan area. Newport was the site of the last large-scale armed insurrection in Great Britain, the Newport Rising of 1839. The population grew considerably during the 2021 census, rising to 159,587, the largest growth of a unitary authority in Wales.
The A48 is a trunk road in Great Britain running from the A40 at Highnam, 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Gloucester, England, to the A40 at Carmarthen, Wales. Before the Severn Bridge opened on 8 September 1966, it was a major route between England and South Wales. For most of its route, it runs almost parallel to the M4 motorway. During times of high winds at the Severn Bridge, the A48 is used as part of the diversion route and is still marked as a Holiday Route.
The University of Wales, Newport, was a university based in Newport, South Wales, before the merger that formed the University of South Wales in April 2013. The university had two campuses in Newport, Caerleon on the northern outskirts of the city, which was subsequently closed during July 2016, and a £35 million campus on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre which opened in 2011. In 2012 the university was ranked 111th out of 120 UK universities in the Guardian League Table for university rankings, 105th out of 116 in The Complete University Guide and 104th out of 116 UK universities in the Times Good University Guide.
St Julians is a community and coterminous electoral district (ward) of the City of Newport, South Wales.
Caerleon Bridge is a bridge crossing of the River Usk at Caerleon in the city of Newport, Wales, carrying the B4236 road from Caerleon-ultra-Pontem into Caerleon itself.
The St. Julian's railway bridge is a crossing of the River Usk close to the city of Newport, South Wales. and currently carries the Welsh Marches Line across the river in a north—south direction. Due to the meanderings of the river, all the other crossings are east—west.
Crindau is a Victorian inner-city area just north of the city centre in Newport in south-east Wales. It lies within the Shaftesbury electoral district (ward) and community (parish).
The Usk Railway Bridge is a railway viaduct in Newport city centre, Wales. It crosses the River Usk in an east—west direction, carrying the Great Western Main Line.
Isca, variously specified as Isca Augusta or Isca Silurum, was the site of a Roman legionary fortress and settlement or vicus, the remains of which lie beneath parts of the present-day suburban town of Caerleon in the north of the city of Newport in South Wales. The site includes Caerleon Amphitheatre and is protected by Cadw.
Newbridge-on-Usk is a hamlet in the village and parish of Tredunnock, near Usk, Monmouthshire, south east Wales, in the United Kingdom.
Newport Technical Institute is a Grade II-listed building in the city centre of Newport, Wales.
The coat of arms of Newport is the heraldic emblem of the city of Newport, South Wales. Also known as the Civic Badge, it has been borne by the present Newport City Council since 24 July 1996 following the municipal reorganisation in April that year.
Caerleon Tramroad was an early horse-drawn tramway built in 1794 or 1795 by Nicholas Blannin to link the forge he rented in Caerleon with the Monmouthshire Canal at Clomendy, which is now part of Cwmbran.
The AdmiralCity of Newport Half Marathon is an annual half marathon race held in the Welsh city of Newport, Wales, taking place in March. The event was established in 2013, organised by the charity St. Davids Hospice Care.
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(help)Media related to Newport Town Bridge at Wikimedia Commons