River Usk Flows through Newport - YouTube River Usk Flows through Newport Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Dec 31, 2006 A view of the mighty River Usk from the George Street Bridge, Newport, Gwent Category Newport Property from UK Agents and Landlords At the last census the population was 145,700 Main Industry Newport's Travel to Work Area incorporates much of south Monmouthshire; the new 2001-based area also includes Cwmbran. The city has three major centres for employment: the city centre, and business parks clustered around the M4 motorway junctions 24 in the east and 28 in the west. Governance Newport has long been the largest town in the historic county of Monmouthshire and became a unitary authority in 1996, although it was also a county borough between 1891 and 1974.

The City of Newport is divided between the UK Parliamentary constituencies of Newport West and Newport East and elects one Member of Parliament (MP) in each constituency. In the National Assembly of Wales Newport is divided into Newport West and Newport East constituencies and elects one Assembly Minister (AM) in each constituency.

Universities Newport is home to one university, the University of South Wales which has a student population of around 30,000 Rivers The River Usk flows through Newport city Primary Airport The closest airport to Newport is Cardiff Airport which is located 30 miles (48km) south west of the city centre Media South Wales Argus (Newspaper), Capital FM South Wales (Radio), Cardiff Bay (Radio) Famous People from Newport Keith Baxter (Actor), Valerie Gearon (Actress), Caroline Sheen (Actress), Lee Kendall (Football), Michael Flynn (Football), John Relish (Football) Sports Newport RFC (Rugby), Newport County (Football), Jamie Roberts (Rugby Union), Chris Wyatt (Rugby Union), Adam Harrison (Cricketer) Twinned Towns Newport is twinned with three towns, these are, Heidenheim (Germany), Kutaisi (Georgia), Guangxi Province (China) Weather The climate in Newport is a moderate temperate climate. Average summer temperatures in Newport range between 20 – 22C with average winter temperatures ranging between 2 – 3C.

Farson Digital Watercams - Hi-def webcam on River Usk, at Usk Website | Email | 01291 673 268 More information Many thanks to Woodside Service Station for facilitating this camera's location.The River Usk (Welsh: Afon Wysg) rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the westernmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially 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. Beyond the eponymous town of Usk it passes the Roman legionary fortress of Caerleon to flow through the heart of Newport and into the Severn estuary at Uskmouth beyond Newport. The Usk has long been a noted salmon and trout fishing river. Salmon of over 30 lb (14 kg) can still be caught.

The river has the highest estimated salmon egg deposition of any river south of Cumbria and the Scottish rivers, and exceeded its spawning target.[when?] The river has recently been rated as the best fly fishing water in Wales for salmon and inside the UK Top Ten. Things to do in South Wales | Days Out | Places to Visit You are here: Counties -> Things to do in South Wales Things to do in South Wales Page Contents Places to visit in South Wales Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower Peninsula The county or area known as South Wales encompasses the two largest cities in Wales, along with the newest city in Wales. South Wales contains old Counties such as Monmouthshire, historic towns like Chepstow, the beautiful countryside of the southern Wye Valley and beauty spots like the Gower Peninsula. The Glamorgan Heritage Coast, a World heritage Site, at Blaenavon and the great musical traditions of the Rhondda Valleys make South Wales a rewarding destination. Chepstow In Chepstow you will find Chepstow Castle , one of Britain's first stone built strongholds. Just across the road from the castle is Chepstow Museum with displays featuring Chepstow's many past industries. North of the town is Tintern Abbey .

Founded in 1131 for the Cistercian monks, it's the best preserved medieval abbey in Wales. It's set in a quiet meadow in a bend of the River Wye. Norman Castle at Chepstow To the west is Caldicot Castle and Country Park . The Norman castle is set in over fifty acres of parkland with a children's activity area, pond dipping station, woodland walks and picnic areas. It's a great place for family outings. Monmouth Monmouth is the county town of old Monmouthshire. With history dating to Roman times and a mix of architecture through the ages, Monmouth is an interesting place. Among its attractions are Monnow Bridge, the only Norman fortified bridge surviving in Britain. Mumbles Pier and Boat House, Swansea The 11th century Castle, birth place of Henry V, is also home to historic Castle House and the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers Museum - the only regiment to have survived from the Militia. In Priory Street there is the Nelson Museum & Local History Centre which is well worth visiting.

