Newport is a city and region in South of Wales between Cardiff and Bristol on the River Usk with a total population of 140,000 spread over an area of 74 sq miles. Newport was given City status in the year 2000 but has been settled from Norman times and beyond. The ruins of Newport Castle give the name Newport from the Welsh ‘Casnewydd‘ or ‘new castle’ in English.

Significant employers in the area include: the Passport Office, the Charity Commission, British Red Cross, Intellectual Property Office (was the Patent Office), LG Electronics, Panasonic, Office for National Statistics, HM Prisons and Corus Steelworks.

The Monmouthshire Canal was constructed in 1792 and runs from Newport to Pontymoile Basin for around 20 miles through the Brecon Beacons National Park. The canal was mostly used to transport goods and materials across country and is now a tourist attraction. Part of the walls collapsed in October 2007 causing local homes to be evacuated, 90 leaks and still extant.

Famous residents include poet W H Davies, film director Peter Greenaway, author Arthur Machen, TV presenter Johnny Morris, musician Joe Strummer and James Bond actor Desmond Llewellyn.