Newtown, Powys
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Newtown | ||
---|---|---|
Statistics | ||
Population: | 10,358 | |
Ordnance Survey | ||
OS grid reference: | Maps for SO115915 | |
Administration | ||
Principal area: | Powys | |
Constituent country: | Wales | |
Sovereign state: | United Kingdom | |
Other | ||
Police force: | Dyfed-Powys Police | |
Ceremonial county: | Powys | |
Historic county: | Montgomeryshire | |
Post office and telephone | ||
Post town: | NEWTOWN | |
Postal district: | SY16 | |
Dialling code: | +44-1686 | |
Politics | ||
UK Parliament: | Montgomeryshire | |
European Parliament: | Wales | |
Newtown (Welsh: Y Drenewydd) is a town with a population of 10,541 (1993) lying on the River Severn in Mid Wales. The town is best known as the birthplace of Robert Owen in 1771, his former house now being a museum.
Newtown was founded in the thirteenth century and grew in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries around the textile and flannel industry and the arrival of the Montgomeryshire branch of the Shropshire Union Canal. In 1838, the town saw Wales' first Chartist demonstration.
The town was designated as a "new town" in 1967 and has seen a large population growth as companies and people have settled, changing the rural market town character.
Other attractions in the town include a museum about W. H. Smith newsagents, a textile museum, the Royal Welsh Warehouse built by Pryce Pryce-Jones to house the world's first mail order service, a theatre and an arts centre.
Gregynog, a country house now owned by the University of Wales and built by Lord Davies of Llandinam, is nearby.
Newtown hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1965.
[edit] External links
- Newtown.org.uk - Official Newtown Website
- The River Severn Tales of the River Severn
- NewtownWales.co.uk - Newtown Website
- Newtown-MC.co.uk - The Newtown And District Automobile Club Ltd
- NewtownLive.co.uk - Newtown News and Entertainment guide
- NewtownTitans.com - Newtown Titans U15 basketball team
- Newtown High School's Website - The Website for the only secondary school in Newtown
Towns on the River Severn, UK | edit | |
Heading downstream: Llanidloes | Newtown | Welshpool | Shrewsbury | Bridgnorth |
Settlements on the River Severn from its source to Llandrinio (heading downstream) | edit | |
Llanidloes | Llandinam | Caersws | Newtown | Llanwchaiarn | Abermule | Welshpool | Buttington | Llandrinio |