For February we have arranged a local car tour and for March a talk on the situation on (or under) the ground a century ago in Caerwent.  Also below is a list of some of the reports we have compiled – most of these are very short and free on request provided they can be collected or hand delivered.  If you are wondering where these reports come from, the broad answer is You, the people of the district.  So if you have any information, photographs, press cuttings etc that you can share, please get in touch.  I should add that there isn’t a local history group active over the area between Caerwent and Newport so to some extent we are covering Penhow to Langstone as well.

The Geology of Caerwent

Saturday 24^th February 2.00pm

We can visit a few interesting features and with the aid of Geological maps (provided) get an overview of the district.  This isn’t just a drive or a talk, more a mobile seminar where any of us who are interested can enquire and hopefully explain why a stream is there or why the place looks like it does.  Meet at the Cadw car park Caerwent.  (Please note, this tour was originally planned for one week earlier.)

The Excavation of Caerwent 1899-1913

Wednesday 14^th March 7.30pm

Caerwent was never the same after it had been dug up for 15 years in succession!  The story of the excavations will be told by Bob Trett, formerly Curator of the museum in Newport.  It is to Newport that the finds were moved after the closure of the Caerwent Museum in 1916.  Bob won’t be returning the finds but he will bring some colour slides – black-and-white ones I suspect!  The talk will be at the Westgate Barn – the renovated building on the Cadw car park, Caerwent.

Reports and notes available on request (primary source in italics)

St Bartholomews Church Highmoor Hill (Dorothy Titcombe)

Old Dinham  (Don Jones, Nancy Pask)

The Piercefield walk  (Derrick Williams)

Was St Patrick Born in Caerwent?  (Rev Coleman Williams)

Caerwent’s lost lake and The Neddern valley (£1) 

Prehistoric sites in the environs of Caerwent

Pat’s Cafe and the Wentwood Inn (closed 2006) (£1)  

The Refugee Children in Caerwent (WW 2)  (the Harding family)

House road and place names around Caerwent

Portskewett & Sudbrook in the light of visit May 2006  (Mark Lewis)

The Factory at Caerwent – the power stations and the dillys  (Mr Juddery)

The Decoy Site for the Factory (Coed Llifos, Wolvesnewton)  (Derrick Williams)

Wild daffodils in the locality.

The Poor Wood  (Rev Gruffydd Jones)

Mr Dally, his family and the Road Gang  (Chris Taylor)

John Nettleship  Secretary