Things to see and do Newport (Casnewydd)

The National Museum of the Roman Legion is located inside the remains of the fortress, built in 75 AD and which protected the region for more than 200 years. Caerleon was then known as "Isca". We discover the history of the powerful Roman Empire through reconstructions and the exhibition of objects resulting from archaeological excavations, bringing together weapons and domestic objects. An interesting and free visit!

The best preserved Roman amphitheatre in the country, built around 90 AD and now covered by grass. The arena was oval in shape, with eight entrances. Up to 6,000 spectators gathered on the stands more than 2,000 years ago to watch gladiatorial battles. The remains of the baths built for the soldiers who arrived around 74 AD consisted of rooms for hot and cold baths, exercise rooms, an open-air swimming pool...

This small tourist information point, which also doubles as a museum store, provides tourist information on the region. If you have any questions or are looking for specific information, you'll find a warm and friendly welcome. The site also provides a wealth of comprehensive, practical information on places to visit, restaurants, hotels and activities (golf, children's activities, walking and cycling routes, etc.).

The foundation of this site as a holy place dates back to the 5th century. A stone church, built as early as the 9th century on this hill overlooking the town, bears witness to the important cult of St. Gwynllyw, the site's founder. "Woolos" is the Anglicism of the name of a Welsh nobleman who converted to Christianity after a divine vision. Remains of these earliest stones can be seen in the chapel at the west end of the cathedral. But most of the building was destroyed in the 15th century by the Welsh prince Owain Glyndwr, leader of his people's revolt for independence... The decapitated statue of Jasper Tudor, who helped rebuild the building after Owain's death, can be seen on the west facade and bears witness to the turbulent civil war.

Miraculously, some fine Romanesque arches remain in the cathedral's nave from these repeated assaults. A plaque commemorating the Chartists was also installed here. (Chartism was a British workers' emancipation movement of the mid-19th century. For more info, see the Pontypool page) The cathedral's website is also very instructive, since as well as providing information on the cathedral itself, it gives a chronology of the evolution of religion in the country. We learn, for example, that Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited the cathedral in 1962, and that restoration of the medieval roof was completed in 2017.

It's a handsome ^17th-century red-brick manor house, once home to the wealthy Morgan family. Move from room to room to discover, through reconstructions of interiors and genre scenes, what life might have been like for a bourgeois family of the time and its servants. Don't miss the gilded salon and the cedar cabinet with its fragrant panelling. You can visit the vast 36-hectare gardens, some of whose original features are still visible, such as geometric flowerbeds and a superb wrought-iron gate.

This cultural centre has a gallery that exhibits current artists, a cinema and a theatre. There are outdoor sculptures. The most famous is Peter Fink's, entitled Steel Wave: an imposing wave of steel breaking on the dock... which is not unanimously accepted! It evokes the industrial past of the port and the importance of metallurgy in the development of the city. On the way out, don't miss the discreet Deux Ex Machina, a human profile directed by Sebastien Boyeson that invites the viewer to live an amazing optical experience....

The museum houses an important collection of antiquities. One section is devoted to archaeology, tracing the passage of various peoples through these parts over the past 2,500 years. Artefacts from the Romans, Vikings and Normans can be found here.

The Natural History Museum has a highly developed geological section and a section devoted to zoology, with a fine taxonomic selection of seabirds.

Another gallery is devoted to the history of the town and its inhabitants during the industrial period. On display are domestic accessories from 200 years ago and documentation on the town's economic and social life. Of particular interest is the section devoted to the construction of the Transporter Bridge, with the engineer's original plans and impressive photographs of the building site, tracing the stages of its construction. The Transporter Bridge is a 197-meter-long, 74-meter-high metal bridge for pedestrians and vehicles. Opened on September 12, 1906, it was designed by French engineer Ferdinand Arnodin. It has been closed several times over long periods for renovation.

The museum takes great care to be as didactic as possible. A must-see if you're in Newport.

And don't forget to visit the Art Gallery, devoted to the visual arts: it boasts a fine collection of decorative ceramics, with some very colorful works!

A visit to the mosaics is a fun way to discover the city's history.

Starting from the docks on Bristol Packet Wharf, you can discover a circular mosaic on the ground symbolizing the trading connections between Newport and Blaenavon, the main coal-mining center in the south of the country.

Then stroll down Commercial Street towards High Street, where you'll pass the covered market hall. On the traffic circle behind it, you'll discover a colorful mosaic of a flower market. Its naïve character, proliferation of flowers and vivid colors are reminiscent of the frescoes by Mexican artist Diego Rivera. Opposite, the Old Green Mural depicts the transportation routes (canals, railroads, etc.) without which the city's commercial development would have been impossible.

A little further out, in the Civic Centre on Fields Road, you'll also find a fresco, this time painted. It illustrates the history of Newport, from its foundations to 1964. Created by Hans Feibusch in the 1960s, its triptych structure and the high quality of its composition and colors make it one of his most accomplished works.

New mosaics have recently been added to St Paul's Walk, paying tribute to women, particularly during the First World War. These include 8 women who left their mark on the history of the region during the war and who recently passed away.

In 1799, fourteen locks were built on the banks of the Brecon Canal to link Newport to the vast mineral transport network. Today, this work of hydraulic engineering is the subject of a rehabilitation plan. The reservoirs and former locks, now overgrown with vegetation, are lined with trees and green spaces. People come here for picnics and walks. A visitor center tells us more about the history of this transportation route.

This ferry bridge, theonly one of its kind in Great Britain, was inaugurated in 1906. Its particular metal structure is explained by the fact that, since the banks of the Usk River are very low, the construction of a standard bridge would have made it impossible for boats to pass through. Towers 75 metres high have therefore been built and instead of crossing the bridge by rolling or walking, we drive on a platform dragged underneath the bridge structure! It can support a maximum of six cars at a time and 120 passengers.