Three sketches in and around Newport
Newport Past
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The Scrapbook of William Henry Greene
or in his own words
'Some of my Old Favourites - A Treasure House of Especial Sweets with some of my very own verses and sketches with pen and pencil.'


We are fortunate that William Henry Greene gathered together his 'treasures' in this volume. Pasted into the pages we find newspaper articles, poetry and sketches - the results of William's rambles in Monmouthshire and South West Gloucestershire.

William was born in Ross in 1832. In his early 20s he became a reporter for the Monmouthshire Beacon; from 1867 to 1874 he worked for the Pontypool Free Press and Herald of the Hills; and at other times he worked for journals as far afield as Bristol, Chard, Exeter, Gloucester and Guildford. He continued his work after retirement and contributed articles and illustrations to The Graphic and The Illustrated London News.

Towards the end of his life, William lived in Chepstow and he died in Newport at 109 Alma Street on March 31st 1894. The South Wales Daily Star reported: "Death was due to general decay of the system, the end being hastened by an attack of apoplexy."

Some of William's sketches have already appeared in publications. Reginald Nichols included several in Volume 4 of his Monmouthshire Medley series and, currently, the excellent Gathering The Jewels website (www.gtj.org.uk) is displaying a small selection. Newport Past is bringing you the opportunity to view many more.

The scrapbook is in the collection of Pontypool Museum; all images displayed from it here are copyright © Newport Past 2004. They were photographed by arrangement with Torfaen Museum Trust - the project being financed by sponsorship. We are keen to bring more of the nation's art treasures to public view by this means, if you are interested in sponsoring a similar project please contact us. There are many sketches and watercolours tucked away from the light in museum basements, many of which show scenes long since disappeared. On a recent visit to the National Museum and Gallery, Cardiff we found no antiquarian watercolours on display.

Most of the sketches in William's scrapbook date from the later years of his life. Two were executed in January 1894 just a few months before his death. We have organised them here by subject rather than date or order in his scrapbook. If William gave the picture a title we include that text within quotation marks. If the text is not within quotation marks this denotes that there was no title for the picture and that the description is our own. Any word which could not clearly be distinguished is included within brackets with a question mark after it. We also denote the page on which the sketch was pasted.

Photo of William Henry Greene 1859
Above: An early photo of William aged 27, taken in 1859.
The Dip near Newport Bridge, watercolour by WH Greene.
Watercolour by WH Greene of the Dip and High Steet, Newport. See also the sketch listed in the Index below.
Many thanks to Steve Thomas, Independent Financial Adviser, for sponsoring this project.
positivesolutions, 10 High Street, Caerleon, NP18 1AG Tel 01633 421079

Index of Sketches:

The Lych Gate, Malpas Church, Near Newport, Mon
Pill Mawr, Near Newport Mon
The Canal (possibly the junction of the Pontypool and Crumlin legs)
The Canal (probably Malpas)
The Canal (pobably Allt-yr-yn) showing Locks and a bather
The Canal, near Newport
The Canal, Allt-yr-yn? Twmbarlwm in distance
The Canal, flight of locks, Altyryn? People chatting
The Canal near Newport
Bettws Church between Henllys and Newport, Monmouthshire
Sports Ground, probably Newport Athletic Club
The Light House Near Newport Mon
Friars Cottage, Newport, Mon
Bridge, maybe Ebbw Bridge, Newport - it appears to be adjacent to Friars Cottage
Steep path
Pugsley's Cottage, Newport, Mon
The New Public Park at Newport, Mon. First sod to be cut, Nov 3, 1892. (Belle Vue Park)
'The Dip' from the Bridge. (Before 1893)
Steam Packet Road, Newport, Mon
Landing stage near the Bridge Hotel and Newport Bridge
The Backs of the old houses opposite the Bridge Hotel
Castle from Bridge Hotel, showing buildings to be demolished during work to remove the 'Dip'
The Old Castle Stores, Newport Castle and buildings to be demolished during work to remove the 'Dip'
Photograph of castle, fencing around it. Demolition of adjacent buildings in progress. June 28, 1892
Photograph similar to one above, unfortunately very faded but interesting!
Sketch similar view to above photograph. Fencing around castle
Farm, probably in the Newport area
The Barracks, Newport, Mon. Long view
The Barracks, Newport, Mon
Coed y Dafryd Camp From Tredegar Park, Newport, Mon
Fort Tredegar from Tredegar Park
Nanty Mon Cottages Near Castleton, Monmouthshire
(In sirries?) and The Brake behind the Park Cottages, Forge Lane, Tredegar Park, Newport, Mon
Probably Tredegar Fort - train below hill
Fort Tredegar, From Graig Ddiffaeth North-End - Graig Ddiffaeth - Ridgeway.
The Cromlech at Gwern-y Cleppa near Newport, Mon
The Chapel of St Gwladys, Pont Ebbw, Near Newport, Mon
Porch of St Gwladys Church, Pont Ebbw, Near Newport, Mon
Supposed Burial place of St Gwladys. Pont Ebbw, Newport, Mon
Stone staircase in the ancient church of St. Gwladys, now Rock Cottages, at Pont Ebbw
Old William Edwards of Bassaleg. An ancient quarry of local information
Rhyd-Pen-Carn on the River Ebbw, near Tredegar House, Newport, Mon
Samuel's cottage in the Golden Dingle Rhyd-Pencarn
Buchanans cottage in the Golden Dingle, Rhyd Pencarn, Near Newport, Mon
Tredegar Park House
Doorway at Castle (Beha or Bena?), Maesglas Farm, Pont Ebbw, Newport
A fragment of Rogerstone Castle near Newport
House on Site of Rogerstone Castle
Twmbarlwm Camp - the pimple
Llantarnam Abbey
Porth Mawr Lodge, Llantarnam Abbey
Llantarnam Abbey
Llantarnam Abbey
King Arthurs Round Table. Site of Roman Amphitheatre, Caerleon

Valley under the Lodge Wood Roman Camp - also - Cannon found at Pill Mawr & details
The Lodge Wood Roman Camp Near Newport and Caerleon. Monmouthshire
Continuation of earthworks leading from Lodge Wood Roman Camp to Old Caerleon Road
Earthworks on old Caerleon Road, below the Lodge Wood Roman Camp

Areas Around Newport

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