Newport is Wales’ third largest city and is on the banks of the River Usk.
There has been a St.Woolos church since the 5th century and is now known as St.Woolos Cathedral, seat of the Bishop of Monmouth.
Newport became one of the largest towns in Wales during the 19th century as the valleys became suppliers of coal and iron. These were sent down local rivers to ports such as Newport.
Newport was granted city status in 2002 marking Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee.
Regeneration is taking place in the town, new roads and bridges over the River Usk have been erected and plans to turn Kingsway and Queensway in to Boulevards are underway.
The city centre is being extended to include some of the East Bank. The Cambrian Centre, near Newport Station is being redeveloped and will have a 31storey block of apartments and four star hotel. There will also be a 10storey office block with retail outlets on the first few floors.
By 2010 a new city centre shopping complex will be built to be known as Friars Walk and will include a Debenham’s store and a cinema. Kingsway shopping centre is due to reopen after refurbishment at the end of 2007.
There are plenty of shops in Newport including Dorothy Perkins, Suit U, Chessman, Monsoon, Bagz, Boyz to Menz, The Wardrobe, Henry Cordy, Burtons, Little Ones and Bibs and Bobs. There are also several larger High Street department stores.
Several out of town retail parks offering many more shops and stores have be built on the outskirts of city easing congestion and making shopping easier for the residents.
A new university campus is to be built and the old one will become high quality housing.
A new stadium is planned to hold 20,500 people and will possibly be used for concerts as well as sporting events.
Newport is easily accessible by road using the M4 and A48 and the A449 connects Newport to the Midlands. Newport Railway Station is served by Great Western Railways and has links to London, Swansea, Cardiff, Bristol and Reading. Other lines run to many other towns across England.
The Passport Office, the headquarters of the Patent Office, Wales and West Utilities headquarters and a large Panasonic plant are all big businesses situated in Newport and are big employers in the town.
The city has a good nightlife with plenty of public houses and nightclubs, the best known of these is T.J.’s, this was voted one of the top fifty nightclubs in the world in 1997.
Property for rent is always available in Newport with prices around £450-£495pcm for a l bed flat, £450-£595pcm for a 2 bed flat, £500-£775pcm for a 3 bed house and £795-£1150 for a 4 bed house.
Rugby is the most prominent sport in Newport closely followed by football. The town also has a velodrome and speedway track and has world class golf facilities.
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