Newport, Gwent, Town Defences (The Gatehouse Record)

Newport, Gwent, Town Defences

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Casnewydd; Novus Burgus

In the community of Allt-yr-yn.
In the historic county of Monmouthshire.
Modern authority of Newport.
Preserved county of Gwent.

OS Map Grid Reference: ST304883
Latitude 51.58793° Longitude -2.99668°

Newport, Gwent, Town Defences has been described as a certain Urban Defence.

There are no visible remains.

Description

John Leland enumerated three gates in the 1530's; the East Gate by the bridge; the North Gate above the castle: and the West Gate which stood at the junction of Commercial Street and Stow Hill, but he curiously added that he 'marked not whyther ye were waulled or no'. Obviously all traces had already disappeared and the total absence of remains at this relatively early date suggest that the town was not walled in stone and was defended only by an earthen bank with perhaps an outer ditch, only the gates being masonry structures. The early plans add nothing to our knowledge of this subject, although Coxe states that the borough was walled. (Soulsby)

Comments

Clearly had gates, but the suggestion of an embankment is highly speculative (c.f. Beverley, Yorkshire)

Sources of information, references and further reading

The National Monument Record (Coflein) number(s) for this site is/are 300110.
The County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) for this site is/are 00227g.

Books
- Salter, Mike, 2013, Medieval Walled Towns (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 178
  Hopkins, T., 2008, 'The Towns' in R. Griffiths, T. Hopkins and R. Howell (eds), The Gwent County History (Cardiff: University of Wales Press) Vol. 2 The Age of the Marcher Lords, c. 1070-1536 p. 115-141
  Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p. 27, 37, 204, 273
  Salter, Mike, 1991, The Castles of Gwent, Glamorgan and Gower (Malvern) p. 25
  Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds), Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report 61) p. 92-116 online copy
  Soulsby, Ian, 1983, The Towns of Medieval Wales (Phillimore; Chichester) p. 202-6
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 290
  Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co) p. 245
  Coxe, W., 1801, An Historical Tour in Monmouthshire (London) Vol. 1 p. 66
Periodical Articles
- Trett, B., 2009, 'A topographical survey of medieval Newport' Monmouthshire Antiquarian Vol. 25/26 p. 53-84
  Trett, B., 2007, 'Did Newport have a town wall?' S.O.S.: the Newsletter of the Friends of the Newport Ship Vol. 11 p. 6-8 online copy
  Creighton, Oliver, 2006, ''Castles of Communities': Medieval Town Defences in England; Wales and Gascony' Château Gaillard Vol. 22 p. 75-86
  Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 116 p. 71-132
Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
- Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1906, Leland's Itinerary in Wales (Bell and Sons; London) p. 14 online copy

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This record last updated before 1 February 2016

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