List of scheduled monuments in Newport Facts for Kids

Newport, a city in Wales, is home to many amazing historical sites. These places are called scheduled monuments. This means they are very important and are protected by law. They tell us stories about people who lived here long, long ago.

Newport has 71 scheduled monuments. You can find ancient burial sites from the Stone Age, Bronze Age mounds, and Iron Age hillforts. It's also a very important place for Roman history in Wales, with a whole Roman town at Caerleon. Unlike many other places in South Wales, Newport has more medieval sites (like castles) than modern ones. All these sites are in the historic area of Monmouthshire. One site is even on the border with another county!

These special sites are protected by Cadw, which is the Welsh government's historic monuments agency. They work to keep these places safe for everyone to learn from.

Exploring Newport's Ancient Sites
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Exploring Newport's Ancient Sites

Newport is packed with history, from the very first people who lived here to more recent times. Let's explore some of the cool monuments you can find.

Prehistoric Wonders

Long before cities and castles, people lived in Newport during the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. They left behind some fascinating clues about their lives.

Gwern y Cleppa Burial Chamber: This is a very old burial site from the Stone Age (Neolithic period). It's made of seven large stones that were once part of a long barrow, which is a type of ancient burial mound. It sits high up, giving amazing views over the Severn Estuary.
Twyn Pant-Teg Round Barrow: This is a round barrow, a circular mound used for burials during the Bronze Age.
Druidstone Standing Stone: This single tall stone has stood for thousands of years. It's from the Bronze Age and might have been used for ceremonies or as a marker.
Wilcrick Hill Camp: This is an Iron Age hillfort. People built these forts on hilltops for protection. They used earth banks and ditches to create strong defenses.
Tredegar Fort: Another impressive Iron Age hillfort found in the Gaer area of Newport. These forts show how people lived and defended themselves in ancient times.
Castell Prin: This is a banked enclosure on a wooded hilltop. It's another example of an Iron Age site, showing how people used the landscape for defense.

Roman Times in Caerleon

Caerleon is a super important place for Roman history in Wales. It was once home to a huge Roman fortress called Isca, where thousands of Roman soldiers lived.

Caerleon Amphitheatre: Imagine gladiators fighting here! This is a well-preserved Roman amphitheatre, where soldiers and locals would watch shows and games. It's a truly amazing piece of Roman engineering.
Caerleon Roman Fortress and Baths: This was the main base for the Second Augustan Legion, a powerful Roman army unit. You can still see parts of the fortress and the remains of their huge bathhouse, where soldiers would relax and socialize. It's now looked after by Cadw.
Caerleon Civil Settlement: Outside the main fortress, a large town grew up where civilians lived and worked. Many parts of this ancient town are still protected underground.
Great Bulmore Roman Settlement: Another Roman settlement near Caerleon, showing how the area was busy with Roman life.
Ford Farm Roman Villa: This was a large Roman country house. Wealthy Romans lived in villas like this, often with fancy mosaic floors and heating systems.

Medieval Castles and Churches

After the Romans left, new kingdoms and castles appeared. Newport has many sites from the Medieval period, which was a time of knights, lords, and grand churches.

Bishton Castle: This was a motte castle. A motte is a large earth mound with a wooden or stone tower on top. These were early types of castles built for defense.
Caerleon Castle Mound: Another motte castle, this one in Caerleon. Castles like these were very important for controlling land and people in the Middle Ages.
Medieval Tower at Hanbury Arms: This is a surviving tower from a medieval building in Caerleon, showing how old structures are still part of the modern town.
Goldcliff Moated House Site: This was a house surrounded by a ditch filled with water, called a moat. Moats were built for defense and to show off wealth.
St. Mary Magdalene's Churchyard Cross, Goldcliff: Many medieval churches had crosses in their churchyards. This one is a protected monument.
Castell Meredydd: A medieval castle site that tells us about the powerful people who lived in the area long ago.
Pencoed Castle: This impressive medieval castle is another important historical site in Newport. It shows the kind of strongholds built during this period.
Newport Castle: Located right in the city, the remains of Newport Castle are a key landmark. It was an important castle controlling the River Usk. It is also looked after by Cadw.

More Recent History

Newport also has monuments from more recent times, showing how the area changed and developed.

Penrhos Camp (civil war earthworks): These are earthworks from the English Civil War (1642-1651). They were built as defenses during this conflict, though Roman items have also been found here.
Fourteen Locks, Monmouthshire Canal: This is a famous set of canal locks built in the 1790s. Canals were like ancient highways, used to transport goods. These locks helped boats go up and down hills.
Coed y Caerau Auxiliary Unit Operational Base: This site includes hidden concrete bunkers from World War II. They were part of a secret network of bases ready to fight if Britain was invaded.