1.
Caerleon
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The city of Chester was also historically called Caerleon. For the champion racehorse, see Caerleon II Caerleon is a town and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport. Caerleon is a site of importance, being the location of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta. The Wales National Roman Legion Museum and Roman Baths Museum are in Caerleon close to the remains of Isca Augusta, Caerleon is a site of considerable archaeological importance as the location of a Roman legionary fortress or castra. It was the headquarters for Legio II Augusta from about 75 to 300 AD, the Romans called the site Isca after the River Usk. The name Caerleon may derive from the Welsh for fortress of the legion, substantial excavated Roman remains can be seen, including the military amphitheatre, thermae and barracks occupied by the Roman Legion. In August 2011 the remains of a Roman harbour were discovered in Caerleon, according to Gildas, followed by Bede, Roman Caerleon was the site of two early Christian martyrdoms, those of Julius and Aaron. Recent finds suggest Roman occupation of some kind as late as AD380, Roman remains have also been discovered at The Mynde, itself a distinctive historical site. During the Middle Ages, after the Romans had left Britain, the parish church, St Cadocs was founded on the site of the legionary headquarters building probably sometime in the 6th century. A Norman-style motte and bailey castle was built outside the eastern corner of the old Roman fort, probably by the Welsh Lord of Caerleon and it was held in 1086 by Turstin FitzRolf, standard bearer to William the Conqueror at Hastings. From the apparent banishment of Turstin by William II, it was held from 1088 by Wynebald de Ballon, battles raged between the Welsh and Normans and in 1171 Iorwerth ab Owain and his two sons destroyed the town of Caerleon and burned the Castle. Caerleon was an important market and port and presumably became a borough by 1171, both castle and borough were seized by William Marshal in 1217 and Caerleon castle was rebuilt in stone. The remains of many of the old Roman buildings stood to some height until this time and were demolished for their building materials. During the Welsh Revolt in 1402 Rhys Gethin, General for Owain Glyndŵr, took Caerleon Castle together with those of Newport, Cardiff, Llandaff, Abergavenny, Caerphilly, the Tower is a Grade II* listed building. Across the Afon Lwyd from Caerleon, in the region of Penrhos Farm, are two English Civil War forts, in 1648 Oliver Cromwells troops camped overnight on Christchurch Hill, overlooking Newport, before their attack on Newport Castle the next day. The old wooden Caerleon Bridge was destroyed in a storm in 1779, until the Victorian development of the downstream docks at Newport Docks, Caerleon acted as the major port on the River Usk. The wharf was located on the bank, to the west of todays river bridge which marked the limit of navigability for masted ships. A tinplate works and mills were established on the outskirts of the town, in Ponthir, around this time, a plaque on the Mynde wall in High Street references the Newport Rising of 1839 in which John Frost of Newport was a prominent figure in the Chartist movement
2.
