Rogerstone

Rogerstone
Monmouthshire
Rogerstone library
Location
Grid reference:	ST271885
Location:	51°35’26"N, 3°3’13"W
Data
Population:	10,158  (2011)
Post town:	Newport
Postcode:	NP10
Dialling code:	01633
Local Government
Council:	Newport
Parliamentary constituency:	Newport West

Rogerstone is a village that forms a suburb of the city of Newport, Monmouthshire. The village grew out of the township of Rogerstone in the ancient parish of Bassaleg.

It lies at the gateway to the Sirhowy valley, to the north of Newport on the eastern side of the Ebbw River. The area commonly referred to as Rogerstone is bounded by the M4 motorway to the south, the Ebbw River to the west, the Henllys vale to the east and Risca to the north.

Rogerstone railway station opened on its current site on 6 February 2008.

The original settlement dates back to Norman times when Rogerstone Castle was built in the early part of the 12th century. The name is said to originate from Roger de Haia, the Norman Lord who was responsible for the building of the castle, the remains of which are reduced to a low bush and tree covered motte opposite Criddle's garage on the lower section of Tregwilym Road. The Welsh language name for Rogerstone "Tŷ Du" translates as "Black House", though no one is entirely sure why it has this name.

The larger township of Rogerstone started as two distinct settlements of Tregwilym and Tydu, Tregwilym taking its name from the land owner, William de Berkerolles. These hamlets remained predominantly rural until the advent of the industrial revolution. The population grew in response to the tin, iron and aluminium industries which flourished near the South Wales coalfield. At one point, the village boasted the longest aluminium rolling mill in Western Europe and one of the largest marshalling yards on the Great Western Railway network.

The village played host to John Frost and his fellow Chartists on their historical march from the valleys to Newport, the Welsh Oak public house just north of the parish being one of the key meeting points for the protestors before they set off towards the Westgate Hotel and turmoil.

The village sits astride the Crumlin branch of the Monmouthshire Canal and plays host to the Fourteen Locks. The canal opened in 1798 but was dogged by water supply problems and competition from the railways and by 1930; it had finally succumbed and has since fallen into disrepair.

Rogerstone Library is part of Newport City Council's library service, and is officially titled Rogerstone Library and Information Centre. The building was opened in 1905 as a Carnegie Library. Newport has a second Carnegie Library on Corporation Road.

Modern-day Rogerstone

The designation of the Rogerstone section of the canal as part of the National Cycle Network (route 47) and more recent efforts to restore parts of the canal have made the site a popular tourist attraction.

Rogerstone was traditionally an industrial village, but recent housing developments such as that on the site of the former power station site has added more than 1,000 dwellings and an ever-increasing middle-class population. This has been influenced by the improved transport links.

In 2005, Warburtons opened a new bakery in the village, to supply bakery products across South Wales. The plant was later bought by local family owned Brace's Bakery.

There are three primary schools within Rogerstone; Rogerstone Primary, Mount Pleasant Primary and High Cross Primary.