Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE NEWPORT RISING
Chartism, a parliamentary reform movement that arose during the early years of Queen Victoria's reign, was par-
ticularly strong in Wales. It argued for a charter of reforms, most of which we would consider to be essential to
democracy today: a vote for every man in a secret ballot (up until this time only male landowners could vote); no
property requirement for Members of Parliament (MPs); equal-sized electorates; and payment for MPs (making it
possible for poor men to serve).
On 4 November 1839 some 5000 men from the Usk, Ebbw and Rhymney Valleys converged on Newport, in-
tent on taking control of the town and sparking off a national uprising. They tried to storm the Westgate Hotel on
Commercial St, where several Chartists were being held; police and infantrymen inside fired into the crowd,
killing at least 20 people. Five men were subsequently imprisoned and three were transported to Australia. The
bodies of 10 rioters were surreptitiously recovered and buried secretly in the churchyard in unmarked graves.
The rising is remembered in several plaques and monuments around town, notably the Westgate Hotel, where
the masonry is still bullet-scarred. Outside, among the hurrying shoppers, is an ensemble of determined bronze
figures.
Property requirements for male voters weren't completely removed until 1918. Landless women had to wait
another decade.
Sights
Tredegar House
(NT; 01633-815880;
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
; house adult/child £6.75/3.60, parking £2; park 9am-dusk year-
round, house 11am-5pm Feb-Oct)
The seat of the Morgan family for more than 500 years, Trede-
gar House is a stone and red-brick 17th-century country house set amid extensive gardens.
It is one of the finest examples of a Restoration mansion in Britain, the oldest parts dating
to the 1670s. The Morgans, once one of the richest families in Wales, were an interesting
lot - Sir Henry was a 17th-century pirate (Captain Morgan's Rum is named after him);
Godfrey, the second Lord Tredegar, survived the Charge of the Light Brigade; and Vis-
count Evan was an occultist, a Catholic convert and a twice-married homosexual who
kept a boxing kangaroo.
The National Trust took over management of the property in late 2011 and has done a
great job bringing the fascinating stories of its owners to life. The grand dining room has
been set up as if for a wedding feast, complete with fake hog's heads and suckling pigs.
The adjoining 'gilt room' is blanketed in gold leaf and paintings of bare-breasted mytho-
logical figures; you're invited to recline on the day bed in order to get a better look. In an-
other parlour there are period costumes to try on and board games to play. The decor of
the upstairs bedrooms jumps forward in time to the 1930s, when Evan Morgan was host-
ing his fabulous parties at Tredegar.
HISTORIC BUILDING