Newport, Wales
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Newport is a cathedral and university city and unitary authority area in south east Wales. It is located on the River Usk close to its confluence with the Severn Estuary, at the 2011 census it is the third largest city in Wales, with a city population of 145,700 and an urban population of 306,844. The city forms part of the Cardiff-Newport metropolitan area with a population of 1,097,000, Newport has been a port since medieval times, when the first Newport Castle was built by the Normans. The town outgrew the earlier Roman town of Caerleon, immediately upstream and it grew significantly in the 19th century, when its port became the focus of coal exports from the eastern valleys of South Wales. Until the rise of Cardiff from the 1850s, Newport was Wales largest coal-exporting port and it was the site of the last large-scale armed insurrection in Britain, the Newport Rising of 1839 led by the Chartists. During the 20th century, when the docks declined in importance and it was granted city status in 2002. Newport hosted the Ryder Cup in 2010, the city was the venue for the 2014 NATO summit. It is the largest urban area within the county boundaries of Monmouthshire. The City of Newport, which includes surrounding rural areas as well as the built up area, is governed by Newport City Council. Bronze Age fishermen settled around the estuary of the River Usk. In AD75, on the edge of their empire. According to legend, in the late 5th century Saint Woolos church was founded by Saint Gwynllyw, the church was certainly in existence by the 9th century and today has become Newport Cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of Monmouth. The Normans arrived from around 1088–1093 to build the first Newport Castle and river crossing downstream from Caerleon, the settlement of Newport is first mentioned as novo burgus established by Robert, Earl of Gloucester in 1126. The name was derived from the original Latin name Novus Burgus, the city can sometimes be found labelled as Newport-on-Usk on old maps. The original Welsh language name for the city, Casnewydd-ar-Wysg means New castle-on-Usk, the original Newport Castle was a small motte-and-bailey castle in the park opposite Newport Cathedral. It was buried in rubble excavated from the Hillfield railway tunnels that were dug under Stow Hill in the 1840s and no part of it is currently visible. Around the settlement, the new town grew to become Newport, obtaining its first charter in 1314 and was granted a second one, by Hugh Stafford, in the 14th century friars came to Newport where they built an isolation hospital for infectious diseases. After its closure the hospital lived on in the place name Spitty Fields, austin Friars also remains a street name in the city
3.
Wales
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Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, and it had a population in 2011 of 3,063,456 and has a total area of 20,779 km2. Wales has over 1,680 miles of coastline and is mountainous, with its higher peaks in the north and central areas, including Snowdon. The country lies within the temperate zone and has a changeable. Welsh national identity emerged among the Celtic Britons after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century, Llywelyn ap Gruffudds death in 1282 marked the completion of Edward I of Englands conquest of Wales, though Owain Glyndŵr briefly restored independence to Wales in the early 15th century. The whole of Wales was annexed by England and incorporated within the English legal system under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542, distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century. Welsh Liberalism, exemplified in the early 20th century by Lloyd George, was displaced by the growth of socialism, Welsh national feeling grew over the century, Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925 and the Welsh Language Society in 1962. Established under the Government of Wales Act 1998, the National Assembly for Wales holds responsibility for a range of devolved policy matters, two-thirds of the population live in south Wales, mainly in and around Cardiff, Swansea and Newport, and in the nearby valleys. Now that the countrys traditional extractive and heavy industries have gone or are in decline, Wales economy depends on the sector, light and service industries. Wales 2010 gross value added was £45.5 billion, over 560,000 Welsh language speakers live in Wales, and the language is spoken by a majority of the population in parts of the north and west. From the late 19th century onwards, Wales acquired its popular image as the land of song, Rugby union is seen as a symbol of Welsh identity and an expression of national consciousness. The Old English-speaking Anglo-Saxons came to use the term Wælisc when referring to the Celtic Britons in particular, the modern names for some Continental European lands and peoples have a similar etymology. The modern Welsh name for themselves is Cymry, and Cymru is the Welsh name for Wales and these words are descended from the Brythonic word combrogi, meaning fellow-countrymen. The use of the word Cymry as a self-designation derives from the location in the post-Roman Era of the Welsh people in modern Wales as well as in northern England and southern Scotland. It emphasised that the Welsh in modern Wales and in the Hen Ogledd were one people, in particular, the term was not applied to the Cornish or the Breton peoples, who are of similar heritage, culture, and language to the Welsh. The word came into use as a self-description probably before the 7th century and it is attested in a praise poem to Cadwallon ap Cadfan c. 633. Thereafter Cymry prevailed as a reference to the Welsh, until c.1560 the word was spelt Kymry or Cymry, regardless of whether it referred to the people or their homeland. The Latinised forms of names, Cambrian, Cambric and Cambria, survive as lesser-used alternative names for Wales, Welsh
4.
