![Groynes at Goldcliff Point - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Groynes_at_Goldcliff_Point_-_geograph.org.uk_-_750771.jpg)
Goldcliff ( cy, Allteuryn) is a village, parish and
community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, ...
to the south east of the city of
Newport in South Wales. It lies within the Newport city boundaries in the
historic county of
Monmouthshire and the
preserved county
The preserved counties of Wales are the eight current areas used in Wales for the ceremonial purposes of lieutenancy and shrievalty. They are based on the counties created by the Local Government Act 1972 and used for local government and othe ...
of
Gwent. Administratively, the community of Goldcliff includes the village/parish of
Whitson
Whitson is a village on the outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. It is located about south east of Newport city centre on the Caldicot Levels, a large area of coastal land reclaimed from the sea. Administratively, Whitson is part of ...
. The population in 2001 was 233; by 2011 it had risen to 329.
Toponymy
The name is said to have originated from the
siliceous
Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula , most commonly found in nature as quartz and in various living organisms. In many parts of the world, silica is the major constituent of sand. Silica is one ...
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
cliff, standing about high, at Hill Farm, rising over a great bed of yellow
mica which breaks the level at the shore and has a glittering appearance in sunshine, especially to ships passing in the
Bristol Channel.
Giraldus Cambrensis
Gerald of Wales ( la, Giraldus Cambrensis; cy, Gerallt Gymro; french: Gerald de Barri; ) was a Cambro-Norman priest and historian. As a royal clerk to the king and two archbishops, he travelled widely and wrote extensively. He studied and taugh ...
, who toured Wales in 1188 refers to the location as "Gouldclyffe" and describes it in Latin as "...glittering with a wonderful brightness".
[ Bradney, Sir Joseph, ''A History of Monmouthshire, Vol 4 part 2: The Hundred of Caldicot'' (Part 2). pub 1914, reprinted 1994, Merton Priory Press.]
Character
Together with the neighbouring parishes of
Nash and
Whitson
Whitson is a village on the outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. It is located about south east of Newport city centre on the Caldicot Levels, a large area of coastal land reclaimed from the sea. Administratively, Whitson is part of ...
, it is one of "The Three Parishes" which have long been a unit – geographical, socially, economically and ecclesiastically. All three parishes are typical of the
Caldicot Levels. At the highest tides the village lies below sea-level. The entire area is drained by a vast network of inter-linking ditches or '
reens'.
A main drainage ditch, with an origin near
Llanwern
Llanwern is a community in the eastern part of the City of Newport, South East Wales. Llanwern is bounded by the M4 and Langstone to the north, Ringland, Lliswerry and the River Usk to the west, the River Severn to the south and the city bo ...
, known as "Monksditch" or "Goldcliff Pill" passes through the village on its way to the sea. Local folklore maintains that the sides of the Monksditch are laced with smugglers' brandy.
Fields are drained by low depressions running the width of the fields, known locally as ''grips''. The field area between grips is termed a ''span'' or ''Spain''. The grips drain into the ''reens'' which are slow-moving and in summer months are often stagnant. Reens run towards the sea where they empty between tides at a ''gout''. The levels of the reens is controlled by means of a series of sluices or ''stanks'', separate boards in which may be raised or lowered to keep water levels high enough for livestock to drink. The faster flowing Monksditch carries water from more distant higher ground, above the level of the reens, some of which pass underneath the ditch by means of culverts.
The south of the village is bounded by the foreshore of the
Severn Estuary
The Severn Estuary ( cy, Aber Hafren) is the estuary of the River Severn, flowing into the Bristol Channel between South West England and South Wales. Its high tidal range, approximately , means that it has been at the centre of discussions in t ...
, which lies behind a tall concrete-faced sea wall, allowing for
aboiteau
Aboiteau farming on reclaimed marshland is a labor-intensive method in which earthen dikes are constructed to stop high tides from inundating marshland.
A wooden sluice or aboiteau (plural aboiteaux) is built into the dike, with a hinged door (c ...
-type cultivation. A number of
groyne
A groyne (in the U.S. groin) is a rigid hydraulic structure built perpendicularly from an ocean shore (in coastal engineering) or a river bank, interrupting water flow and limiting the movement of sediment. It is usually made out of wood, concre ...
s can be seen at low tide.
History
Prehistoric, Roman, and Medieval
A considerable amount of archaeology has centred on Goldcliff and the intertidal region of the coast near the village has attracted archaeological interest. Goldcliff has notable evidence of occupation by the
Silures.
