Newport Cathedral

Newport Cathedral (Welsh: Eglwys Gadeiriol Casnewydd), also known as St Woolos Cathedral,[1][2] is the cathedral of the Diocese of Monmouth, in the Church in Wales, and seat of the Bishop of Monmouth. Located in the city of Newport in South East Wales, its full title is Newport Cathedral of St. Woolos, King & Confessor.[3]

Newport Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St. Woolos, King & Confessor
St Woolos Cathedral south face
LocationNewport
CountryWales
DenominationChurch in Wales
WebsiteNewport Cathedral website
History
StatusCathedral
Founded5th century
Founder(s)Gwynllyw
DedicationGwynllyw
EventsRebuilt 9th century
Extended 12th, 15th and 20th centuries
Past bishop(s)Rowan Williams
Dominic Walker
Richard Pain
Associated peoplePrince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Architecture
Heritage designationClass I listed
Administration
ParishSt. Woolos
ArchdeaconryNewport
DioceseDiocese of Monmouth
Clergy
Bishop(s)Cherry Vann
DeanLister Tonge

Saint Woolos

The name "Woolos" is an English corruption of Gwynllyw, the 5th-century Welsh saint who first founded a religious establishment on the site.

Pre-Norman establishment

An early wooden church is known to have stood on the site from sometime during the Welsh Age of the Saints. This was rebuilt in stone in the 9th century indicating the importance of the cult of Saint Gwynllyw and the wealth of the shrine, as stone buildings from this period are very rare. Sections of the present building date from Early Medieval times and part of this stone building is now incorporated into the present building as the Galilee chapel located at the western end of the cathedral.[4]

A pirate attack circa 1050 left the structure in ruins.[5]

Norman history
The Norman archway

In about 1080 the Normans built a new nave to the east of the Saxon ruins, and a lean-to south aisle, building a new entrance archway through the Saxon wall. Circa 1200 the Saxon church was repaired so the Norman entrance became an internal archway.[5]

Mediaeval history
Plaque on eastern wall surrounding the cathedral marking the boundary of the mediaeval borough

It was badly damaged in 1402 when Newport was attacked by the forces of Owain Glyndŵr and underwent a major rebuilding including the addition of the tower.

It also seems to have been damaged in the English Civil War period when a statue above the main entrance representing a benefactor of the church seems to have lost its head. It is either Jasper Tudor, the Earl of Pembroke, or Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham as both helped rebuild it after Glyndwr's attack.

Recent history

The cathedral has been partially rebuilt or extended in every period up to the 1960s, and is currently undergoing much-needed repairs. An appeal fund was started in 2006 to raise the £1.5m needed to rescue and repair the building, and is still ongoing. Repairs to the roof started in February 2011 by Newport-based contractor Instaat Projects Ltd, although further fundraising is necessary and other restoration is required to prevent serious dilapidation.

In 1929 St Woolos became the pro-cathedral of the new Diocese of Monmouth, attaining full cathedral status in 1949.[note 1]

With the enthronement of Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Wales in February 2000, the cathedral became the Metropolitan Cathedral for Wales for the third time in its life. The cathedral continues to serve Wales, the diocese and the City of Newport; it also serves a large parish.

It is also a place of pilgrimage for political and industrial historians – a plaque in the churchyard commemorates the bloody suppression of the Chartist rebellion here in 1839.

The Dean of Monmouth between March 1997 and May 2011 was Richard Fenwick. In May 2011 he was consecrated as Bishop of St Helena. The Diocese covers the islands of Saint Helena and Ascension in the South Atlantic Ocean.[6]

The Reverend Canon Jeremy Winston was installed as Dean of Monmouth on 10 September 2011, but died from a brain tumour on 22 November 2011.[7] On 13 January 2012 it was announced that his successor was to be the Reverend Lister Tonge. He was installed on 31 March 2012.[8]

Situated in the cathedral is the cathedra or seat of the Bishop of Monmouth. The current bishop is the Right Reverend Cherry Vann, enthroned on 1 February 2020.[9]

Organ and choir
See also: List of musicians at Welsh cathedrals

A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.[10] The current Organist and Choirmaster is Dr. Emma Gibbins, who has been in post since 2015. The current assistant organist is Jeremy Blasby, appointed in 2010. The choir is made up of 16 boys and 12 men, with supernumerary men and boys participating in services at various times.

Timeline
  • c. 500: Original church built
  • c. 800: Church replaced with a stone structure
  • c. 1050: Attacked by pirates and left in ruins
  • c. 1080: Normans build nave and archway
  • c. 1200: Entrance chapel repaired
  • 15th century: Tower and aisles built
  • c. 1650: Monuments damaged by Puritans
  • 1819: Entrance chapel restored
  • 1853: Full restoration
  • 1854: The new St Woolos Cemetery opens 1 mile to the west of the cathedral
  • 1869: Last burials in the old graveyard in the cathedral ground
  • 1913: Full restoration and re-roofing. Installation of present pews and parquet floor.
  • 1922: Designated pro-Cathedral of the Diocese of Monmouth
  • 1949: Full Cathedral status
  • 1962: Victorian Chancel replaced to designs by Alban Caroe
  • 1987: Choir Chapel refurbished as the Presentation Chapel
  • 1997: Renovation of organ[5]
  • 2011: Roof renovation

Deans of Monmouth
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References
  1. From 1907, city status in the UK was formalised such that it was no longer a simple matter for it to be conveyed by possession of a cathedral. Newport did not become a city until 2002
  1. Moody, Tom (8 September 2019). "St Woolos Cathedral is 'an oasis of quiet and peace'". South Wales Argus.
  2. "St Woolos Cathedral". Newport City Council.
  3. "Newport Cathedral". Diocese of Monmouth. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2008.
  4. "St Woolos Rescue – page 2". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 5 August 2007.
  5. "St Woolas Cathedral Newport visitor leaflet". Diocese of Monmouth. October 2000 [March 1998]. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. "Dean of Monmouth becomes South Atlantic bishop". South Wales Argus. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  7. Death of the Very Revd Jeremy Winston, Dean of Newport Cathedral
  8. "Diocese of Monmouth – Cathedral Dean". Archived from the original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  9. Barnes, Dan. "New Bishop of Monmouth Cherry Vann enthroned in Newport". South Wales Argus (1 February 2019). Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  10. http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=D03308
  11. "Phillips, Very Rev. John Leoline". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. 1920–2007 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 23 March 2015. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
  12. "Davies, Very Rev. Joseph Gwyn". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. 1920–2007 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 19 February 2014. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
  13. "Thomas, Rev. John Roland Lloyd". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. 1920–2007 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 19 February 2014. (subscription or UK public library membership required) (nb: Who's Who is in error; John's surname was Lloyd Thomas, not Thomas.)
  14. "Evans, Very Rev. Raymond Ellis". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. 1920–2007 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 19 February 2014. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
  15. "Jenkins, Very Rev. Frank Graham". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. 1920–2007 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 19 February 2014. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
  16. "Lewis, Very Rev. (David) Gareth". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. 1920–2007 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 19 February 2014. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
  17. "St Helena, Bishop of, (Rt Rev. Dr Richard David Fenwick)". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. 2014 (December 2013 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 19 February 2014. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
  18. "Winston, Very Rev. Jeremy Hugh". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. 1920–2007 (December 2012 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 19 February 2014. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
  19. "Tonge, Very Rev. Lister". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. 2014 (December 2013 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 19 February 2014. (subscription or UK public library membership required)

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