Carmarthenshire
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Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south-west of Wales and is the largest of the thirteen historic counties of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford, Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre of Carmarthenshire, but the most populous settlement is Llanelli. Carmarthenshire has been inhabited since prehistoric times, the town of Carmarthen was founded by the Romans, and the region was part of the Principality of Deheubarth during the High Middle Ages. It saw turbulent times during the invasion by the Normans in the 12th and 13h centuries before it was subjugated, along other parts of Wales. There was further unrest in the early 15th century when the Welsh rebelled under Owain Glyndŵr, Carmarthenshire is mainly an agricultural county, apart from the southeastern part which at one time was heavily industrialised with coal mining, steel-making and tin-plating. In the north of the county the woollen industry was important in the 18th century. Nowadays the economy of the county depends on agriculture, forestry, fishing, with the decline in its industrial base and the low profitability of the livestock sector, Carmarthenshire is economically one of the worst-performing regions in the United Kingdom. Although Carmarthenshire is less frequented as a tourist destination than some other counties in Wales, further west are the sandy beaches at Llansteffan and Pendine, and Dylan Thomas boathouse at Laugharne. Further inland there are a number of castles, hillforts. Humans have been living in Carmarthenshire since at least 40,000 years ago as evidenced by stone tools found in Coygan Cave, near Laugharne. The Romans established two forts in South Wales, one at Caerwent to control the southeast of the country, the fort at Carmarthen dates from around 75 AD, and there is a Roman amphitheatre nearby, so this probably makes Carmarthen the oldest continually occupied town in Wales. Carmarthenshire has its roots in the region formerly known as Ystrad Tywi and part of the Principality of Deheubarth during the High Middle Ages. After the Normans had subjugated England they tried to subdue Wales, Carmarthenshire was disputed between the Normans and the Welsh lords and many of the castles built around this time, first of wood and then stone, changed hands several times. Following the Conquest of Wales by Edward I, the region was reorganized by the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 into Carmarthenshire. Edward I made Carmarthen the capital of new county, establishing his courts of chancery and his exchequer there. The Normans transformed Carmarthen into a trading port, the only staple port in Wales. Merchants imported food and French wines and exported wool, pelts, leather, lead, Carmarthen was particularly susceptible to plague as it was brought in by flea-infested rats on board ships from southern France. In 1405, Owain Glyndŵr captured Carmarthen Castle and several other strongholds in the neighbourhood, however, when his support dwindled, the principal men of the county returned their allegiance to King Henry V
5.
Abergavenny
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Abergavenny is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40, originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh marches. The town contains the remains of a stone castle built soon after the Norman conquest of Wales. The town hosted the 2016 National Eisteddfod of Wales, Abergavenny is promoted as a Gateway to Wales. It provides access to the nearby Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons National Park, the Offas Dyke Path is close by and the Marches Way, the Beacons Way and Usk Valley Walk all pass through the town. The name derives from a Brythonic word Gobannia meaning river of the blacksmiths, the name is related to the modern Welsh word gof, and so is also associated with the Welsh smith Gofannon from folklore. The river later became, in Welsh, Gafenni, and the name became Abergavenny. It was also built to keep the peace among the local British Iron Age tribe, remains of the walls of this fort were discovered west of the castle when excavating the foundations for a new post office and telephone exchange building in the late 1960s. Abergavenny grew as a town in early Norman times under the protection of the Lords of Abergavenny. The first Baron was Hamelin de Balun, from Ballon, a town and castle in Maine-Anjou called Gateway to Maine, near Le Mans. He founded the Benedictine priory, now the Priory Church of St Mary, the Priory belonged originally to the Benedictine foundation of St. Vincent Abbaye at Le Mans. It was subsequently endowed by William de Braose, with a tithe of the profits of the castle, the church contains some unique alabaster effigies, church monuments and unique medieval wood carving, such as the Tree of Jesse. Owing to its location, the town was frequently embroiled in the border warfare. In 1175, Abergavenny Castle was the site of the Massacre, reference to a market at Abergavenny is found in a charter granted to the Prior by William de Braose. Owain Glyndŵr attacked Abergavenny in 1404 and they were able to open the gate and allow a much larger party who set fire to the town and plundered its churches and homes leaving Abergavenny Castle intact. Market Street has been referred to as Traitors Lane thereafter, in 1404 Abergavenny was declared its own nation by Ieuan ab Owain Glyndŵr, illegitimate son of Owain Glyndŵr. The arrangement lasted two weeks. In 1639, Abergavenny received a charter of incorporation under the title of bailiff, a charter with extended privileges was drafted in 1657, but appears never to have been enrolled or to have come into effect
6.