Abergavenny The historic market town of Abergavenny is surrounded by the mountains Sugar Loaf, Ysgyryd Fawr and Blorenge, which rise over 1, 500 feet. The town, at the gateway to the Brecon Beacons National Park , is also a starting point for the Heads of the Valleys road running westward to the industrial valleys of South Wales. Abergavenny Museum is set within the ruins of the Norman Castle and tells the story of the town from Prehistoric times to the present day. Dunraven Bay, Glamorgan A short drive south west is Blaenavon Industrial Landscape World Heritage Site. The main focus of the area is Blaenavon Ironworks , where three blast furnaces were operated with steam power. It became one of the largest ironworks in the world. Today it is the best preserved blast furnace complex of its period and type in the world. Castles Galore Nearby is the little known gem White Castle . It's one of a triangle of fortresses built to control a strategic entry point into Wales. A later Castle can be visited at nearby Raglan. Raglan Castle was not built until 1435.

It's the last in a long line of medieval castles. Tintern Abbey The ruins of yet another Norman castle can be found at the picturesque market town of Usk. The river of the same name flows through the town, making it a popular destination for fishing. Housed in an ancient malt barn in the town is Usk Rural life Museum , with exhibits reflecting life in rural Wales between 1850 and the end of World War II. Newport Newport is the newest city in Wales, granted city status in 2002. It's a busy industrial city and seaport on the estuary of the River Usk. The landmark best known in the area is Newport's Transporter bridge. This aerial ferry is a spectacular sight when illuminated at night. St Woolos cathedral dates back to AD800, but has a modern addition at the east end - a mural and window by John Piper. Newport North of Newport is Caerleon Amphitheatre Barracks and Baths , the remains of the Roman legionary fortress of Isca. Dominating its town, the massive 13th century Caerphilly Castle in Caerphilly is the largest castle in Wales.

The town is also renowned for its delicious, crumbly Caerphilly cheese which originated there and is still made today. Climb Caerphilly Mountain for spectacular views of the town and valleys. North of the town is Llancaiach Fawr Manor House , a living museum, where you are shown round by costumed guides re-enacting the life in the manor during the time of the Civil War. Pierhead Building, Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital city of Wales. Once best known as a great seaport, today Cardiff has regenerated its dock land area into an exciting tourist attraction, and many fine new buildings are appearing, such as the home of the Welsh Assembly and the magnificent Millennium Stadium. Cardiff has many attractions to offer, such as Cardiff Castle , The National Museum Cardiff , Techniquest and Castell Coch . Mumbles Lighthouse, Swansea Newport City Footbridge Newport City Footbridge Newport Unlimited on behalf of Welsh Assembly Government Architect Awards Institute of Civil Engineers George Gibby Award, Structural Steel Design Award Newport Unlimited was an urban regeneration company established by Newport City Council and the Welsh Assembly Government. Their city centre masterplan identified the need for improved pedestrian access to the city centre.

The Newport City Footbridge plays a critical part in the city’s accessibility strategy, linking the east and west banks of the River Usk, allowing people to travel quickly and safely between the two. The Newport City Footbridge bridge design was selected in consultation with the local community and through competition promoted in the local daily newspaper, the South Wales Argus. The £5 million bridge was the first stage in Newport’s vision for the creation of a cultural left bank district as a home for the arts and education, a strengthened commercial city centre core with improved retail, business and living opportunities, improved transport systems – including new roads and the renovation of the railway station – plus new housing developments and the creation of riverside walkways and green public spaces. The bridge was the first built element of the master-plan, so it was important for it to be a landmark structure as powerful evidence that the regeneration of the city is underway. Both banks of the River Usk have a history of industrial use that declined over the course of the twentieth century. The bridge is located between two older road bridges, approximately 1km apart, immediately to the east of the commercial centre of Newport. The River Usk flows into the Severn Estuary and has a large tidal range at this point.

