Newborough () is a village in the southern corner of the
Isle of Anglesey
Anglesey ( ; ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms the bulk of the Principal areas of Wales, county known as the Isle of Anglesey, which also includes Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island () and some islets and Skerry, sker ...
in
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
. It is a part of the
Bro Aberffraw electoral ward; to the northwest is
Aberffraw
Aberffraw is a village and community (Wales), community on the south west coast of the Isle of Anglesey in Wales. The village is 9 miles from the island's county town, Llangefni, and is on the west bank of the Afon Ffraw (Ffraw River). The com ...
, and to the northeast is
Llanfairpwll
Llanfairpwllgwyngyll or Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll (), often shortened to Llanfairpwll and sometimes to Llanfair PG, is a village and community (Wales), community on the Isle of Anglesey, Wales. It is located on the Menai Strait, next to the Britann ...
. There is a church in the village, a primary school, and a public
institute
An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body.
In some countries, institutes ca ...
. Nearby is the
Newborough Warren, a forest, beach, and public nature reserve.
History
Medieval Rhos Vair
In
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
Gwynedd
Gwynedd () is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The ci ...
,
Rhosyr was the royal
demesne
A demesne ( ) or domain was all the land retained and managed by a lord of the manor under the feudal system for his own use, occupation, or support. This distinguished it from land subinfeudation, sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants. ...
() and seat of governance for the
commote
A commote (, sometimes spelt in older documents as , plural , less frequently )'' Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru'' (University of Wales Dictionary), p. 643 was a secular division of land in Medieval Wales. The word derives from the prefix ("together" ...
of Menai.
The location was a residence of the
Princes of Gwynedd. There is a ruined court building of
Llys Rhosyr
Llys Rhosyr, also known as "Cae Llys", is an archaeological site near Newborough in Anglesey; the ruins of a pre-Edwardian commotal court.
History and description
The Welsh word ''llys'' originally referred to an enclosed open-air space but ...
(Rhosyr court) on the outskirts of the present village of Newborough; the
royal court
A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word ''court'' may also be app ...
() dates from 1237 and was in use for less than a century. The building was the inspiration and model for the reconstruction of a court at
St. Fagans Museum,
Cardiff
Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...
.
Newborough gained its current name when the town was founded by citizens of
Llanfaes in eastern Anglesey. The inhabitants were evicted in 1294 from east Anglesey to the west of the island by
Edward I
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...
, to promote the new port of
Beaumaris
Beaumaris (; ) is a town and community (Wales), community on the Anglesey, Isle of Anglesey in Wales, of which it is the former county town. It is located at the eastern entrance to the Menai Strait, the tidal waterway separating Anglesey fro ...
. The town was established as a "new borough" and gained its charter in 1303. Before the changes, the town was called ''Rhôs Vair''. The charter was renewed by successive kings between the 14th and 19th centuries. During the age of
Edward I
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...
(c. 1300), the town was promoted to the status of a corporation giving it a
guild mercatory amongst other privileges, this status was confirmed once more during the reign of
Edward III
Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...
(first year of his reign, 1327), King of England. During the later part of this period, the town's population was around 93 houses around the
royal manor
The Crown Estate is a collection of lands and holdings in the United Kingdom belonging to the British monarch as a corporation sole, making it "the sovereign's public estate", which is neither government property nor part of the monarch's priv ...
. The Crown of England had a
steward in this district who received a salary of 10 pounds per year. The court at Llys Rhosyr was still in use during this period, as it was noted that repairs were being done to the buildings.
Also, during the 14th century, one of the leading Welsh poets of the Middle Ages,
Dafydd ap Gwilym
Dafydd ap Gwilym ( 1315/1320 – 1350/1370) is regarded as one of the leading Welsh poets and among the great poets of Europe in the Middle Ages. Dafydd’s poetry also offers a unique window into the transcultural movement of cultural pract ...
wrote a ''cywydd'' praising Newbourough for its generous hospitality, especially towards poets, describing it as both a sanctuary and a place of joyful abundance, symbolised through vivid images of wine, mead, and song.
