Usk
Usk
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Twyn Square and clock tower | |
Location within Monmouthshire | |
Population | 2,834 |
OS grid reference | SO375005 |
Community |
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Principal area | |
Preserved county | |
Country | Wales |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | USK |
Postcode district | NP15 |
Dialling code | 01291 |
Police | Gwent |
Fire | South Wales |
Ambulance | Welsh |
UK Parliament | |
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament | |
Usk (
Etymology
The origin of the Welsh name Brynbuga (Welsh: [brɨ̞nˈbɨ̞ga]) is less certain. The local Brythonic name adopted into Latin as Burrium or Burrio was recorded as Brunebegy and Burenbegie in the 15th century. The modern name is likely an example of the linguistic metathesis common in Welsh Topography. Folk etymology has suggested the name derives from Bryn Buga (Buga's Hill) or Bryn Bugeilio (Shepherding Hill).[3]
History
Roman times
The Roman legionary fortress of Burrium was founded on the River Usk by the military commander Aulus Didius Gallus, around AD 55. He moved his XX Valeria Victrix legion into the area from its earlier base at Glevum (Gloucester).[4] It was the earliest legionary fortress in Wales and although the site was constricted by hills, subject to flooding, and not on a navigable river, it did offer good communications inland up the river. The fortress at Usk was surrounded by ramparts and covered a large area. However, by around AD 75 its disadvantages had become apparent and the Romans relocated their permanent military base further south to Caerleon, leaving only a small auxiliary fort and civilian settlement at Usk.[4]
The Roman remains are buried on the southern side of Usk.[5] Many of the Roman finds from Usk are now housed in the National Roman Legion Museum in Caerleon.[4]
Norman times
After the fortress was abandoned, it continued to be occupied as a civilian settlement, with evidence of iron working. The Normans also realised Usk's geographical and military importance within the region, and the powerful de Clare family built Usk Castle as part of their plans for controlling the area's resources and people. The castle, now hidden from view by surrounding trees planted in the early 20th century, is one of the few castles still privately owned and occupied.[6]
The town was laid out in rectangular building plots, centred on the market square. Markets were originally held in Twyn Square, twyn being a Welsh word for "hillock".[4]
Charters
The town was owned by the
The Welsh Revolt
Usk was the birthplace of
The town appears as "Uck" and "Branbuga" on the Cambriae Typus map of 1573.[9]
The 16th and 17th centuries
The Great House of the town, later subdivided into smaller units, was built on Old Market Street in the mid-16th century for the Williams family. Its original entrance was at the rear of the present building, and faced onto gardens and meadows. Though much altered, the building retains many original features including chimney stacks and decorative plaster ceilings.[4][5]
The town market was moved from Twyn Square in 1598 to a location closer to the river, at New Market Street. The Old Town Hall was built on the street at the same time; this was later partially rebuilt at several times during the 19th century, and is now used by the Royal British Legion.[4][5]
In 1621 the wealthy Midlands wool merchant Roger Edwards, the owner of Allt-y-Bela in Llangwm, founded Usk Grammar School.[10]
The 18th and 19th centuries
The first stone bridge at Usk, replacing one of wood, was built to the designs of Welsh architect William Edwards. Unlike the bridge downstream at Caerleon, it withstood the great floods of 1795. The bridge was strengthened and widened in 1836, but two of its arches were destroyed by floods in 1877 and later replaced.[4]
In 1769 a
From the late 18th century, Usk became well known for the high quality of its
Usk was a thriving market town in the first part of the 19th century, when many of its existing buildings were constructed, and into the Victorian era, although its population fell in the second half of the century as a result of agricultural depression.[5]
Amenities
The road to Monmouth (the
"Usk Island" is a park at the edge of the river ('island' is a literal translation of the Welsh 'ynys' meaning a river meadow). The park is mostly laid to grass, with surrounding woodland. It also has a substantial adventure playground. Usk Tennis Club was Tennis Wales "Club of the Year" for 2006.[15]
The BBC reported in May 2014 that Wales' rarest tree,
Priory Church of St Mary, Usk and the Priory Gatehouse