The river is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation. It contains protected fish species and otters and is edged with sensitive salt marsh maritime flora. Planning and Design Process Historic context The bridge’s dramatic crane structure provides a symbolic link to the site’s earlier use as a trading wharf. It is also a prominent feature of the city skyline, drawing attention to the river that is hidden from much of the city centre. Urban form Placing the main supports on the west bank also reflects the pronounced change in the urban scale and grain from the commercial heart of the city on the man-made west bank, to the domestic uses and soft landscape on the east side. The deliberate concentration of major structures on the west bank has many practical advantages. The vast majority of temporary and permanent works were kept away from the nearby dwellings on the east bank. Construction work was simplified, with no requirement for any works on the tidal riverbed and avoiding impact on the local river ecology. The existing car park on the west bank also provided an ideal construction site for final assembly of the structural components before installation. Structure The primary supporting structure is of four masts, standing in pairs, which support the 145-metre long bridge deck from the west bank.

The bridge deck loads are transferred to ground level by two 120mm diameter cables which also act as stays for the masts. The deck is five metres wide and 4.1 metres above water at mean high tide level. Construction Atkins and Alfred McAlpine created a lifting and construction sequence which ensured the spectacular masts could be jacked safely into place. The masts were installed in pre-connected pairs, followed by the bridge deck in five elements corresponding to the cable stay support pattern. Final connections to each riverbank were achieved with two pre-cast concrete abutment units. Materials In addition to the structural steel, the bridge includes nearly three kilometres of stainless steel wire. With a load bearing capacity to carry 2,000 people, the structure includes 20 tonnes of dampers to prevent vertical and lateral oscillation. The masts are constructed from rolled and welded sheet steel and ‘fixed’ in mountings with 450mm long stainless steel pins weighing 500kg each. The bridge has a design life of 120 years. Sustainability Outcomes Ecology The River Usk is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation.

Listed for its flora and fauna, the Usk contains protected fish species, and otters and is edged with sensitive salt marsh maritime flora. Therefore the bridge had to avoid damage to the local river ecology. Habitat protection A key early design decision was to avoid the installation of any temporary works in the river. This not only combated safety risks but also avoided damage to the wildlife habitat. It was also important to minimise expenditure on temporary works to maximise the budget available for permanent works. This strategic decision immediately ruled out an arch and led to an exploration of masted and cable-stayed structures. Comisiwn Dylunio Cymru Design Commission for Wales is the trading name of DCFW LIMITED a Private Limited Company No: 04391072 incorporated in England and Wales as a wholly controlled subsidiary of the Welsh Government. Registered Office: 4th Floor, Cambrian Buildings, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff CF10 5FL. T 029 2045 1964 E connect@dcfw.org . Welsh Peninsula | Article about Welsh Peninsula by The Free Dictionary Welsh Peninsula | Article about Welsh Peninsula by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Wikipedia .

Wales, Welsh Cymru, western peninsula and political division (principality) of Great Britain (2011 pop. 3,063,456), 8,016 sq mi (20,761 sq km), west of England; politically united with England since 1536. The capital is Cardiff. Wales is bounded by the Irish Sea (N), by the Bristol Channel (S), by the English unitary authority of Chester West and Chester and counties of Shropshire Shropshire , county (1991 pop. 401,600), 1,348 sq mi (3,491 sq km), W England; administratively, Shropshire is a unitary authority (since 2009). It is also sometimes called Salop. The adminstrative center is Shrewsbury. ..... Click the link for more information. , Herefordshire Herefordshire, county, 842 sq mi (2,181 sq km), W central England, on the Welsh border; adminstratively, it is a unitary authority (since 1998).