[
During the medieval period, the local landed gentry in the royal borough had appointed an individual to the role of a Burgess, that person was given privileges from the Crown and would negotiate the ]Royal charter
A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...
with the King of England in his parliament. Around the year 1489, during the reign of Henry VII of England
Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509), also known as Henry Tudor, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor.
Henr ...
, the county of Anglesey's court sessions (assizes
The assizes (), or courts of assize, were periodic courts held around England and Wales until 1972, when together with the quarter sessions they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court. The assizes ex ...
) were moved to the town after 250 years in Beaumaris Castle
Beaumaris Castle ( ; , ), in Beaumaris, Anglesey, Wales, was built as part of Edward I of England, Edward I's Conquest of Wales by Edward I of England, campaign to conquer north Wales after 1282. Plans were probably first made to construct t ...
, thus giving Newborough a member of parliament and making it the county town
In Great Britain and Ireland, a county town is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county, and the place where public representatives are elected to parliament. Following the establishment of county councils in ...
of Anglesey
Anglesey ( ; ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms the bulk of the Principal areas of Wales, county known as the Isle of Anglesey, which also includes Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island () and some islets and Skerry, sker ...
. It was Richard ap Rhydderch ap Myfyrian who represented Newborough in British Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII, and John ap Robert Llwyd during the reign of Edward VI. Then in 1550, the main court of Anglesey and all related county business was returned to Beaumaris.[
]
Modern Newborough
Newborough's warren was home to a thriving marram grass industry; this grass was used to produce matting, nets, and rope.[ In 1814, Newborough's status as a Royal chartered borough of King ]George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...
was abolished after the resignation of the town mayor. The ending of the town's charter affected the people negatively and forced the closure of common land for grazing animals, and the town fell into a state of "severe deprivation", and the land was taken by the crown. The neighbouring town of Llanddwyn was incorporated into Newborough.[ During those years, a famous resident was John Morgan, a blind musician who played the crwth in the village.][
]
The village today
Church
In the village is St Peter's Church. The place of worship
A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is s ...
dates from the 14th century, with additions in the 15th and 16th centuries. The building was restored in 1850 and extended in 1886.
School
In 2019, the village opened a new Welsh-speaking primary school, Ysgol Santes Dwynwen.
Prichard Jones institute
The Prichard Jones Institute was built in 1902–1905. ("Institute" is a common Welsh term for a community hall: ''y stiwt''.) The Neo-Tudor institute with a clock tower was designed by Roland Lloyd Jones and completed for £20,000 ().[ The Institute appeared on the BBC2 programme, '' Restoration'', in 2006. There are six single-storey cottage homes attached to the institute; they were gifted to the village by Sir John Prichard-Jones, after whom the building was named; he was born in . Sir John served as an apprentice draper in ]Caernarfon
Caernarfon (; ) is a List of place names with royal patronage in the United Kingdom, royal town, Community (Wales), community and port in Gwynedd, Wales. It has a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the easter ...
, then moved to London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
to work at Dickins, Smith and Stevens. Pritchard-Jones was eventually appointed as chairman of the Dickins & Jones department store
A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store under one roof, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store mad ...
in London, to which he gave his name.
Recreation
The village and its environs provide walking opportunities for visitors, including at Newborough Warren, one of the largest areas of dunes in the British Isles, and Newborough Forest, a woodland. Much of the area around Newborough is a nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
, popular with those interested in geology, botany, birds, and other wildlife.[
There is a large sandy ]Blue Flag beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its standards. The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE, which is a Not-for-profit organi ...
at Llanddwyn, which provides access to Ynys Llanddwyn. On the island are the ruins of a church which is said to have been dedicated to the Welsh Saint Dwynwen in the year 465. She was the patron of the Welsh Valentines Day (). The church was built in the 16th century on a mile-long promontory
A promontory is a raised mass of land that projects into a lowland or a body of water (in which case it is a peninsula). Most promontories either are formed from a hard ridge of rock that has resisted the erosive forces that have removed the s ...
on the beach.[ The beach is also a popular ]kitesurfing
Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a sport that involves using wind power with a large power kite to pull a rider across a water, land, snow, sand, or other surface. It combines the aspects of paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding, snow ...
location.
