Newnham on Severn
Newnham is delightfully located on the banks of the River Severn. The village has a tree-lined main street reminding you of the imminent surroundings of
woodlands, with may listed buildings. In the centre, you will see the prominent clock tower. You will find delightful shops, selling local crafts, antiques,
books, porcelain and pottery, post office, Inns, village stores as well as a delicatessen and library.
The church stands on high ground and if you venture up to it, you can see
the horseshoe bend of the Severn. Unfortunately the
church was partially destroyed by fire in 1881 but later
in the year, it was rebuilt and re-opened for worship.
Newnham's history is closely linked with the river Severn.
In Roman times, three important roads (including the
major military coast road) converged on Newnham and
a ford existed, linking the forest with the Roman road
network on the east side or the Severn. The only known
Roman settlement was a villa on the road leading up
towards Littledean, it is likely that Newnham was in
use as a port by this time and some waterfront facilities
existed. By Saxon times, a small hamlet had grown up
centred on a manor at Stears but it was only after the
Norman Conquest that Newnham really established itself,
for by the late medieval period it had grown into an
important port with trading links to Ireland, London,
Bristol and the Midlands. One of the most important
historical events at Newnham occurred in 1171 when Henry
II sailed from the town with an army to invade Ireland.
One account of this event stated that Henry's invasion
force consisted or 400 ships and some 5,000 men which
implies that the town was by this time large enough
to house, feed and provide the necessary supplies for
such a prestigious expedition. After this , Newnham's
importances and trade continued to grow and it reached
a peak in the late 18th century, when it had become
one of the most important ports in the area, specialising
in transhipment of cargo up and down the Severn. By
this time it was the chief town in Gloucestershire west
of the Severn had one of the most wealthy, being the
focus of coaching routes and roads, but he growth of
the railways caused a massive decline in the town's
trade and, after the Gloucester-Sharpness Canal opened
in 1827 Newnham's history as a port came to an end and
the town declined rapidly, although its ferry remained
in use until after WW2.
Newnham has many fine large stone buildings, most of
which were built with money generated by the town's
maritime trade. These include the 18th century. Victoria
Hotel, 19th century. Town Hall, the old Bear Inn (a
coaching inn used by people crossing the river on the
ferry) and at the north end of the town, Unlawater house
(16th / 18th century) but historically, the most notable
structures are the quay Warehouses and Newnham Quay,
which were built c1755 by a local shipping entrepreneur,
Robert Pyrke. When completed, the quay was over 150ft
long and 20ft high and although buried in the riverbank
it is one of the most important surviving maritime structure
in Dean.
Little in the way of industry existed at Newnham apart
from a tannery, but in the early 17th century, Sir Edward
Mansell erected a glass furnace at the Northern end
of the town which was the first in the country to be
fired by coal. This had closed by 1700 and although
no remains exist today, many of the cottages Church
Street were partly built from blocks of hard, black
slag from the furnace.
Newnham appears to have been fortified in Norman times to restrain the intrusions of the Welsh. The fortification on the South probably have Norman roots and the ramparts at the back of the village may date from the times of the Civil Wars when Newnham was garrisoned for the King by Sir John Wintour.
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Churches
St Peter, Newnham on Severn
Newnham had a chapel of ease by 1018 but the church
only attained full parochial status in the 14th century,
by which time it was in danger of being undermined by
the River Severn. In 1366 a new church was dedicated
and built on a fresh site further to the west. Both
the church and castle were captured from the Royalists
by Colonel Massey in 1644. During the commotion, the
Royalists exploded a powder keg in the church causing
a great deal of damage. The tower was given new battlements
in the 19th century. Unfortunately the church was partially
destroyed by fire in 1881 but later in the year, it
was rebuilt and re-opened for worship.
Old
Church Records for family historians
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