Herefordshire has an undulating terrain, which reaches its greatest height in the Black Mts. and Malvern Hills. ..... Click the link for more information. , and Gloucestershire Gloucestershire , county (1991 pop. 520,600), 1,025 sq mi (2,655 sq km), W central England. The county seat is Gloucester. Administratively, the county is divided into six districts: Forest of Dean, Stroud, Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, and Cotswold. ..... Click the link for more information. (E), and by Cardigan Bay and St. George's Channel (W). Across the Menai Strait is the Welsh island of Anglesey Anglesey or Anglesea , island and county (1985 est. pop. 68,800), 278 sq mi (719 sq km), NW Wales. Beaumaris is the chief town. It is a region of low, rolling hills. The principal industries are agriculture and stock raising. ..... Click the link for more information. . Land and People The Cambrian Mts.

cover most of Wales, with high points at Snowdon Snowdon, Welsh Yr Wyddfa, highest mountain of Wales, 3,560 ft (1,085 m) high, Gwynedd, NW Wales. Its five peaks are separated by passes. There is a rack and pinion railway (opened 1896) from Llanberis to the summit. ..... Click the link for more information. (3,560 ft/1,085 m), Plynlimon Plynlimon or Plinlimon , Welsh Plumlumon Fawr, mountain, 2,468 ft (752 m) high, W Wales, on the Powys-Ceredigion border W of Llanidloes. It has three summits and is the source of the Wye, Severn, and other waters. ..... Click the link for more information. (2,468 ft/752 m), and Cadair Idris (2,970 ft/905 m). The eastern rivers—the Dee, Severn, and Wye—drain into England.

The Usk flows through Monmouthshire and Newport into the Bristol Channel. The Tywi (Towy), Taff, Teifi, Dovey (Dyfi), and Conwy (Conway) rivers lie completely in Wales. The eastern boundary, drawn in 1536, united England and Wales politically but disregarded cultural and linguistic distribution. Welsh-speaking areas were added to England's Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Gloucestershire; the language survived in Herefordshire until the 18th cent. and survives to a small extent in Shropshire today. Wales has maintained a distinctive culture despite its long union with England, though English has become the main language. In the 1990s about 25% of the population spoke Welsh, although in certain regions the percentage was much higher.

Wales comprises 22 administrative divisions (unitary authorities): Flintshire, Wrexham, Denbighshire, Conwy, the Isle of Anglesey, Gwynedd, Powys, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, the Vale of Glamorgan, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil, Cardiff, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Newport, and Monmouthshire. Economy N Wales is characterized by farms and pastoral highlands. There had been some industrial development around the coal fields centered on Wrexham, but the fields have largely been closed. The coastal towns of the Lleyn Peninsula (Gwynedd) are tourist and vacation centers for N England's industrial cities. The industrial wealth of Wales is concentrated in the southern counties bordering on the Bristol Channel. This area has large steelworks ( Port Talbot Port Talbot , town (1981 pop. 40,078), Neath Port Talbot, S Wales, at the mouth of the Avon (Afan) River on Swansea Bay.

Port Talbot is a popular seaside resort. Nearby are the steelworks at Margam and the oil refinery at Baglan. ..... Click the link for more information. ), oil refineries ( Milford Haven Milford Haven, Welsh Aberdaugleddau, town (1981 pop. 13,883), Pembrokeshire, SW Wales. It is a seaport on the northern side of the estuary called Milford Haven. The bay forms a natural harbor that can handle large oil and liquefied natural gas tankers, making the town a ..... Click the link for more information. ), tinplate and copper foundries, and the once-rich S Wales coal fields. The southeast also has the greatest concentration of investment in Britain, predominantly in electronics. Other important industrial cities and ports are Newport Newport, Welsh Casnewydd, city and unitary authority (1991 pop. 129,900), 74 sq mi (191 sq km), SE Wales, on the Usk River. Lumber, tea, automobiles, electronics, semiconductors, and aircraft are made; steel and various other metals, paper, and chemicals are manufactured. .....