Just outside the village is Tacla Taid ("Grandpa's stuff"), the Anglesey Transport and Agriculture Museum, the largest of its kind in Wales.
Demographics
The village is in the Bro Aberffraw electoral ward on Anglesey, the area represents the south-west of the island. Then, Newborough is in the community
A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...
(and former electoral ward
A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...
) of Rhosyr, which had a population of 2,169 in 2001, increasing to 2,226 at the 2011 census.
Historically the population of the village grew from 599 in 1801 to 934 in 1971. By 1831, there were 187 males over 20 years old, of these, 62 were farmworkers
A farmworker, farmhand or agricultural worker is someone employed for labor in agriculture. In labor law, the term "farmworker" is sometimes used more narrowly, applying only to a hired worker involved in agricultural production, including har ...
. In 2011, the village had a population of 892 of whom 68% were born in Wales. As of the 2021 census, Newborough has a population of 839.
People from Newborough
Today, the village gives its name to the Peerage of Ireland
The peerage of Ireland consists of those Peerage, titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lordship of Ireland, Lord or Monarchy of Ireland, King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great B ...
as Baron Newborough of the Welsh Wynn
Wynn or wyn (; also spelled wen, win, ƿynn, ƿyn, ƿen, and ƿin) is a letter of the Old English Latin alphabet, Old English alphabet, where it is used to represent the sound .
History The letter "W"
While the earliest Old English texts ...
family.[ Other famous people from the village include:
*Sir John Prichard-Jones, 1st Baronet Pritchard-Jones (1841–1917), business partner in the London department store Dickins & Jones.][
* William Jones (1842–1907), master mariner, industrialist and civic leader, settled in Tasmania, Australia.
* Grace Wynne Griffith (1888–1963) novelist writing in Welsh, joint prize winner at the National Eisteddfod in 1934.
]
Movies and television filmed in Newborough
* ''Coast
A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...
'', BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
television series
* '' Half Light'', 2006 horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
starring Demi Moore
Demi Gene Moore ( ; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After rising to prominence in the early 1980s, she became the world's highest-paid actress by 1995. List of awards and nominations received by Demi Moore, Her acc ...
.
* '' Clash Of The Titans'', 2010 historical fantasy
Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic (fantasy), magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those c ...
film starring Sam Worthington.
* ''House of the Dragon
''House of the Dragon'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal for HBO. A prequel to ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), it is the second television series in Martin's ''A Song of Ice and F ...
'', 2022 Fantasy television
Fantasy television is a genre of television programming featuring elements of the Fantastique, fantastic, often including Magic (paranormal), magic, supernatural forces, or exotic fantasy worlds. Fantasy television programs are often based on tal ...
drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
, prequel to Game of Thrones
''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...
.
Photos of Newborough
File:HendreFawrNewborough.jpg, Snowdon
Snowdon (), or (), is a mountain in Snowdonia in North Wales. It has an elevation of above sea level, which makes it both the highest mountain in Wales and the highest in the British Isles south of the Scottish Highlands. Snowdon i ...
and Snowdonia
Snowdonia, or Eryri (), is a mountainous region and National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in North Wales. It contains all 15 mountains in Wales Welsh 3000s, over 3000 feet high, including the country's highest, Snowdon (), which i ...
from Hendre Fawr farm
File:Newboroughbeachcarpark.jpg, Newborough beach car park
File:KitesurfingNewborough.JPG, Kitesurfing on Newborough beach
File:Gateway leading to St Peter's Church, Newborough, Ynys Mon, Wales 03.jpg, Gateway leading to St Peter's Church
References
External links
geograph.org -photos of Newborough
{{authority control
Rhosyr
Coast of Anglesey
Villages in Anglesey
Populated coastal places in Wales