Blorenge
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Blorenge or sometimes The Blorenge is a prominent hill which overlooks the valley of the River Usk in Monmouthshire, southeast Wales. It is situated in the corner of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The summit plateau reaches a height of 1,841 feet, Blorenge overlooks the market town of Abergavenny and the villages of Llanfoist and Govilon in the Usk Valley to the north. At the foot of the lies the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal. It drops away steeply to the northwest into Cwm Llanwenarth, to the south, gentler slopes fall away to Blaenavon at the head of the Lwyd valley. Prominent peaks seen from the Blorenge include the Skirrid to the east of Abergavenny, Blorenge is composed in layer-cake fashion of a number of different rock types. Its lower slopes are formed from the sandstones and mudstones deposited during the Devonian period and its higher reaches are formed from a suite of mudstones, limestones and sandstones of Carboniferous age. The summit plateau is formed from coarse sandstones that lie at the boundary of the Millstone Grit, All of these beds tilt south-westwards into the South Wales Coalfield basin. The shape of the hill was modified during the ice ages as the Usk Valley glacier flowed past it to its north, a small glacier nourished by windblown snow from the plateau excavated the hollow on the eastern side of Blorenge which is known as The Punchbowl. Cwm Craf on the hills north-eastern slopes has a cirque-like form though probably never harboured a full-grown glacier, Blorenge is situated within both the Brecon Beacons National Park and the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, a World Heritage Site. Much of the hill has also designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest principally for its heather moorland which is important for breeding red grouse. The Punchbowl is owned and managed by the Woodland Trust as a nature reserve, most of the hill is open access for walkers and there are a number of footpaths and bridleways which run to and over it. There is a trail that runs around Blorenge and is a very popular destination for tourists. Easier access both to the summit and the edge of the plateau can be had from the Foxhunter car park. Most visitors are walkers and sightseers, some come to see the grave of Sir Harry Llewellyns famous showjumping horse, Foxhunter, who won Britains only Gold medal in the 1952 Summer Olympics. Foxhunter is buried near to the Blaenavon to Llanover road on Blorenge, a car park here is named in his honour. The SE Wales Hang Gliding & Paragliding Clubs members regularly take off from the summit, paragliders performing top to bottom flights land in Castle Meadows beside the River Usk at Abergavenny. Every November a category A fell race takes place on the starting and finishing at St Faiths Church at Llanfoist
7.
Brecon Beacons National Park
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The Brecon Beacons National Park is one of three national parks in Wales, and is centred on the Brecon Beacons range of hills in southern Wales. It includes the Black Mountain in the west, Fforest Fawr and the Brecon Beacons in the centre, the Brecon Beacons National Park was established in 1957, the third of the three Welsh parks after Snowdonia in 1951 and the Pembrokeshire Coast in 1952. The western half gained European and Global status in 2005 as Fforest Fawr Geopark and this includes the Black Mountain, the historic extent of Fforest Fawr, and much of the Brecon Beacons and surrounding lowlands. The entire National Park achieved the status of being an International Dark Sky Reserve in February 2013, most of the National Park is bare, grassy moorland grazed by Welsh mountain ponies and Welsh mountain sheep, with scattered forestry plantations, and pasture in the valleys. It is known for its reservoirs, waterfalls including the 90-foot Henrhyd Waterfall and the falls at Ystradfellte. The Brecon Beacons Mountain Centre was opened in 1966 to help visitors understand, due to the relative remoteness and harsh weather of some of its uplands, the Park is used for military training. UK Special Forces, including the SAS and SBS hold demanding selection training exercises here, the infantry regiments of the British Army train at Sennybridge, where NCO selection also takes place. In 2006 and 2007, controversy surrounded the government decision to build the South Wales Gas Pipeline through the Park, the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority is a special purpose local authority which exercises planning functions across the designated area of the park. The park extends across the part of Powys, the northwestern part of Monmouthshire. The 100-mile route, called the Beacons Way, runs from Abergavenny via Ysgyryd Fawr in the east, a railway with narrow gauge trains run by the Brecon Mountain Railway
8.