The
The priory's poor finances were improved in 1404 by a Papal indulgence obtained by Adam of Usk, who was buried beside the priory altar; there is a brass monument to him in the church, with an inscription in the form of a cywydd (a Welsh poetic metre from c. 13th century).[18] Usk later became a centre for pilgrims. The gatehouse of the original convent survives beside the main entrance to the churchyard. However, most of the priory buildings, such as the cloister and chapter house, were destroyed and their stones later used in town buildings.[4][19]
Sessions House
The
Prison
Her Majesty's Prison Usk is situated close to the centre of the town. It was built in 1842–44 to a Victorian 'rotunda' design, similar to that of
The sister establishment of HM Prison Usk is
Usk Rural Life Museum
The Rural Life Museum is housed in a former malt barn, possibly of mediaeval origin, on New Market Street. Run by volunteers, it focuses on life in the area as it was between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries. It is open to visitors between April and October.[23]
Usk Natural Burial Meadow
Usk Natural Burial Meadow is a 14-acre (5.7 ha) site in Usk Castle Chase that offers full interments, and the burial or scattering of cremation ashes.[24] The site is located 1 mile (1.6 km) from the town centre along Monmouth Road and was established in 2005.[25] It was awarded Cemetery of the Year in 2008 by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM).[26]
Fishing and accommodation
Usk is a centre for recreational fishing, with the River Usk being known for its salmon fishing.[27]
The town has a number of inns and hotels, including the Castle Inn in Twyn Square, the Glen Yr-Afon Hotel on the Pontypool Road and the Three Salmons Hotel on Bridge Street.[28][29][30]
Climate
Climate data for Usk (43m elevation) 1981–2010 | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.1 (46.6) |
8.5 (47.3) |
11.1 (52.0) |
14.0 (57.2) |
17.5 (63.5) |
20.3 (68.5) |
22.3 (72.1) |
22.1 (71.8) |
19.2 (66.6) |
15.0 (59.0) |
11.0 (51.8) |
8.4 (47.1) |
14.8 (58.6) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.4 (34.5) |
1.1 (34.0) |
2.8 (37.0) |
3.8 (38.8) |
6.7 (44.1) |
9.5 (49.1) |
11.5 (52.7) |
11.2 (52.2) |
9.1 (48.4) |
6.4 (43.5) |
3.6 (38.5) |
1.6 (34.9) |
5.7 (42.3) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 127.6 (5.02) |
87.4 (3.44) |
83.1 (3.27) |
67.5 (2.66) |
71.5 (2.81) |
60.2 (2.37) |
62.6 (2.46) |
73.9 (2.91) |
81.2 (3.20) |
126.3 (4.97) |
113.7 (4.48) |
121.9 (4.80) |
1,076.9 (42.40) |
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 14.8 | 10.5 | 12.1 | 10.7 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.7 | 9.0 | 9.9 | 13.4 | 13.1 | 12.9 | 134.7 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 49.1 | 73.2 | 103.0 | 153.1 | 179.8 | 173.6 | 187.0 | 184.7 | 127.7 | 94.8 | 59.9 | 42.2 | 1,427.9 |
Source: metoffice.gov.uk[31] |
Demographics
The resident population of the town in 2011 was 2,834.[32] In 2021, the population of Usk was recorded 2,600 (rounded to the nearest 100). Of this, 30.3% were between the ages of 45 and 64, above the county average of 29.7%. The largest ethnic group is White who make up 96.9% of the population, matching the county average, with the second largest being Asian/Asian British with 1.7% of the population, above the county average of 1.3%. The largest religious group is Christianity at 51.4%, above the county average of 48.7%, with the second largest being No religion with 39.5% of the population, below the county average of 43.4%.[33]
6.8% of the population are recorded as being able to speak Welsh.[33]
Usk in Bloom
Local residents formed the Usk in Bloom committee in 1981. The
Usk Brass Band
Usk has a brass band, which has represented the town at the National Finals of Great Britain regularly since registering as a competing band in 2014.[36]
Administration
The town is administered by Monmouthshire County Council and a town council. The Usk electoral ward, coterminous with the community, is represented by one county councillor.[37]
Notable people
The town was the birthplace of the priest and chronicler
In 1823 Llanbadoc, just across the river from Usk, was the birthplace of Alfred Russel Wallace, notable proponent of the theory of evolution. In November 2021 Bill Bailey, a fervent admirer, unveiled a bust of Wallace, sculpted by Felicity Crawley, in Twyn Square.[39]
Neighbouring areas
The South Wales Gliding Club is located near Gwernesney, about three miles east of the town. About 3 mi (4.8 km) west of Usk is the 1,000-acre (400 ha) site of the munitions production facility of BAE Systems at Glascoed.