Hidden in the laminated silts of the Severn estuary foreshore are 8,000-year-old (
mesolithic) human footprints. A report, published jointly by
CBA and
Cadw, was produced by
Martin Bell
Martin Bell, (born 31 August 1938) is a British UNICEF (UNICEF UK) Ambassador, a former broadcast war reporter and former independent politician who became the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tatton from 1997 to 2001. He is sometimes known as " ...
and colleagues. Bell was instrumental in the discovery of the mesolithic footprints and in 2004 his work at Goldcliff featured on
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
's archaeological television programme ''
Time Team
''Time Team'' is a British television programme that originally aired on Channel 4 from 16 January 1994 to 7 September 2014. It returned online in 2022 for two episodes released on YouTube. Created by television producer Tim ...
''. Further archaeological excavation has also been carried out by Martin Locock and colleagues prior to the introduction of the Newport Wetlands reserve, for example at Hill Farm. In March 2020 Bell was featured, explaining the foreshore footprints, on the BBC One programme ''
Countryfile
''Countryfile'' is a British television programme which airs weekly on BBC One and reports on rural, agricultural, and environmental issues in the United Kingdom.
The programme is currently presented by John Craven, Adam Henson, Matt Baker ...
''.
Following gales and high tides in 1990, a total of eight
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...
substantial rectangular buildings were discovered, over the course of several season's work, off the coast of the village.
Radiocarbon dating dated the site to the second century BC. The buildings, which may have functioned as a short lived and specialised fishing site, were constructed from vertical posts bearing the marks of iron axes. Timbers from the excavation, which was performed by
St David's University College
University of Wales, Lampeter ( cy, Prifysgol Cymru, Llanbedr Pont Steffan) was a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822, and incorporated by royal charter in 1828, it was the oldest degree awarding institution in Wales, with limited ...
,
Lampeter
Lampeter (; cy, Llanbedr Pont Steffan (formal); ''Llambed'' ( colloquial)) is a town, community and electoral ward in Ceredigion, Wales, at the confluence of the Afon Dulas with the River Teifi. It is the third largest urban area in Ceredigion ...
, have been conserved at
Newport Museum
Newport Museum and Art Gallery ( cy, Amgueddfa ac Oriel Gelf Casnewydd) (known locally as the City Museum ( cy, Amgueddfa Dinas)) is a museum, library and art gallery in the city of Newport, South Wales. It is located in Newport city centre on ...
.
A connection with
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
activity was firmly established with the discovery near Goldcliff Point in 1878 of the inscribed "Goldcliff Stone" recording the work of legionaries on a linear earthwork, presumably a sea wall. Further evidence of occupation was found when ash pits were dug at Nash during construction of the
Uskmouth Power Station
The Uskmouth power stations (also known as the Fifoots Point power stations) refers to a series of two coal-fired power stations at the mouth of the River Usk in the south-east of Newport, Wales. The first of the two station, Uskmouth A power s ...
.
Goldcliff was originally owned by the
native princes of Wales, but was taken from Owain ap Caradog (also known as Owain Wan) son of the last king of Gwent,
Caradog ap Gruffydd
Caradog ap Gruffydd (died 1081) was a Prince of Gwent in south-east Wales in the time of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn and the Norman conquest, who reunified his family's inheritance of Morgannwg and made repeated attempts to reunite southern Wales ...
, by the
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
nobleman Robert de Chandos who, shortly before 1113, founded a priory there.
[
The higher coastal parts of the area were certainly reclaimed by the late-11th and early-12th century when Goldcliff and Nash were granted to the ]Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
priory
A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of ...
. Lower-lying areas inland were enclosed and drained[ by the 13th and 14th century.
Goldcliff, as "Goldcliffe", and nearby Nash are two of the few villages to appear on the ]Cambriae Typus
''Cambriae Typus'', the "model image of Wales", is the earliest published map of Wales as a separate country from the rest of Great Britain. Made by Elizabethan polymath Humphrey Llwyd in 1573, the map shows Wales stretching to the River Severn, ...
map of 1573.
Goldcliff Priory
On the site of Hill Farm, situated on a prominent knoll of high ground, south of the village and next to the sea, stood Goldcliff Priory. Founded in 1113 as a subject house of the Abbey of Bec
An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nuns ...
in Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
, it passed during the fifteenth century into the control of Tewkesbury Abbey
The Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin, Tewkesbury–commonly known as Tewkesbury Abbey–is located in the English county of Gloucestershire. A former Benedictine monastery, it is now a parish church. Considered one of the finest examples of No ...
and then of Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...
.
Other historic sites
A small enclosure on Chapel Lane to the north of the present parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
, is thought to hold the remains of an ancient chapel, probably connected with the Priory. Also located off Chapel Lane, the farmhouse and barn at Great Newra Farm are Grade II listed buildings
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
.
The quaint Congregational
Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...
(later United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church (URC) is a Protestant Christian church in the United Kingdom. As of 2022 it has approximately 40,000 members in 1,284 congregations with 334 stipendiary ministers.
Origins and history
The United Reformed Church resulte ...
