Penhow, Newport
Encyclopedia
Penhow is a small village and community parish
just inside the eastern edge of the boundary of the city
of Newport
, South Wales
, within the historic county of Monmouthshire
.
The name Penhow was believed to be derived from the Welsh
word Pen and How derived from the Old Norse
word Haugr meaning hill or mound.
building material have been found in the area.
in Wales
. It was built as a home for Sir Roger de St Maur, one of the Norman
knight
s who served the Norman Lord of Striguil
at Chepstow Castle
. He built a tower house, and documentary evidence shows that he was at Penhow by 1129. It was the first British home of the family who would later rise to national prominence under the more familiar name of Seymour
. Later the Seymour family sold Penhow Castle to the Lewis family of St. Pierre
, who converted the castle to a modern residence in 1674. Thomas Lewis' son Thomas was High Sheriff
of the county, and married the daughter of Sir ichard Levett], Lord Mayor of London
. The Lewis retained ownership of Penhow Castle for several centuries.
The castle has a reputation for being haunted
.. It was open to the public between 1978 and 2002.
is a 17th Century coaching inn on the edge of the village. The historic inn and its 5-acre site underwent a £1m renovation and redevelopment during 2010. The inn reopened as a steak and seafood restaurant in November 2010.
and the Penhow, Newport community council
.
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
just inside the eastern edge of the boundary of the city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of 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...
, 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...
, within the historic county of Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
.
The name Penhow was believed to be derived from the Welsh
Welsh 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...
word Pen and How derived from the Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
word Haugr meaning hill or mound.
Roman remains
Fragments of RomanRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
building material have been found in the area.
Penhow Castle
Penhow is best known for Penhow Castle, which has claims to be the oldest inhabited castleCastle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It was built as a home for Sir Roger de St Maur, one of the Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s who served the Norman Lord of Striguil
Striguil
Striguil or Strigoil is the name which was used from the 11th century until the late 14th century, for the port and Norman castle of Chepstow, on the Welsh side of the River Wye which forms the boundary with England...
at Chepstow Castle
Chepstow Castle
Chepstow Castle , located in Chepstow, Monmouthshire in Wales, on top of cliffs overlooking the River Wye, is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain...
. He built a tower house, and documentary evidence shows that he was at Penhow by 1129. It was the first British home of the family who would later rise to national prominence under the more familiar name of Seymour
Seymour family
Seymour, or St. Maur, is the name of an English family in which several titles of nobility have from time to time been created, and of which the Duke of Somerset is the head.-Origins:...
. Later the Seymour family sold Penhow Castle to the Lewis family of St. Pierre
St. Pierre, Monmouthshire
St Pierre is a former parish and hamlet in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, 3 miles south west of Chepstow and adjacent to the Severn estuary. It is now the site of a large golf and country club, the Marriott St Pierre Hotel & Country Club, which was previously a large manor house and deer park...
, who converted the castle to a modern residence in 1674. Thomas Lewis' son Thomas was High Sheriff
High Sheriff
A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...
of the county, and married the daughter of Sir ichard Levett], Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
. The Lewis retained ownership of Penhow Castle for several centuries.
The castle has a reputation for being haunted
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
.. It was open to the public between 1978 and 2002.
Church of St. John the Baptist
The parish church of St. John the Baptist is next to the castle. It has 13th century origins, and was the subject of restoration work in the 19th century.Rock & Fountain Inn
The Rock & Fountain InnThe Rock & Fountain Inn
The Rock & Fountain Inn is a public house located in the village of Penhow on the outskirts of Newport, South Wales. It was originally built in the 17th century as a coaching inn on the busy transport route linking Chepstow, Caldicot, Caerwent and Newport....
is a 17th Century coaching inn on the edge of the village. The historic inn and its 5-acre site underwent a £1m renovation and redevelopment during 2010. The inn reopened as a steak and seafood restaurant in November 2010.
Temperature record
Penhow also holds the current record July temperature for Wales, 34.2°C (93.5°F) set on July 19, 2006 .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...
and the Penhow, Newport community council
Community council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies...
.