Newport Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Newport Cathedral |
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| Cathedral Church of St Woolos, King & Confessor | |
St Woolos Cathedral south face
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| Location | Newport |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | Newport Cathedral website |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral (1949) |
| Founded | 5th century |
| Founder(s) | Gwynllyw |
| Dedication | Gwynllyw |
| Events | Extended 12th, 15th and 20th centuries |
| Past bishop(s) | Charles Green Gilbert Joyce Alfred Monahan Edwin Morris Eryl Thomas Derrick Childs Clifford Wright Rowan Williams Dominic Walker Richard Pain |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Class I listed |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Newport Cathedral |
| Archdeaconry | not applicable |
| Diocese | Diocese of Monmouth |
Newport Cathedral (Welsh: Eglwys Gaderiol Casnewydd/Cadeirlan Casnewydd) is also known as St Gwynllyw's or St Woolos' Cathedral. It is a very important church in Wales. It serves as the main church for the Diocese of Monmouth within the Church in Wales. It is also where the Bishop of Monmouth has their official seat. The name "Woolos" is an English version of the Welsh name Gwynllyw.
This church became a cathedral in 1949. Even though it looks like a large local church, its long history makes it special. It has grown and changed from the 5th century all the way to the 20th century. This makes it one of the most interesting religious buildings in Wales.
Contents
The Story of St Gwynllyw
The church was started by Gwynllyw, a king who lived in the late 400s. This was after the Romans had left Britain. At this time, Wales was starting to become its own country. Gwynllyw was king of an area called Gwynllwg. This area was between what we now call Glamorgan and Gwent.
Gwynllyw was a real person, even though some amazing stories are told about his life. People say he was once a fierce warrior and even a pirate. Later in his life, he became a Christian. A dream told him to follow a white ox to a hill. There, he built a church, probably made of wood. Today, St Mary's chapel at the west end of the cathedral still shows the shape of this first church.
Gwynllyw's church became his burial place. For many centuries, it was a popular spot for pilgrimage. The church was attacked and robbed many times. Irish pirates and Danes are said to have attacked it. In 1060, followers of Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon king, also attacked it.
Gwynllyw is honored in Wales and by other Christian groups. He was married to St Gwladys. Their son, Cadoc (also called Cattwg), became one of Wales's greatest saints and scholars.
Medieval Times
After the Normans took over South Wales, they built the first castle in Newport. This happened in the late 1000s or early 1100s. The castle was built close to Gwynllyw's church. By then, the church had likely been rebuilt with stone.
A big change happened in the late 1100s. A large new church was built in the Romanesque style. This style used round arches and was popular with the Normans. The new church was built to the east of Gwynllyw's original church. It was attached to it, showing respect for the old holy site. This also showed how important Gwynllyw's story was.
In the 1300s, a new castle was built by the River Usk. The town of Newport grew near this new castle and river. The Welsh name for Newport, Casnewydd, means 'new castle'. St Gwynllyw's church stayed on its hill, outside the town. But it remained the main church for Newport because of its history. By the late 1800s, the church was surrounded by Newport's growing western suburbs.
Exploring the Cathedral
Most visitors enter the cathedral through the west door. You walk from the west end towards the east. You will pass through the tower, then St Mary's chapel. After that, you go through a Romanesque doorway into the larger main church. Finally, you reach the parts added in the 1900s at the east end.
The Tower
The tower was built in the 1400s. It is in the later medieval Perpendicular style. This style has wider and flatter arches than earlier Gothic buildings. A statue on the tower is said to be Jasper Tudor. He might have paid for the tower's building. He was the uncle of Henry VII, the first Tudor king. People also say his statue's head was shot off during the English Civil War. This was supposedly done by supporters of Oliver Cromwell.
The tower holds 13 bells, which is the largest set of bells in Wales. The tower is separate from the main church by St Mary's chapel. We are not sure if there was an older tower here before.