Click the link for more information. , Cardiff Cardiff , Welsh Caerdydd, city and county (1998 est. pop. 320,900), S Wales, on the Taff River near its mouth on the Bristol Channel. Cardiff is the capital of Wales and an important port. Until the early 20th cent. ..... Click the link for more information. , Swansea Swansea , Welsh Abertawe, city (1981 pop. 172,433) and county, 146 sq mi (378 sq km), S Wales. Located on Swansea Bay at the mouth of the Tawe River, the city of Swansea is a metallurgical center with sheet-metal mills, foundries, and smelting works. ..... Click the link for more information. , and Tenby. The labor force has tended to drift into the southern industrial areas, leaving the north sparsely populated. With the decline of the coal industry, the Welsh economy has become increasingly reliant on consumer electronics, automotive parts, chemicals, and tourism, information technology, and other service-related industries. History Welsh tradition stretches back into prehistory (see Celt Celt or Kelt .

1 One who speaks a Celtic language or who derives ancestry from an area where a Celtic language was spoken; i.e., one from Ireland, the Scottish Hebrides and Highlands, the Isle of Man, Wales, Cornwall, or Brittany. ..... Click the link for more information. ; Great Britain Great Britain, officially United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, constitutional monarchy (2011 pop. 63,181,775), 94,226 sq mi (244,044 sq km), on the British Isles, off W Europe. The country is often referred to simply as Britain. ..... Click the link for more information. ). In the first centuries A.D., Celtic-speaking clans of shepherds, farmers, and forest dwellers defended their homes against Roman invaders, who penetrated the north to found Segontium (near Caernarvon) and the south to found Maridunum (now Carmarthen). But the Roman effect upon Wales was light, and Welsh clans continued to dominate large areas of Great Britain, north to the Clyde and the Firth of Forth and south past the Bristol Channel into present Somerset, Devonshire, and Cornwall.

They were converted to Christianity by Celtic monks, notably St. David David, Saint, d.588?, patron saint of Wales, first abbot of Menevia (present-day Saint David's). He apparently established a strict rule and was a zealous missionary, founding 12 monasteries. ..... Click the link for more information. . Although the Anglo-Saxon conquest of E Britain (late 5th cent.) did not seriously affect the Welsh, the invaders did thrust between the main body of Welsh and those south of the Bristol Channel (who nevertheless maintained their national identity for centuries). Border wars were chronic between the Welsh and the seven English kingdoms known as the heptarchy. The sturdy Welsh fighters, who took the name Cymry [compatriots], withstood the forces of the kings of Mercia Mercia , one of the kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England, consisting generally of the region of the Midlands. It was settled by Angles c.500, probably first along the Trent valley. ..... Click the link for more information. and Wessex Wessex , one of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in England.

It may have been settled as early as 495 by Saxons under Cerdic, who is reputed to have landed in Hampshire. Cerdic's grandson, Ceawlin (560–93), annexed scattered Saxon settlements in the Chiltern Hills and drove the ..... Click the link for more information. and later the harrying of the Norsemen. The disparate clans of pastoral people gradually coalesced. Hywel Dda, king of Wales in the mid-10th cent., collected Welsh law and custom into a unified code. At the same time the position of the bard bard, in Wales, term originally used to refer to the order of minstrel-poets who composed and recited the poems that celebrated the feats of Celtic chieftains and warriors. The term bard in present-day usage has become synonymous with poet, particularly a revered poet. ..... Click the link for more information. , which was later to yield a wealth of poetry, music, and learning, was formalized. Defense of the besieged hills went on, and Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Gruffydd ap Llywelyn or Llewelyn , d.

