History of Bishton, Underwood & Wilcrick
Bishton
Bishton (originally Bishopston and in Welsh: Llangadwaladr Trefesgob or simply Trefesgob) is a small rural community in the east of the City of Newport, South Wales. The parish lies in the Llanwern electoral district (ward) and contains the eastern end of Llanwern Steelworks, the Underwood estate as well as Bishton itself. The total population of the community is estimated at about 2000.
The present village church of Bishton is more than 600 years old. Its full name – the Church of St Cadwaladr – demonstrates far older origins during the era following the collapse of Roman rule in Britain after 410 AD. Cadwaladr Fendigaid – “Cadwaladr
the Blessed” – was the last of the Welsh Kings to claim the title of chief Sovereign of Britain. He died combating pagan Saxon invaders, and the name of the church
probably commemorates his exploits.
The name of Bishton itself is short for “Bishop’s Town”. Here the most powerful early Christian leaders in South Wales, the Bishops of Llandaff, set up their palace headquarters. Earthworks near Castle Farm in Bishton mark the site, which is also known as “Llangadwaladr Castle”. The original wooden church was rebuilt in stone after the Norman occupation. The church we see today has many features typical of 14th -15th century ecclesiastical architecture in the early English and Perpendicular styles. The single church bell dates from 1663, installed as a thanksgiving for the Restoration of the Monarchy and the Anglican Church after the Cromwellian period. Much of the church was restored in 1887 when the porch was added. At about the same time a Rectory was built in Bishton (now privately owned).
Bishton today has a village hall and a childrens’ park. There is no longer a shop, post
office or pub.
Underwood
Underwood was originally a substantial housing estate built by the local authority in the early 1960s, partly to provide accommodation and services for people working at the newly-opened steelworks at Llanwern. Underwood has a primary school, playing fields and play areas, allotments, a grocery- post office, a pharmacy, other shops, a Baptist church, the Iscoed Tafarn public house, and adjacent health and community centres.
The Underwood Estate was originally developed from the former World War II Prisoner of War camp after the end of the war. A few surviving examples of the former PoW huts were still 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 part of the 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 BT was privatised in the early 1980s.
The land was subsequently sold to Westbury Homes who built the Waltwood Park Drive Development of around 220 private houses on the land. The estate 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. Built in three phases, with the Waltwood Park Development being the last of the three phases.
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.
Wilcrick
Wilcrick (Welsh: Chwilgrug) is a small village within the administrative boundary of the City of Newport, South Wales, just to the west of Magor.
Three farms are located in the village: Church Farm, Newhouse Farm and Tump Farm.
To the southeast of the village is Wilcrick Hill which was a hillfort, of which the earthworks remain. Archaeological evidence, in the form of a small Iron Age settlement found preserved under peat at Barland's Farm, suggests that the occupiers probably moved inland, from the lower lying and wetter Caldicot Level, with their grazing cattle, when water-levels rose in the autumn, possibly to the hill fort which overlooks the site.
Nearby, a nearly complete 3rd century Romano-British oak boat was found beside a buried stone and timber quay in 1993, during the building of a distribution depot at the nearby Euro Park. This suggests that much higher water levels prevailed on the Levels at the time. The parish church is dedicated to St. Mary, with the minister historically being also the minister for Llanmartin. The only ministers not appearing also as ministers there were Peter Ameline, rector of Wilcrick in 1535 and Edmond Jones instituted to Wilcrick on 16 July 1631. After that the names and dates of ministers for both parishes are the same.