Brecon
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Brecon, archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town and community in Powys, Mid Wales, with a population in 2001 of 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the county town of Brecknockshire, although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of the County of Powys, Brecon is the third-largest town in Powys, after Newtown and Ystradgynlais. It lies north of the Brecon Beacons mountain range, but is just within the Brecon Beacons National Park, the Welsh name, Aberhonddu, means mouth of the Honddu. It is derived from the River Honddu, which meets the River Usk near the town centre, before the building of the bridge over the Usk, Brecon was one of the few places where the river could be forded. In Roman Britain Y Gaer, Brecon was established as a Roman cavalry base for the conquest of Roman Wales and Brecon was first established as a military base. The confluence of the Honddu and the River Usk made for a defensive position for the Norman castle which overlooks the town. Gerald of Wales came and made speeches in 1188 to recruit men to go to the Crusades. Brecons town walls were constructed by Humphrey de Bohun after 1240, the walls were built of cobble, with four gatehouses and was protected by ten semi-circular bastions. Brecons walls were destroyed during the English Civil War. Today only fragments survive, including some earthworks and parts of one of the gatehouses, about 250 m north of the castle stands Brecon Cathedral, a fairly modest building compared to many cathedrals. Saint Marys church began as a chapel of ease to the priory, the West Tower, some 27 m high, was built in 1510 by Edward, Duke of Buckingham at a cost of £2,000. The tower has eight bells which have been rung since 1750, in March 2007 the bells were removed from the church tower for refurbishment. The church is a Grade II* listed building, the Church of St. David, referred to locally as Llanfaes Church, was probably founded in the early sixteenth century. The first Parish Priest, Maurice Thomas, was installed there by John Blaxton, Archdeacon of Brecon in 1555, the name is derived from the Welsh – Llandewi yn y Maes – which translates as St. David’s in the Field. Plough Lane Chapel, also known as Plough United Reformed Church, is a Grade II* listed building, the present building dates back to 1841 and was re-modelled by Owen Morris Roberts and is considered to be one of the finest chapel interiors in Wales. The latest Powys County Council estimate of the population of the town is 8,020, the town has a statue of Arthur, Duke of Wellington, as well as other statuary in Brecon Cathedral, by Welsh sculptor John Evan Thomas. Approximately 9 miles to the west of Brecon is Sennybridge Training Area, the west end of Brecon has a small industrial area, and recent years have seen the cattle market moved from the centre of the town to this area, with markets held several times a week. Brecon has primary schools, with a school and further education college on the northern edge of the town
9.
