Newport Cathedral

Newport Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St. Woolos, King & Confessor
St Woolos Cathedral south face
Location	Newport
Country	Wales
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Newport Cathedral website
History
Founded	5th century
Founder(s)	Gwynllyw
Dedication	Gwynllyw
Events	Rebuilt 9th century Extended 12th, 15th and 20th centuries
Past bishop(s)	Rowan Williams
Associated people	Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Architecture
Status	Cathedral
Heritage designation	Class I listed
Administration
Parish	St. Woolos
Archdeaconry	Newport
Diocese	Diocese of Monmouth
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Richard Pain
Dean	Lister Tonge

Newport Cathedral (Welsh: Eglwys Gadeiriol Casnewydd) is the cathedral of the Diocese of Monmouth, in the Church in Wales, and seat of the Bishop of Monmouth. Located in the city of Newport in South East Wales, it's full title is Newport Cathedral of St. Woolos, King & Confessor.

The name "Woolos" is an English corruption of Gwynllyw, the 5th-century Welsh saint who first founded a religious establishment on the site.

An early wooden church is known to of stood on the site from sometime during the Welsh Age of the Saints. This was rebuilt in stone in the 9th century indicating the importance of the cult of Saint Gwynllyw and the wealth of the shrine, as stone buildings from this period are very rare. Sections of the present building date from Early Medieval times and part of this stone building is now incorporated into the present building as the Galilee chapel located at the western end of the Cathedral.

A pirate attack circa 1050 left the structure in ruins.

Circa 1080 the Normans built a new nave to the east of the Saxon ruins, and a lean-to south aisle, building a new entrance archway through the Saxon wall. Circa 1200 the Saxon church was repaired so the Norman entrance became an internal archway.

It was badly damaged in 1402 when Newport was attacked by the forces of Owain Glyndŵr and underwent a major rebuilding including the addition of the tower.

It also seems to have been damaged in the English Civil War period when a statue above the main entrance representing a benefactor of the church seems to have lost its head. It is either Jasper Tudor, the Earl of Pembroke, or Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham as both helped rebuild it after Glyndwr's attack.