Newtown, Powys

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Newtown
Drenewydd
Population 10,358
OS grid reference SO115915
Principal area Powys
Ceremonial county Powys
Constituent country Wales
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town NEWTOWN
Postcode district SY16
Dial code 01686
Police Dyfed-Powys
Fire Mid and West Wales
Ambulance Welsh
UK Parliament Montgomeryshire
European Parliament Wales
List of places: UKWalesPowys
Newtown town centre
Newtown town centre

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.

Newtown has an office for the County Times newspaper, which sports editor Gavin Grosvenor operates out of. Other members of editorial staff include Radorshire reporter Andrew Morris, Newtown reporter Dominic Robertson and photographer Kate Elliott.

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 52°30′47.36″N, 3°18′50.84″W


Towns on the River Severn, UK edit

Heading downstream: Llanidloes | Newtown | Welshpool | Shrewsbury | Bridgnorth
Bewdley | Stourport | Worcester | Tewkesbury | Gloucester | Berkeley | Bristol

Settlements on the River Severn from its source to Llandrinio (heading downstream) edit

Llanidloes | Llandinam | Caersws | Newtown | Llanwchaiarn | Abermule | Welshpool | Buttington | Llandrinio

In other languages