Crickhowell
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Crickhowell is a small town in southeastern Powys, Wales. It lies on the A40 between Abergavenny and Brecon, the name Crickhowell is taken from that of the nearby Iron Age hill fort of Crug Hywel above the town, the Welsh language name being anglicised by map-makers and local English-speaking people. The town lies on the River Usk, on the edge of the Black Mountains. Significant parts of the countryside, over 20,000 acres form part of the Glanusk Park estate. The town has a population of around 2,800 people, many public services in Crickhowell are provided by Powys County Council and to a lesser extent by Crickhowell Town Council. Planning matters fall to the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, there are two schools – primary and secondary – which act as a central point for a large catchment area. There is some light industry on the outskirts of Crickhowell at the Elvicta Industrial Estate, the town centre includes a variety of traditional businesses, many of which are family owned. There are a number of pubs, cafes, restaurants and hotels, such as The Bear hotel, there are also several churches in Crickhowell including St Edmunds Church which holds a service every Sunday, a baptist church, an evangelical church and a Catholic church. Crickhowell & Penmyarth Golf Club was founded in 1897 and played on a course at Glanusk Park, the club and course disappeared in the late 1960s. A market and fair have been recorded since 1281, an electoral ward in the same name exists. This ward includes The Vale of Grwyney community and has a population of 2,801 as taken at the 2011 census. Today, Crickhowell is a popular tourist destination, in 2005 a Tourist Information centre was built in the centre of town and during summer the town is notably busier. The Green Man Festival takes place annually in mid-August at nearby Glanusk Park, Crickhowell High School is a secondary school with approximately 700 pupils. In 2000, it was ranked 77th in Wales in terms of its GCSE results and it is also the best performing secondary school in Powys. In a recent school standings by the Welsh Government Crickhowell High School was placed in the category the highest category. This making it one of the best schools in Wales, crickhowell’s most famous son was the surveyor Sir George Everest who was born at Gwernvale Manor near Crickhowell. He was a Surveyor-General of India, after whom Mount Everest was named, there is also a street in Crickhowell named after him. The Glanusk Park estate was the home of the former royal nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke
10.
Usk
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Usk is a small town in Monmouthshire, south-east Wales, situated 10 miles northeast of Newport. It is located on the River Usk, which is spanned by a stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. A castle above the town overlooks the ancient crossing point and it developed as a small market town, with some industry including the making of Japanware, and a notable prison. In recent years Usk has become known for its history of success in Britain in Bloom competitions, the resident population of the town in 2001 was 2,318, increasing to 2,834 at the 2011 census. The town takes its English name from the River Usk – a name derived from an ancient Brythonic word for river which may also mean abounding in fish. The name resembles that of other rivers in Britain, and is related to Scottish Gaelic uisge or uisce in Irish Gaelic. The Welsh name Brynbuga, was first recorded in the 15th century, the Roman legionary fortress of Burrium was founded on the site of Usk by the military commander Aulus Didius Gallus, around AD55. He moved his XX Valeria Victrix legion into the area from its base at Glevum. It was the earliest legionary fortress in Wales, although the site was constricted by hills, subject to flooding, and not on a navigable river, it offered good communications inland up the River Usk. The fortress at Usk was surrounded by ramparts and covered a large area, the Roman remains are buried on the southern side of the town, but the extent of the Roman forts at Usk may be traced on the ground by means of plaques set into the pavement. Many of the Roman finds from Usk are now housed in the National Roman Legion Museum in Caerleon, after the fortress was abandoned, it continued to be occupied as a civilian settlement, with evidence of iron working. The castle, now hidden from view by surrounding trees planted in the early 20th century, is one of the few castles still privately owned and occupied. Between 1154 and 1170, Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke established a planned town, the town was laid out in rectangular building plots, centred on the market square. Markets were originally held in Twyn Square, twyn being a Welsh word for hillock, the de Clare lords and their successors established a hospital for lepers on the north side of the town bridge. Its charitable function probably died out in the 14th century, along with the disease, the bridge itself was originally a wooden structure, first recorded in 1383, when it was reported to be in need of repair. A Benedictine priory was founded around 1170, and part of the building is retained in the church of St. Mary and it was reduced in size after Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536. The tomb of the last Prioress may be seen beside the path through the churchyard, the town was incorporated by charters granted by Edmund Mortimer, Edward II, Edward IV, and succeeding monarchs. Its location meant that it was frequently caught up in the border disputes between the English and the Welsh in this section of the Welsh Marches
