Like so many South Wales valley towns, Newbridge has had several different incarnations in its long history. The Monmouthshire settlement was once a Norman holding, the Lord of the Manor controlling the farms linked by mountain pathways. Obviously predating the English appellation Newbridge the Welsh name for the settlement, Trecelyn, means place of the holly trees, giving an idea of how rural the spot once was. The English name came about in the 18th century when a bridge was constructed over the River Ebbw. That transport link helped the subsequent growth of the town in the following century, when it became a coalmining centre. Newbridge’s ethnic make-up was changed along with its economic activity, as many English workers and even some Scottish ones were attracted to the burgeoning coal industry. Newbridge’s most famous building, the Memo (Memorial Hall) was built in art deco style in 1925 to commemorate the local men who died in WWI. It lost its main customer base and raison d’etre when the mining industry finally ended here in the 1980s not long after the miners’ strike, but it gained wider fame during the BBC’s Restoration programme. It is now undergoing major refurbishment. Leisure became more significant to the area following the demise of coal, the loss of industrialisation having a happy side-effect of improving the environment and attracting larger bird species back to the district. That new incarnation of the town has been helped too by a new rail link, the town standing on the Ebbw Vale line to Cardiff, its new station opened in 2008. Newbridge itself has good local facilities, including schools for all age groups. The town’s most famous son, retired world champion boxer Joe Calzaghe, in 2009 opened its newest new bridge, named after him, which links the main town area with the leisure centre.
Care Home
Places to Stay near Newbridge
The Newbridge Hotel (0.14 miles)
Monnington Lodge (2.35 miles)
Monnington Lodge is a friendly country inn in Blackwood, near Newport. Originally a 16th Century Farmhouse, this quaint building located near the Brecon Beacons is brimming with country charm and ... More
Maes Manor Country Hotel (2.52 miles)
Set in the heart of the Welsh Valleys with beautiful views over landscaped gardens, yet just a short distance from Cardiff and Newport, Maes Manor is the perfect retreat for leisure and business guests alike.Maes ... More | visit website
Halfway House (2.52 miles)
Premier Inn Pontypool (5.54 miles)
Travelodge Pontypool (5.64 miles)
There are loads of reasons our customers choose to stay at Travelodge. Our great value clean and comfortable rooms with en-suite provide everything needed for a good night's sleep and are close to where people ... More | visit website
Parkway Hotel (5.91 miles)
The Hollybush with Rooms (6.03 miles)
The Hollybush is situated 3 miles from junction 28 of the M4 motorway, we are close to cardiff, newport and caerphilly. Book one of our rooms that is situated in ... More
Premier Inn Caerphilly Corbetts Lane (6.03 miles)
Premier Inn Caerphilly Crossways (6.03 miles)
Brit Quote: |
|
On this day: |