) chapel near the junction of the Sea Wall Road, built in 1840 and restored in 1900–01, is now a private dwelling, but was still active as late as the 1980s.
Local industry and education
Goldcliff has long been associated with the tidal putcher fishing of salmon
Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus ''Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Oncorhy ...
, which may well have had its origins with the Priory or even in Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
times. The technique used the so-called "putcher
Putcher fishing is a type of fishing (usually of salmon) which employs multiple putcher baskets, set in a fixed wooden frame, against the tide in a river estuary, notably on the River Severn, in England and South East Wales. Putchers are placed i ...
" basket traditionally made from hazel rods and withy (willow
Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist so ...
) plait, set out against the tides in huge wooden "ranks". The last main exponent of the art of wooden putcher-making at Goldcliff was George Whittaker, although a working knowledge of the technique was also kept into the 1970s by Wyndham Howells of Saltmarsh Farm, the last full-time fisherman at Goldcliff. Deeds for Saltmarsh Farm for 1867–1918 are held by Gwent Record Office.
The mixed school for the parishes of Goldcliff and Whitson was erected in 1872 for 60 children and in 1901 had an average attendance of 46, with a Miss Mary Edith Tomlinson as the mistress. Until it closed in July 1954, the school received an annual gift of £2 from Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...
.[ Hando, F.J., (1958) "Out and About in Monmouthshire", R. H. Johns, Newport.]
Kelly's 1901 Directory lists the only private residence in the village as The Moorlands, but has no fewer than 27 commercial concerns, mostly farmers, but also including a haulier, two fishermen, a female publican, a farm bailiff, a hay dealer, a mason and a shoe maker. The Directory also lists a Mrs Annie Louise Taylor as hotelier at "The Temperance Hotel".[ The hotel, situated at the end of the Sea Wall Road, was a well-known landmark as late as the 1950s. The Moorlands, a Victorian house built in 1870 for the Waters family, had a garden which included acacia, ]American oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ...
, and Christmas strawberry.[Goldcliff & Whitson at visitoruk.com]
From: ''The Gwent Village Book'', Gwent Federation of Women's Institutes, published by Countryside Books.
The church
The parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
of Saint Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cru ...
has a well maintained churchyard with a tree arch canopy of pollarded lime trees and many old gravestones. It is an ancient stone building in the Early English style and is located directly behind The Farmer's Arms public house. At the front of the churchyard are the remains of an ancient mounded cross. The first vicar was Roger de Holbrook in 1349 and church records are available from 1724.[
The church consists of an undivided nave and chancel, a castellated tower to the west and a south porch. It dates mostly from the early 15th century but parts of the building appear to be older and the nave has been dated to the 12th century. It has been suggested that an existing building, possibly a barn, may have been converted to serve as parish church, after the original church at Goldcliff Priory was badly damaged by a storm in 1424. There are some odd pieces of decorative stonework above the windows on the south side of the structure and some of the stone used may have come from the ruined priory. The churchyard is roughly square and is enclosed by drainage ditches. There is the stump of what is thought to be a medieval churchyard cross on a small mound.
]
On the north wall the church has a small brass plaque on the north wall near the altar, commemorating the Great Flood of 1607 when a storm surge is thought to have swept along the Bristol Channel drowning 2,000 people. The plate, about three feet above ground level today at this point, marks the height of the flood waters. The estimate of financial loss is given as approximately £5,000 (£ in 2016). There is a medieval font with an 18th-century cover.
The plain, squat tower is probably an 18th or 19th-century addition. It contains one bell, recast by Taylors of Loughborough in 1969.
The former vicarage for the three parishes, located in Whitson
Whitson is a village on the outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. It is located about south east of Newport city centre on the Caldicot Levels, a large area of coastal land reclaimed from the sea. Administratively, Whitson is part of ...
, is now a private dwelling. The minister for the Rectoral Benefice of Magor, which includes Magor Magor may refer to the following:
;Places
* Magor, Monmouthshire, a village in Wales, United Kingdom
* Magor with Undy, a community in Wales, United Kingdom
* Magor Farm, a Romano-British villa near Illogan in Cornwall
* Breton name for Magoar
* C ...
, Nash, Undy
Undy ( cy, Gwndy) is a village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, adjoining the village of Magor with which it forms the community and parish of Magor with Undy. It is located about west of Caldicot and east of Newport, close to the junctio ...
, Llanwern
Llanwern is a community in the eastern part of the City of Newport, South East Wales. Llanwern is bounded by the M4 and Langstone to the north, Ringland, Lliswerry and the River Usk to the west, the River Severn to the south and the city bo ...
, Wilcrick
Wilcrick ( cy, Chwilgrug) is a hamlet within the administrative boundary of the city of Newport, South Wales, just to the west of Magor and approximately southeast of Newport city centre. It is within the historic county of Monmouthshire.
