Newport Docks facts for kids
Newport Docks is the name for a group of docks in the city of Newport, in south-east Wales. Docks are places where ships can load and unload goods.
Back in the 1700s, there were small wharves (like mini-docks) on the River Usk. Ships mainly carried iron and coal away from Newport. But the river had big tides and muddy banks, which made it hard for ships. As trade grew, a new, bigger dock called the Town Dock opened in 1842. It got even bigger in 1858, and more trade came to Newport.
Later, the Alexandra (Newport) Dock Company was started. They opened a huge dock called Alexandra Dock in 1875. Then came the South Dock in 1893, which was made much larger in 1907 and 1914. At one point, Newport Docks were said to have the biggest area of water of any dock in the world!
The old Town Dock has now been filled in. But the Alexandra Dock system is still used today, even though the huge amounts of coal and iron that used to be exported have long since stopped.
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Special Cargoes
The current owners of the docks, ABP, have plans for the future. They mention that the Port of Newport has one of the biggest special licenses in the UK for handling certain types of materials that need careful storage and transport. This has always been important for the port and will continue to be a part of the different goods they handle, even if it's not an everyday activity.
A guide for ships from 2004 mentions "Special Anchorage Areas" about 4 miles south-east of the port entrance. Ships carrying these special materials need to give the port authorities 48 hours' notice before arriving.
In May 2019, the United States Air Force (USAF Europe) moved a very large amount of these special materials from the port to RAF Welford in Berkshire. They were unloaded from a ship called Ocean Globe at night because of special rules about moving these types of goods.
Minerals and Transport
The area around Newport, from Tredegar to Pontypool, was very rich in minerals like coal, iron, and limestone. In the 1700s, new ways to make iron were discovered, which meant a huge increase in how much was produced. All these products needed to be moved to buyers.
In the 1700s, roads were not very good. So, minerals were carried on the backs of animals to the nearest river, the River Usk at Newport. From there, it was much easier to transport them by ship.
Because it was so difficult and expensive to move goods over land, people decided to build a canal. This was the Monmouthshire Canal Navigation, approved by Parliament in 1792. It opened in stages starting from 1796. The canal had two main parts, each about eleven miles long, going from Pontnewynydd (near Pontypool) and Crumlin to Newport.
The canal was a big success! It helped coal and iron owners bring their products to the canal, and then to the River Usk for export. In 1802, the canal was allowed to build more wharves on the River Usk. The canal was also extended further down the river to Pillgwenlly, which cost a lot of money. Work on this extension began in 1806.
The Town Dock
The canal and its connecting tramroads (like small railways) were very successful, and the industries they served grew quickly. The Bristol Channel, where the River Usk flows, has very big tides. This made the wharves on the river inconvenient for ships.
So, people in Newport decided to build a "floating dock." This kind of dock has gates that can close to keep the water level inside steady, no matter what the tide is doing outside. Parliament approved this idea in 1835. After some delays and a big increase in cost, the Town Dock finally opened on October 10, 1842. It cost £195,000 to build and covered about 4 acres.
Trade kept growing fast, so an extension was planned. This new part opened on March 2, 1858, costing £64,000. The original dock became known as the Outer Basin, and the new part, called the Inner Basin, covered about 7 and a half acres.
At first, ship crews loaded and unloaded goods themselves. But soon, the Town Dock got lots of special hydraulic equipment (machines powered by water pressure) to help move cargo. It even had its own power station to run these machines. By 1914, the Town Dock had four coal hoists, which could lift loaded coal wagons weighing up to 23 tons to tip coal into ships.
The Town Dock, later called the Old Dock, was eventually replaced by newer, better facilities. It closed in October 1930 and was filled in. Today, a shopping center and a bus station are on its site.
The Alexandra Dock
The success of the Town Dock meant that trade grew even more. This needed much bigger and newer docks. So, it was decided to build large new docks closer to the mouth of the River Usk. This was approved by Parliament in 1865 and was named the Alexandra Dock. During the digging for this new dock, something amazing was found: the remains of a Viking longship (an old type of ship) about twelve feet underground!
The Alexandra Dock officially opened on April 10, 1875. After the opening ceremony, a telegram (an old form of message) was sent to the Prince of Wales. He quickly replied, congratulating the people of Wales on their successful new dock.
Dock Companies and Growth
Until 1882, there were two dock companies in Newport: one for the Town Dock and one for the Alexandra Dock. In 1882, a new law brought them together to form the Alexandra (Newport & South Wales) Docks and Railway Company (ANDR). The Town Dock was then mainly used for smaller ships and for importing goods like timber. Larger ships and cargoes used the Alexandra Dock.
The South Dock
Another new dock, the South Dock, was approved in 1882. It opened on June 6, 1893, and covered almost 20 acres. The original Alexandra Dock was then renamed the North Dock. Even while the South Dock was being built, the amount of goods handled by the North Dock increased by 750,000 tons! The South Dock also had a special lock that allowed bigger ships to enter directly from the Bristol Channel.
It quickly became clear that even more space was needed for the growing business. So, work began on the South Dock Extension. This part opened in November 1907 and was made even bigger by another 27 acres, opening on July 14, 1914. At that time, the new lock entrance for the South Dock Extension was 1,000 feet long and 100 feet wide, making it the largest lock in the world!
Railway Connections
In the 1800s and early 1900s, trains were the main way to transport goods over land. A huge amount of coal was moved by train to the docks for export or for shipping along the coast. Newport Docks had a massive network of railway sidings (tracks where trains could wait). By 1908, there were over 100 miles of railway tracks at Newport Docks! There were also large sheds to store goods that needed to be kept dry.
To load coal onto ships in the Alexandra Dock system, special hoists were used. These machines would lift loaded railway wagons from the ground and tip their contents directly into the ships' holds. Other types of cargo were loaded and unloaded using hydraulic cranes, which could lift items weighing from 3 to 30 tons.
Changing Ownership
Until 1922, the docks were owned by the Alexandra (Newport and South Wales) Dock and Railway Company. But in 1921, a new law called the Railways Act 1921 grouped most of Britain's railway companies into four big groups. The Great Western Railway took over many smaller companies in its area, and Newport Docks became part of it. From then on, they were known as the Great Western Railway's Newport Docks.
Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal
The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal was originally two separate canals. One was the Monmouthshire Canal, going from Newport to Pontymoile Basin (including a part called the Crumlin Arm). The other was the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal, running from Pontymoile to Brecon. Both canals were closed in 1962. However, the Brecknock and Abergavenny route and a small part of the Monmouthshire route have been reopened since 1970. There are plans to restore much of the rest of the original Monmouthshire Canal, including building a new marina (a small harbor for boats) at the Newport end of the canal.
