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The Forest Of Dean - see more...Things to do & See - see more...Newnham
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
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. Brief HistoryNewnham'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.
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. The Severn BoreThe Severn Bore is one of Britain's few truly spectacular
natural
For more information on the bore visit: http://www.severn-bore.co.uk/
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The village
of Newnham is very attractive. You can enjoy walking around the village admiring
its attractive Georgian properties along the High Street and shopping in the
food, craft or antique shops. There is a choice of several good pubs restaurants
and. cafés. The village is about 8 miles from the city of Gloucester and there
are numerous walks and tourist attractions within easy travelling distance of
the village. We are able to offer transport to and from local bus and train
stations.
We
are only 13 miles from the M5 and 23 miles from the M4. We are within striking
distance of the Cotswolds, Bristol and Cardiff.
and
pottery, post office, Inns, village stores as well as a delicatessen and
library. 
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. 
phenomena. It is a large surge wave that can be seen in the estuary of the River
Severn, where the tidal range is the 2nd highest in the world, being as much as
50 feet (approx. 15.4m).