Usk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This is about the town in Monmouthshire. For the hamlet in British Columbia, see Usk, British Columbia.
| Usk | ||
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | ||
| Population: | 2,318 | |
| Ordnance Survey | ||
| OS grid reference: | Maps for SO375005 | |
| Administration | ||
| Principal area: | Monmouthshire | |
| Constituent country: | Wales | |
| Sovereign state: | United Kingdom | |
| Other | ||
| Police force: | Gwent Police | |
| Ceremonial county: | Gwent | |
| Historic county: | Monmouthshire | |
| Post office and telephone | ||
| Post town: | USK | |
| Postal district: | NP15 | |
| Dialling code: | 01291 | |
| Politics | ||
| UK Parliament: | Monmouth | |
| European Parliament: | Wales | |
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Usk (signposted in Welsh as Brynbuga) is a small picturesque town in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated 10 miles northeast of Newport. The River Usk flows through the town and is spanned by an ancient, arched stone bridge at the southern entrance to the town. A castle above the town overlooks the ancient Anglo-Welsh border crossing - the river can usually be waded on foot even today.
Usk was founded in 55AD as a Roman settlement of Burrium and was a thriving market town through Victorian times. Its name comes from the Ancient British word wysg or uisge meaning water, and so has the same origin as the word "whisky". As with some other towns in Wales (e.g. Abergavenny) it was assigned an unrelated Welsh name Brynbuga during the latter 20th century.
The current population is less than 2,500 and the town is known for its unusually abundant supply of pubs and restaurants. Many people will make the drive from Newport and even further afield for a quiet meal away from the bustle of the city. The main street, which is the A472 road, is a narrow collection of old houses, restaurants, pubs, shops and businesses (some dating back to the 15th century), and it passes a tranquil town square.
Usk Castle http://www.uskcastle.com/, whilst hidden from view by its surrounding trees (planted in the early 20th century), is one of the few castles still privately owned and occupied. In 2005 the 600th anniversary of the battle of Pwll Melyn was commemorated by a son-et-lumiere show http://www.uskcastlepageant.org.uk/.
Usk was the birthplace of Adam of Usk. During the "Welsh Revolt", in 1403 Owain Glyndŵr burnt Usk to the ground. The Battle of Usk (Pwll Melyn) in 1405 occurred when English forces routed their Welsh opponents causing much loss of life, including the execution of several hundred Welshmen. In 1678, Usk was the site of St David Lewis' martyrdom for his alleged part in the bogus Popish Plot of Titus Oates.
Usk won the Large Village award in the 2005 Britain in Bloom awards.
