Brynglas
Encyclopedia
Brynglas is an area of the city of Newport
, South Wales
, United Kingdom
.
Brynglas is situated above the M4 motorway
in Newport and famous on traffic reports
of congestion at the Brynglas Tunnels
.
for "Blue Hill". Locals speculate that the reasoning for this name is due to the thousands of Common bluebell
s that appear each spring in the Brynglas Bluebell wood
s. Prior to development the south-facing hill would have appeared blue during the spring around April and May and therefore was called 'Brynglas'.
The area consists of the streets of Brynglas Drive, Brynglas Road, Brynglas Close, Brynglas Court, Brynglas Crescent and the relatively modern Bryn-Bevan estate.
Brynglas Road was the first road to be built in the Brynglas area. The houses were privately owned. The road originally led solely to Brynglas House on top of the hill. Later on, a council estate, Brynglas Drive was added.
Brynglas Drive consists mostly of quickly built post-war concrete-structured housing and were originally built and owned by Newport Corporation
. Most of the housing has now been bought privately but Newport City Council still own some.
Brynglas Court and Brynglas Close consist of council-style flats.
Bryn Bevan, off Brynglas Road, is the latest addition to the Brynglas area. The simple-styled housing was very cost-effective and has great views overlooking the city.
under Brynglas Hill in Newport
. The 1,200 ft-long twin-bored tunnels were the first tunnels in the British motorway network and are still the only bored tunnels using tunnel boring machine
s.
The tunnels and adjacent Usk bridge
were originally planned by Newport Corporation
in August 1959 in a plan submitted to the Ministry of Transport
. Work started on 10 September 1962 and both structures were complete and open to traffic by 1967.
Almost as soon as the M4 Newport bypass (junctions 24-28) had opened, the traffic levels had grown to such a degree that the road had to be widened to three lanes in each direction. This was finished in 1982 but with the exception of the tunnels and Usk bridge which remained as dual two-lane sections. During the original construction several houses on Brynglas Road (where the modern Newport Lodge Hotel now stands) had to be demolished due to structural weaknesses caused by the tunnelling. Therefore the technical challenges and risk associated with widening the existing tunnels in a highly built-up area were found to be too great. The tunnels remain a bottleneck
on the motorway and as of 2011 an entirely new bypass
south of the city has been proposed.
, however it has had many uses in the past such as being used as a hospital during World War II
and a secondary school through the 1960s and early 1970s.
.
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Location
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
in Newport and famous on traffic reports
Traffic reporting
Traffic reporting is the distribution of information about road conditions such as traffic congestion, detours, and traffic accidents, generally as part of a radio or television broadcast program. The reports help commuters anticipate and avoid traffic problems. Many reports mention alternate...
of congestion at the Brynglas Tunnels
Brynglas Tunnels
The Brynglas Tunnels carry the M4 motorway under Brynglas Hill in Newport. The twin-bored tunnels were the first tunnels in the British motorway network and are still the only bored tunnels....
.
Amenities & history
Brynglas is well known for its great views overlooking the city of Newport. Brynglas today has a population of about 300 inhabitants and contains a primary school and Brynglas House. The name is from the Welsh languageWelsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
for "Blue Hill". Locals speculate that the reasoning for this name is due to the thousands of Common bluebell
Common Bluebell
Hyacinthoides non-scripta, commonly known as the common bluebell, is a spring-flowering bulbous perennial plant. -Taxonomy:...
s that appear each spring in the Brynglas Bluebell wood
Bluebell wood
A bluebell wood is a woodland that in spring-time has a carpet of bluebells underneath a newly forming leaf canopy...
s. Prior to development the south-facing hill would have appeared blue during the spring around April and May and therefore was called 'Brynglas'.
The area consists of the streets of Brynglas Drive, Brynglas Road, Brynglas Close, Brynglas Court, Brynglas Crescent and the relatively modern Bryn-Bevan estate.