St Mary's Chapel
To enter St Mary's chapel, you go through a modern glass screen. This screen shows pictures of St Gwynllyw holding his church. It also shows St David (Dewi Sant), who is the patron saint of Wales.
St Mary's chapel is where Gwynllyw’s first church stood. It has been rebuilt many times over the centuries. It is also believed to be the site of his tomb. This chapel is a place to feel the history of Celtic Christianity in Wales. This type of Christianity was here long before St Augustine came to England.
At the west end of the chapel, there is a beautiful Victorian font. It is a copy of an old Romanesque font. Parts of the original font were used in this newer one. The bottom part of the font looks very old.
On the south side of the chapel, there is a unique medieval window. It is octagonal (eight-sided). It is thought to have been moved here in 1913.
The Romanesque Doorway
From St Mary's chapel, you see the most impressive part of the cathedral. This is the wonderful 12th-century Romanesque doorway. It has special zig-zag patterns called chevron motifs. These patterns frame the view into the main part of the cathedral. Some parts of the doorway still have traces of paint. It was probably fully painted a long time ago.
The columns in the doorway are very unusual. They are definitely Roman and might have come from the Roman fort at Caerleon. One idea is that they were used in a shrine over Gwynllyw’s grave. Later, they were moved to this doorway. This would show the power of his story. It also showed that the Anglo-Norman rulers wanted to connect themselves to him.
The tops of the columns, called capitals, are Roman Composite style. If they were originally Roman, they have been recut. For many years, experts have argued about what the pictures on them mean. Some thought they showed Bible stories like the Creation or the Flood. Others suggested they showed scenes from the lives of Gwynllyw and Cadoc. More recently, people think they might have two meanings. They could relate to both the Bible and the saints. The style of the figures' hair and clothes looks like Roman art from the 300s. This suggests a link to the very early days of Christianity in Britain.
The nave is the main central part of the church. It has five Romanesque round arches. These arches rise from huge columns on each side. This grand design was built in the 1100s. It was paid for by the great abbey of Gloucester or perhaps Robert, Earl of Gloucester.
Above the arches, there were once rounded windows. These windows let in daylight. But now they are inside the church. This is because the side sections, called aisles, were rebuilt in the 1400s. They were made taller in the Perpendicular style. This style has pointed, flatter, and wider windows. The main reason for this was to make the church bigger. It might also have been to fix damage from a fire. This fire happened during an attack by followers of Owain Glyndŵr in 1402. He was trying to make Wales independent again. A recent study of the wood in the nave's roof shows it dates to the early 1400s.
The East End of the Cathedral
The older east end of the cathedral was taken down and rebuilt between 1960 and 1964. It was made much grander to look more like a cathedral. The architect for these changes was Alban Caroe. His family was famous for their architectural work in Wales. Some people think his design is not very original. However, it fits well with the old parts of the cathedral. The large windows let in a lot of light.
More modern and striking art is found at the east end. John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens created a round window with gold and brown stained glass. There is also a huge mural of red, white, black, and grey. This mural swirls down from the window behind the main altar. What this art means is up to each visitor to decide.
In the north wall of the east end, there is a low 13th-century window. It was moved from the older east end. People used to say this window was for lepers to watch services. In its original spot, it would have been close to the ground. But we are not sure if this was its real purpose.
In the Middle Ages, there would have been a rood screen at the entrance to the east end. This screen had a loft and a large crucifix above it. It separated the main church from the east end. You can still see the medieval doorways to this loft high up. Today, a modern figure of Jesus on the cross hangs in the archway. This was made by the artist Tay Swee Siong from Singapore.
Important Monuments and Tombs
Here are some of the important monuments and tombs you can find:
- St Mary's Chapel – You can see several old, damaged statues in the north wall. In the middle is a carved panel with four figures. These figures show the family symbols of Sir John Morgan of Tredegar. He died in 1493. His family was very powerful in South Wales for centuries. He was rewarded for helping Henry Tudor become king in 1485.