Gallery
-
General view of the town
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Tower of Usk Castle
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Twyn Square during the Britain in Bloom competition, 2007
-
FormerCongregational chapel, now used as a commercial art gallery
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View westwards along Bridge Street
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Usk railway tunnel
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Disused railway bridge
Twinning
Usk was twinned with the German town
Freedom of the Town
The following people have received the
- Jean Williams: May 2017[40]
See also
- Usk (hundred)
- Usk (GWR) railway station, including a description of Usk Tunnel
References
- ISBN 0140710531.
- ^ William, Camden (1607). Britannia.
- ISBN 9780198527589.
- ISBN 0-7083-1458-9
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Usk Civic Society, Usk Town Trail, 2010
- ^ ISBN 0-14-071053-1
- ^ "Official Website". Usk Castle. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
- ^ "Usk, Monmouthshire – Extract from National Gazetteer, 1868". GENUKI. 17 February 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
- ^ "Battles and Campaigns from The Chronicle of Adam of Usk". Archived from the original on 6 February 2012.
- ^ A reproduction of the map is at File:Atlas_Ortelius_KB_PPN369376781-011av-011br.jpg
- ^ Newman, 2000, p.595
- ^ "John's Homepage". www.jlb2011.co.uk.
- ^ "The Former Congregational Chapel Twyn Sq Usk". Peoples Collection Wales.
- ^ "Japanware.org – Pontypool and Usk rivalry". Archived from the original on 4 September 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ Usk Tennis Club Archived 6 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
- ^ "Rare trees planted to honour man who discovered them". 15 May 2014 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ISBN 0-14-071053-1, pp.584–596
- ^ Morris-Jones, John (1921). "Adam Usk's Epitaph". Y Cymmrodor. Vol. 31. London: Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion. pp. 112–134.
- ^ "Browse the Monastic Wales database". www.monasticwales.org.
- ^ The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire, p. 593
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
- ^ "HMP USK Prison Regime Information".
- ^ "uskmuseum.org.uk". www.uskmuseum.org.uk.
- ^ "Usk Castle Chase Natural Burial Meadow". Leedam Natural Burials.
- ^ "Net cemetery", South Wales Argus, 31 May 2007. Retrieved 2 July 2016
- ^ ICCM
- ^ "Usk – Visit Monmouthshire".
- ^ https://www.hotels.uk.com/uk/south-wales/hotels-in-usk/the-castle-inn.np15-1bh
- ^ "Glen-Yr-Afon House Hotel". 3 November 2017 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ "Three Salmons Hotel". 1 November 2017 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ "Climate Normals 1981–2010". Met Office. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ "Town and ward populations 2011". Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- ^ a b "Build a custom area profile - Census 2021, ONS". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Home - Usk Town Council". www.usktown.org.
- ^ "Usk in Bloom".
- ^ Usk Brass Band. Retrieved 22 June 2021
- ^ "The County of Monmouthshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2002". legislation.gov.uk. Statutory Instruments. 6 December 2002. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
- ISBN 9780862436100. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ Hartland, Nick (6 November 2021). "Comedian to unveil bust of famous son Wallace". Abergavenny Chronicle. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "Usk business owner given town's highest honour". Monmouthshire Beacon. 24 May 2017.