1063, ruler of Wales (1039–63). A series of campaigns against other Welsh princes made him the ruler of virtually all Wales. ..... Click the link for more information. , the ruler of Wales, maintained Welsh independence until his death in 1063. English Incursion to Union William I of England tried to deal with the Welsh by setting up border earldoms to protect his newly won kingdom from their incursions. The power of the border earls (see Welsh Marches Welsh Marches, lands in Wales along the English border. After the Norman conquest of England in the 11th cent., William I established the border earldoms of Chester, Shrewsbury, and Hereford to protect his English kingdom. ..... Click the link for more information. ) grew steadily, and Wales was increasingly threatened with English conquest, although Welsh foot soldiers, moving swiftly and secretly over the mountain paths, resisted through 200 years of guerrilla warfare. When the English made inroads in the north, Rhys ap Tewdr held sway in the south, and only after his death (1093) did the Anglo-Norman barons take full possession of the Vale of Glamorgan.

Dissension within England in the early 12th cent. relaxed pressure on the Welsh princes, and medieval Welsh culture approached its full blossom (see eisteddfod eisteddfod [Welsh,=session], Welsh competitive festival. Contests traditionally are held in all the arts and crafts, with special emphasis on music and poetry. The National Eisteddfod is held annually for one week in August, alternately in the north and the south, but local ..... Click the link for more information. ; Mabinogion Mabinogion , title given to a collection of medieval Welsh stories. Scholars differ as to the meaning of the word mabinogion: some think it to be the plural of the Welsh word mabinogi, which means "youthful career"; others think it derives from the Welsh word ..... Click the link for more information. ). Nevertheless, although invasions from England were repeatedly thwarted and although Llywelyn ap Iorwerth Llywelyn or Llewelyn ap Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great), 1173–1240, Welsh prince; grandson of Owain Gwynedd. ..... Click the link for more information. (d.

1240) united the Welsh and gained power by skillfully intervening in the troubled English affairs of King John, the end was certain. During the reign of Llywelyn's grandson, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Llywelyn or Llewelyn ap Gruffydd , d. 1282, Welsh prince, grandson of Llywelyn ap Iorwerth. He succeeded (1246) his uncle, David II, as ruler of North Wales and in 1247, with his brother Owen as coruler, did homage to ..... Click the link for more information. , English conquest of Wales was finally accomplished by Edward I in 1282. The Statute of Rhuddlan (1284) established English rule. To placate Welsh sentiment, Edward had his son (later Edward II), who had been born at Caernarvon Castle, made prince of Wales in 1301; thus originated the English custom of entitling the king's eldest son prince of Wales. Changes in Welsh life, although few, included a gradual cultural decline and the growth of market towns through trade with England. Wool became a staple source of revenue.

The Norman barons were left undisturbed in their marcher lordships. Early in the 15th cent. Owen Glendower Owen Glendower , Welsh Owain Glyndwr, 1359?–1416?, Welsh national leader. A scion of the princes of Powys, he was also claimant through his mother to the lands of Rhys ap Gruffydd; he was thus one of the most powerful lords in Wales. ..... Click the link for more information. led a revolt that had a brief but amazing success, and Welsh leaders continued to seek advantage from disturbances in the domestic affairs of their conquerors. Henry VII Henry VII, 1457–1509, king of England (1485–1509) and founder of the Tudor dynasty. Claim to the Throne Henry was the son of Edmund Tudor, earl of Richmond, who died before Henry was born, and Margaret Beaufort, a descendant of Edward III through John ..... Click the link for more information. , the first Tudor king, who ascended the English throne in 1485, was the grandson of Owen Tudor Tudor, Owen, d.

1461, founder of the Tudor dynasty. He belonged to an ancient Welsh family. He was a squire at the court of Henry V, and, probably in 1429, he married Henry's widow, Catherine of Valois, by whom he had five children. ..... Click the link for more information. , a Welshman. Tudor policy toward Wales was one of assimilation on a basis of equality. Welsh lands, including the marches, were converted into shires, and primogeniture primogeniture, in law, the rule of inheritance whereby land descends to the oldest son. Under the feudal system of medieval Europe, primogeniture generally governed the inheritance of land held in military tenure (see feudalism; knight). ..... Click the link for more information. replaced the old Welsh system of tenure (see gavelkind gavelkind [M.E.,=family tenure], custom of inheritance of lands held in socage tenure, whereby all the sons of a holder of an estate in land share equally in such lands upon the death of the father. ..... Click the link for more information. ). Leading Welsh families held their lands from the king; the others became leaseholders and tenants after the English pattern.