- West end of south aisle – This is the tomb of Sir Walter Herbert, who died in 1568. Not much of his statue remains. But the tomb itself shows beautiful Renaissance artwork.
- East end of north aisle (Crindau Chapel) – There is a memorial plaque for Octavius Morgan (1803–1885). He was a famous Welsh historian. He was also from the same Morgan family as Sir John Morgan. He was very interested in the history of St Woolos. A nearby stained glass window shows the Morgan family symbols. It also shows symbols of the Dioceses of Gloucester and Llandaff. These dioceses had control over St Woolos before the Diocese of Monmouth was created.
- Niche in the last column of the nave, south arcade – Here you will find a statue of Gwynllyw. He is holding up his church. This statue remembers Noel Morris, who died in 1967. He was the son of Edwin Morris, a former Archbishop of Wales. Some people have wondered if the famous artist Elizabeth Frinck made this sculpture. However, there is no proof of this.
Stained Glass Windows
Most of the stained glass windows are from the Victorian and Edwardian periods. There are two modern, abstract windows by Frank Roper in the north side of St Mary's Chapel. Some windows have had their decorative backgrounds removed.
Several windows were made by John Hardman and Co. These include "The Good Samaritan" in the south aisle. Another is "Christ blessing Children" in the north aisle. The window showing Gwynllyw, Gwladys, and Cadoc, mentioned earlier, is also by them.
Music in the Cathedral
The cathedral has a long history of choral singing. Music is a very important part of its life. The cathedral choir has three groups of singers: boys, girls, and adults. The adults sing the alto, tenor, and bass parts. The choir sings at Sunday services and on Wednesday evenings. They also perform at other special events. Their music ranges from the 1600s to today. The cathedral is also a popular place for concerts and other artistic shows.
The cathedral organ was rebuilt in 1966 by Hill, Norman and Beard. It used parts from two older organs. One was the cathedral's earlier organ from 1915. The other was an organ saved from the old Newport Town Hall. This 1966 organ was then rebuilt again in 1997.
The current organist and choirmaster is Thomas Coxhead. He started in 2024.
Chartist Memorial
On November 4, 1839, a group of people called Chartists marched in Newport. They were asking for democratic rights. At least 22 people were shot by soldiers in front of the Westgate Hotel. Many of these Chartists would have walked past the cathedral on their way to town.
Outside the cathedral, there is a memorial to these events. It is to the left of the lychgate. It remembers ten Chartists who were buried in unmarked graves in St. Woolos churchyard. Near the gates, there is a sculpture of large 19th-century worker's boots. This sculpture remembers the Chartists' march.
Cathedral Timeline
- Before 500: Gwynllyw builds the first church.
- Around 500: Gwynllyw is buried here.
- Around 1000: The wooden church is replaced with a stone building.
- Around 1050: Irish pirates attack the church.
- 1100s: The Anglo-Normans build the nave and the large archway.
- Around 1200: St Mary's chapel is greatly changed and improved.
- 1402: Followers of Owain Glyndŵr damage the church.
- 1400s: The tower and side aisles are built.
- Around 1650: Statues and monuments are damaged by Puritans.
- 1819: St Mary's chapel is restored.
- 1853: The entire church undergoes a full restoration.
- 1854: The new St Woolos Cemetery opens a mile west of the cathedral.
- 1869: The last burials happen in the old churchyard.
- 1913: Another full restoration and new roof are completed.
- 1922: The church is named the pro-cathedral for the Diocese of Monmouth.
- 1949: It officially becomes a full cathedral.
- 1960–1964: The east end is rebuilt on a grander scale by Alban Caroe.
- 1987: The Choir Chapel is updated and becomes St Luke’s Chapel.
- 1997: The organ is renovated.
- 2006: Pews are removed to make the space more flexible and open.
- 2011: The roof is renovated.
Images for kids
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St Woolos Cathedral south face