...
, Bishton
Bishton or Bishopston ( cy, Llangadwaladr Trefesgob or simply ''Trefesgob'') is a small rural community (Wales), community in the east of the city of Newport, Wales, Newport, South Wales. It lies in the Llanwern electoral district (ward) and con ...
, Llanmartin
Llanmartin ( cy, Llanfarthyn) is a village and parish in the city of Newport, Wales.
The community
The parish contains several communities and is centred on the parish church, which is dedicated to St. Martin, and which gives the name ''"Lla ...
, Langstone, and Redwick, is based in Magor.
Following interior re-decoration in 2006, including the removal of the old pews and pulpit, a service of re-dedication was held on 4 February 2007 with the Bishop of Monmouth
The Bishop of Monmouth is the diocesan bishop of the Church in Wales Diocese of Monmouth.
The episcopal see covers the historic county of Monmouthshire with the bishop's seat located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Woolos in Newport, whi ...
. The interior is now decorated with individually dedicated chairs and matching carpet.
Amenities
Goldcliff is home to part of the extensive Newport Wetlands
Newport Wetlands is a wildlife reserve covering parts of Uskmouth, Nash, Newport, Nash and Goldcliff, in the south-east of the city of Newport, Wales, Newport, South Wales.
History
The reserve was established in 2000 to mitigate losses of wil ...
, opened in March 2000 as a mitigation for the loss of mudflats caused by the building of the Cardiff Bay Barrage
Cardiff Bay Barrage ( cy, Morglawdd Bae Caerdydd) lies across the mouth of Cardiff Bay, Wales between Queen Alexandra Dock and Penarth Head. It was one of the largest civil engineering projects in Europe during construction in the 1990s.
Histo ...
. Parts of Goldcliff and Whitson together are designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest SSSI. The Goldcliff Lagoons were created in the late 1990s and form the eastern end of the reserve. Six species of wader nest here, including avocet
The four species of avocets are a genus, ''Recurvirostra'', of waders in the same avian family as the stilts. The genus name comes from Latin , 'curved backwards' and , 'bill'. The common name is thought to derive from the Italian ( Ferrarese) ...
, lapwing
Lapwings (subfamily Vanellinae) are any of various ground-nesting birds (family Charadriidae) akin to plovers and dotterels. They range from in length, and are noted for their slow, irregular wingbeats in flight and a shrill, wailing cry. A gro ...
, little ringed plover
The little ringed plover (''Charadrius dubius'') is a small plover. The genus name ''Charadrius'' is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from Ancient Greek ''kharadrios'' a bird found in river ...
, oystercatcher
The oystercatchers are a group of waders forming the family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, ''Haematopus''. They are found on coasts worldwide apart from the polar regions and some tropical regions of Africa and South East Asia. The ...
and redshank; the site is the only one in south Wales where avocet breed.
The village pub
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
is The Farmer's Arms, located close to the church. The village still has use of a communal parish room located in the Old School at the side of the Monksditch, which there forms the border with Whitson
Whitson is a village on the outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. It is located about south east of Newport city centre on the Caldicot Levels, a large area of coastal land reclaimed from the sea. Administratively, Whitson is part of ...
.
The village is served by a public bus service (Route 63 – weekdays, twice daily) provided by Newport Bus. The local newspaper is the ''South Wales Argus
The ''South Wales Argus'' is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Newport, South Wales. ''The Argus'' is distributed in Newport, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, and Torfaen.
History
The paper was founded as the ''South Wales Arg ...
'' which is published in Newport.
Goldcliff Community Council is a member of the Campaign Against the Levels Motorway (CALM) Alliance formed in 2006 by the Friends of the Earth Cymru.
Goldcliff is a popular venue for sea fishing and birdwatching
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...
.
There are tea room
A teahouse (mainly Asia) or tearoom (also tea room) is an establishment which primarily serves tea and other light refreshments. A tea room may be a room set aside in a hotel especially for serving afternoon tea, or may be an establishment whic ...
s, with toilet facilities, at the seawall.
Government
The area is governed by the Newport City Council
Newport City Council () is the governing body for Newport, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. It consists of 51 councillors, who represent the city's 20 wards.
The council is currently, and has historically been, held by the Labour Party. ...
and the Goldcliff, Newport community council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.
In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. In ...
. The village falls within the Llanwern ward of the Newport East parliamentary constituency.
References
''This article contains public domain material from J. A. Bradney's History of Monmouthshire (1904).''
External links
Goldcliff at genuki.org
Goldcliff Community Council
Life on the Levels
at livinglevels.org.uk
{{authority control
Archaeological sites in Newport, Wales
Communities in Newport, Wales
Districts of Newport, Wales
Villages in Newport, Wales