Newport Castle
| Newport Castle | ||
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 Newport Castle, view from the east over the River Usk |
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| Alternative name (s): | Castell Casnewydd | |
| Creation time : | 13th Century | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Geographical location | 51 ° 35 '24.7 " N , 2 ° 59' 37.7" W | |
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Newport Castle ( Welsh Castell Casnewydd ) is a ruined castle in Gwent in Wales . The ruin, classified as a Grade II * cultural monument and protected as a Scheduled Monument , is located on the west bank of the Usk in the center of the city of Newport .
history
The origin of the castle is unclear. Already in the 12th century there was a castle near Newport, which was visited by King Henry II in 1172 . During a siege by Hugh de Audley during the Despenser War , the castle was captured and badly damaged in 1321. Whether the castle was in its current location or on Stow Hill near today's cathedral is disputed. After the final fall of Despenser, Newport fell to de Audley in 1326 and became the center of the new Wentloog rule that had previously belonged to Glamorgan . The parts of the castle still preserved today were built after 1327 and before 1386 by d'Audele or his son-in-law Ralph de Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford . The new castle emphasized the position as an independent rule, but rarely served as a residence, but mainly as an administrative center. During the Glyndŵr Rising , the castle was badly damaged in 1403. Another expansion took place in the second quarter of the 15th century, when the castle was strengthened and embellished after its lord Humphrey Stafford was elevated to Duke of Buckingham. The north wall and the south tower were increased. Towards the end of the 15th century it served as the residence of Jasper Tudor for a short time . After the execution of the 3rd Duke of Buckingham in 1521, the castle was neglected and fell into disrepair. During the English Civil War the castle was occupied again by a royalist garrison. After the civil war, the ruined castle changed hands several times. From 1820, parts of the site were used as a brewery, and other businesses were added later. The western parts of the curtain wall were demolished for this. In 1899 Lord Tredegar acquired the remains of the castle, which he gave to the state in 1930. Security work was carried out on the ruin until the outbreak of war in 1939. Today the ruin is wedged between the river, a road and a railway bridge. The ruin is looked after by Cadw , but cannot be visited due to its poor condition.
investment
The castle was a circular walled castle with several towers on the sides, built of spotty Old Red sandstone . However, only the eastern part on the river has been preserved. In the north is the ruin of a two-story polygonal tower that contained simple residential quarters. Next to the tower are the remains of the palace , which contained the living room, and another room upstairs. In the middle of the complex is the ruin of the once three-story main tower, which contained a gate to the river so that the castle could be supplied directly with boats. The tower was rebuilt in the 15th century and once contained a reception room and presumably a chapel on the top floor. Adjacent to the tower is a narrow 15th-century building that leads to the south tower. The originally two-story tower was raised by one story in the 15th century and contained the lord's comfortable private apartments.
literature
- Elisabeth Whittle: Glamorgan and Gwent. HMSO, London 1992. ISBN 0-11-701221-1 , pp. 143-144
- CE Smith: A new Castle on the Usk. In: Gwent local history, 95 (2003), pp 3-8 ( online available via Welsh Journals Online)
Web links
- Internet presence of the castle near Cadw
- Newport City Council: Newport City Castle
- castles of Wales: Newport Castle
Individual evidence
- ^ British listed Buildings: Newport Castle, Victoria. Retrieved January 2, 2014 .
- ↑ Ancient Monuments: Newport Castle. Retrieved January 2, 2014 .
- ↑ Bob Trett: A history of Newport Castle. Retrieved January 2, 2014 .
- ^ Adrian Pettifer: Welsh Castles. A Guide by Counties . Boydell, Woodbridge 2000, ISBN 978-0-85115-778-8 , p. 134