The feudal aristocracy became versed in English manners and were received at the English court. Thus a deep breach, fostered by economic inequality, opened between landlord and tenant and remained unhealed for centuries. A judicial council of Wales, dating from the 15th cent., enhanced royal authority. The Act of Union (1536) and supplementary legislation completed the process of administrative assimilation by abolishing all Welsh customary law at variance with the English and by establishing English as the language of all legal proceedings. Welsh representatives entered the English Parliament; from 1536 onward, the separate history of Wales was mainly religious and cultural. Seventeenth to Nineteenth Centuries The Reformation came belatedly to Wales. Catholic tradition died slowly under Elizabeth I and James I; Puritanism was stoutly resisted, and the Welsh supported Charles I in the English civil war English civil war, 1642–48, the conflict between King Charles I of England and a large body of his subjects, generally called the "parliamentarians," that culminated in the defeat and execution of the king and the establishment of a republican commonwealth. ..... Click the link for more information. .

Oliver Cromwell had to use oppressive measures to get the Welsh to adopt Puritan practices. In the 18th cent. Wales turned rapidly from the Established Church to dissent with strong Calvinist leanings. This was accompanied by great advances in the field of popular education, which attained unusually high standards. Welsh evangelicism had links with the English movement but was actually a native development. The Calvinistic Methodist Church Calvinistic Methodist Church, Protestant Christian denomination, closely allied to Presbyterianism. It originated in Wales (1735–36) with the evangelistic preaching of Howell Harris, Daniel Rowlands, and others. ..... Click the link for more information. gathered in great numbers of Welsh from the Church of England and bolstered Welsh nationalism, one of the most successful nonpolitical nationalist movements of the world. The strong hold of evangelical Protestantism on Wales was to make the establishment of the Church of England there the dominant question in Welsh politics in the later 19th cent.; one of the last acts of Parliament that applied to Wales alone was the disestablishment of the church in 1914. Long before that time the tenor and tempo of Welsh life had been changed by the Industrial Revolution.

The mineral wealth of Wales was opened to exploitation, at first in the north, then in the rich coal fields of the south. The accent shifted from the sheep walks and farms to the coal pits and factories. By the early 19th cent. the effects of industrialization threatened both cottage industry and agriculture. The distress of rural Wales was dramatically evidenced in the Rebecca Riots of 1843, when poor farmers destroyed toll booths, and in the emigration of large numbers of Welshmen, many to the United States. Numerous company towns sprang up in S Wales, which by the late 19th cent. was the world's chief coal-exporting region. With the benefits of industrialization, however, came poverty and unemployment, which intensified in the years of economic decline following World War I, particularly in the late 1920s and the 1930s. Twentieth Century Although Welsh interests had spokesmen in the British government in the early 20th cent.—the flamboyant David Lloyd George Lloyd George, David, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor , 1863–1945, British statesman, of Welsh extraction. .....

Click the link for more information. and the Welsh supporters of the Liberal party—chronic poverty and increasing unemployment continued almost unchecked until World War II. After the wartime industrial boom the Labour government, which drew substantial support from the socialist stronghold of S Wales, undertook a full-scale program of industrial redevelopment. This included reorganization of the coal mines and tinplate manufacture under government control, introduction of diversified industry, and improvement of communications, housing, and technical education. These actions did not save the coal industry; most of the mines in Wales have been closed, and the few remaining ones have been privatized. As in earlier days, Welsh nationalism has undergone a revival since the mid-20th cent., with a special interest in education and the arts. The modern National Eisteddfod perpetuates interest in Welsh language, poetry, and choral music. Since 1944, primary and secondary schools have been established with Welsh as the sole language of instruction. A Welsh-language television channel opened in 1982, and there are several Welsh arts, opera, and literature councils on the national level (see also Welsh literature Welsh literature, literary writings in the Welsh language.