Local landmarks
- Brynglas House
- Crindau House (Oldest house in Newport)
- Brynglas Primary School
- Newport Lodge Hotel
- Brynglas TunnelsBrynglas TunnelsThe Brynglas Tunnels carry the M4 motorway under Brynglas Hill in Newport. The twin-bored tunnels were the first tunnels in the British motorway network and are still the only bored tunnels....
Brynglas Road was the first road to be built in the Brynglas area. The houses were privately owned. The road originally led solely to Brynglas House on top of the hill. Later on, a council estate, Brynglas Drive was added.
Brynglas Drive consists mostly of quickly built post-war concrete-structured housing and were originally built and owned by Newport Corporation
Newport City Council
Newport City Council is the governing body for the city of Newport, one of the subdivisions of Wales within the United Kingdom. It consists of 50 councillors, representing the city's 20 wards. Since the 2008 election, the council has been controlled jointly by the Conservatives and Liberal...
. Most of the housing has now been bought privately but Newport City Council still own some.
Brynglas Court and Brynglas Close consist of council-style flats.
Bryn Bevan, off Brynglas Road, is the latest addition to the Brynglas area. The simple-styled housing was very cost-effective and has great views overlooking the city.
Brynglas Tunnels
The Brynglas Tunnels carry the M4 motorwayM4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
under Brynglas Hill in Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
. The 1,200 ft-long twin-bored tunnels were the first tunnels in the British motorway network and are still the only bored tunnels using tunnel boring machine
Tunnel boring machine
A tunnel boring machine also known as a "mole", is a machine used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. They can bore through anything from hard rock to sand. Tunnel diameters can range from a metre to almost 16 metres to date...
s.
The tunnels and adjacent Usk bridge
M4 motorway Usk bridge
The M4 motorway Usk bridge carries the M4 motorway across the River Usk in the city of Newport in the United Kingdom.*The bridge is actually two separate bridges for the eastbound and westbound carriageways....
were originally planned by Newport Corporation
Newport City Council
Newport City Council is the governing body for the city of Newport, one of the subdivisions of Wales within the United Kingdom. It consists of 50 councillors, representing the city's 20 wards. Since the 2008 election, the council has been controlled jointly by the Conservatives and Liberal...
in August 1959 in a plan submitted to the Ministry of Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
. Work started on 10 September 1962 and both structures were complete and open to traffic by 1967.
Almost as soon as the M4 Newport bypass (junctions 24-28) had opened, the traffic levels had grown to such a degree that the road had to be widened to three lanes in each direction. This was finished in 1982 but with the exception of the tunnels and Usk bridge which remained as dual two-lane sections. During the original construction several houses on Brynglas Road (where the modern Newport Lodge Hotel now stands) had to be demolished due to structural weaknesses caused by the tunnelling. Therefore the technical challenges and risk associated with widening the existing tunnels in a highly built-up area were found to be too great. The tunnels remain a bottleneck
Bottleneck
A bottleneck is a phenomenon where the performance or capacity of an entire system is limited by a single or limited number of components or resources. The term bottleneck is taken from the 'assets are water' metaphor. As water is poured out of a bottle, the rate of outflow is limited by the width...
on the motorway and as of 2011 an entirely new bypass
M4 Toll
The New M4 was a proposed motorway south of Newport, South Wales, which would have been the United Kingdom's second full toll-paying motorway. The plans were dropped by the Welsh Assembly Government in July 2009....
south of the city has been proposed.
Brynglas House
Currently an Adult Education Centre owned by Newport City CouncilNewport City Council
Newport City Council is the governing body for the city of Newport, one of the subdivisions of Wales within the United Kingdom. It consists of 50 councillors, representing the city's 20 wards. Since the 2008 election, the council has been controlled jointly by the Conservatives and Liberal...
, however it has had many uses in the past such as being used as a hospital during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and a secondary school through the 1960s and early 1970s.
Government
The area is governed by the Newport City CouncilNewport City Council
Newport City Council is the governing body for the city of Newport, one of the subdivisions of Wales within the United Kingdom. It consists of 50 councillors, representing the city's 20 wards. Since the 2008 election, the council has been controlled jointly by the Conservatives and Liberal...
.