page_title: Newnham on Severn
section_title: Governance
hierarchical_section_title: Newnham on Severn / Governance
caption_attribution_description: English: This exceptionally good example of William Turner's work complements a number of fine English landscapes already in the Museum's collection. It is also of local topographical interest as a detailed view of the Vale of Gloucester.
context_page_description: Newnham or Newnham on Severn is a village in west Gloucestershire, England. It lies in the Royal Forest of Dean, on the west bank of the River Severn, approximately 10 miles south-west of Gloucester and three miles southeast of Cinderford. It is on the A48 road between Gloucester and Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales. The village has a parish council.
  A parish church was established in the 14th century, and in 1366 a new church building was built on the high ground of the village as the old one faced erosion from the river. The new building has itself been damaged by a gunpowder explosion in 1644 during the English Civil War and a fire in 1881, but is still in use.
  Because of Newnham's location on the Severn, the Ancient Romans built three roads through the location, where they forded the river. The Anglo-Saxons established a permanent settlement, the Normans built a motte-and-bailey fortification for defence, and in medieval times it became a major port with links around Great Britain and Ireland. In 1171, Henry II of England staged an invasion of Ireland from Newnham. One account claimed that he set sail with 400 ships and 5,000 men, which suggests its importance as a port.
context_section_description: The civil parish is part of Newnham and Westbury electoral ward. This ward starts in the north at Westbury-on-Severn and then follows the River Severn to Newnham. The total population of the ward taken at the 2011 census was 3,088.
caption: Newnham-on-Severn from Dean Hill by William Turner of Oxford acquired for Gloucester City Museum & Art Gallery in 1977 with help from The Art Fund.
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