Llanmartin
| Llanmartin | |
| Monmouthshire | |
|---|---|
 Llanmartin church | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | ST3898389104 |
| Location: | 51°35’49"N, 2°52’52"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Newport |
| Postcode: | NP18 |
| Dialling code: | 01633 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Newport |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Newport East |
Llanmartin is a village and parish to the east of Newport, Monmouthshire.
The community
The parish contains several communities and is centred on the parish church [1], which is dedicated to St. Martin, and which gives the name "Llan" for church or holy ground [2]. The name is an anglicised version of the Welsh language Llanfarthyn which has the same meaning.
Underwood
Within the parish is Underwood, an early 1960s council housing estate that consists of houses, shops, a leisure centre, Baptist church and social club.
The Underwood Estate [3] was originally developed from the former World War II Prisoner-of-war camp after the war, in the late 1940s. A few examples of the surviving former PoW huts were visible until the early 1990s, when they were demolished. The original huts stood as early community buildings. In the early 1980s several huts and a water tower were also visible on the now Waltwood Park Drive area, this area belonged to the General Post Office and was used to house old telecommunications equipment until it was sold and demolished by British Telecom who took over the site when the organisation was privatised in the early 1980s. The land was subsequently sold to Westbury homes who built the Waltwood Park Drive Development of around 220 houses on the land.
The Underwood Estate [4] is situated in a natural land formation within the falls of a wooded area on the south and north side and a small drainage ditch or reen called "Monks Ditch" on the northern side of the development. The estate was built in three phases, with the Waltwood Park Development being the last of the three.
Many people believe that the Underwood Estate was created for the local steelworks at Llanwern, as it was constructed at the same time as the Richard Thomas and Baldwins "Spencer Works" was being built. This has some truth, as originally people moved into the huts after the war. However the local council at the time, Magor and St Mellons Rural District Council, created the housing estate with post-war initiatives for more housing, hence why the second phase of the housing development consists of rapid construction poured concrete houses which are very sturdy in construction and much stronger than traditional bricks-and-mortar houses.
Amenities
Within the Llanmartin area, a large man-made reservoir is located on Waltwood Hill. It consists of four lagoons which contain greywater. This water was used at the Llanwern steelworks, now demolished. It remains private property and is off-limits to the public.
Pencoed, with its castle, is situated nearby
The Old Barn is an old barn (c. 1800) which has been converted to a local public house serving quality food and drink. Within St. Martin's Church is the great stone tomb of Sir Nicolas Morgan, the Knight of Pencoed Castle in the reign of Henry VII. The frieze carved on the tomb shows Sir Nicolas' seven sons to his right and seven daughters to his left.[1]
References
- ↑ Hando, F.J., (1944) "The Pleasant Land of Gwent" - Chapter Seven, Penhow and Pencoed, R. H. Johns, Newport.