Early Works The earliest Welsh literature is preserved in about half a dozen manuscripts written with one exception after the 12th cent. ..... Click the link for more information. ). In 1979, Welsh voters decisively defeated a British proposal for limited home rule, but in 1997 they narrowly passed a referendum to establish a 60-member assembly. Elections were held in 1999, with the Labour party winning the most seats and forming a coalition with the Liberal Democrats. Labour formed a government alone after the 2003 vote, in coalition with the nationalist Plaid Cymru after the 2007 vote, and alone after the 2011 and 2016 votes. Parliamentary legislation passed in 2006 and effective in mid-2007 allowed the assembly to enact laws for Wales, subject to approval from the British parliament, in areas in which the assembly has devolved responsibilities. In 2011 voters approved increased legislative powers for the assembly, allowing it to act independently of Parliament in areas for which it is responsible. Bibliography See J. Rhys and D. B.

Jones, The Welsh People (1906, repr. 1969); A. H. Williams, An Introduction to the History of Wales (2 vol., 1962); K. O. Morgan, Wales in British Politics 1868–1922 (1963), Rebirth of a Nation: Wales, 1880–1980 (1981), and Modern Wales: Politics, Places, People (1996); W. Davies, Wales in the Early Middle Ages (1982); D. Smith, Wales! Wales? (1984); J. Davies, A History of Wales (1993, repr. 1995); A. D. Carr, Medieval Wales (1995). Wales a peninsula in western Great Britain, bounded to the south by the Bristol Channel, to the north by the Irish Sea, and to the west by Cardigan Bay and St. George’s Channel. It has a jagged coastline and predominantly ingressive and rocky shores.

Most of the territory is occupied by the Cambrian Mountains, which rise to 1,085 m on Mount Snowdon. In the south lies the South Wales Coalfield. The climate is temperate and maritime, with mean temperatures of 5°–6°C in January and 15°–17°C in July. The plains receive 750–1,500 mm of precipitation annually and the mountains more than 2,500 mm in places. Peat bogs, meadows, and heaths cover the summits, and broad-leaved forests of oak, beech, and ash are found on the plains and foothills. The Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia national parks are on the peninsula. Wales an administrative and political subdivision of Great Britain, occupying the peninsula of Wales and the adjacent island of Anglesey. Wales has an area of 20,800 sq km and a population of 2.7 million (1973). The capital is Cardiff.

Under the administrative reform of 1973–75, Wales was divided into eight counties: Clwyd, Gwynedd, Dyfed, Powys, Gwent, Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan, and West Glamorgan. The indigenous inhabitants, called Welshmen, have preserved their national identity and culture and to some extent their native language, which has largely given way to English in the north and south. Economy. The economic development of South Wales, an important industrial region and Great Britain’s ferrous metallurgy center, is linked with the South Wales Coalfield. The leading branches of industry in the south are coal mining (chiefly around Rhondda), ferrous metallurgy (Port Talbot, Newport, Llanelly, Cardiff, Ebbw Vale), nonferrous metallurgy (Swansea, Llanelly), oil refining (Llandarcy, Milford Haven, Pembroke, Barry), and the manufacture of petrochemicals and chemicals (Baglan Bay, Barry). The economy of North Wales, less developed industrially, rests on coal mining, ferrous metallurgy (Shotton), chemical manufacture, and machine building.

In the predominantly agricultural central and western parts of Wales sheep and cattle are raised in the mountainous areas and crops are cultivated in the coastal lowlands. Historical survey. The oldest settlements in Wales date from the third millennium B.C

Question: What river flows through the Welsh city of Newport?
Answer: USK