Folk of the Footbridge

  Poster by James Milne

  The Transporter Bridge and the opening ceremony Cardiff Times, 15th Sept 1906 taken from Welsh Newspapers on line https://newspapers.library.wales/ THEN THE DAY THE TRANSPORTER BRIDGE OPENED It was a wonderful event and Lord Tredegar was there for the opening ceremony on a day of inclement weather. The newspaper reported - "But the climatic conditions were powerless to minimise the feelings of pride with which the people of Newport viewed their commerical asset - a structure as striking a skyline as may be seen in any part of the kingdom" Cardiff Times, 15th Sept 1906 AND NOW WE are so pleased that the Newport Transporter Bridge, the world's most complete surviving transporter bridge, will undergo repairs and renovations and acquire a visitor's centre thanks to a £8.75 million National Lottery grant. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? See also Video of Transporter Bridge

   'The River Usk; Newport Transporter Bridge',  This picture takes us further down the river. It shows the Transporter Bridge and how the design of the bridge allowed larger ships to travel up river. 'The River Usk; Newport Transporter Bridge', oil on canvas is by Leonard Lewis Foote (1897-1974). It was donated to Newport art Gallery c.1941. It was painted in 1934. Foote possibly  specialised in ships and seascapes as Newport Museum and Art Gallery has another of his paintings entitled  HMS 'George V' with Escort  However we know little about him but when he died he lived at 74 Aston Crescent Newport. Does anyone know more? Picture courtesy of Newport Museum and Art Gallery. We aim to showcase more of Newport Art Gallery's collection of art work relating to this project in the future.

  Photograph by Rhian Hutchings. View of the footbridge from the Riverfront with the tide in! Its one of my favourite views in Newport. The new housing and footbridge frame the river and I love the way the new bridge reaches out over the Usk almost like its pulling the other side closer, actively bringing the two sides of Newport together.

  Anne Dunton writes about travelling by paddle steamer from Newport Who has memories of childhood trips to Clevedon, Penarth, Weston or Ilfracombe? Do you have any photos to share? Do you remember the gentle trip down the river, then finally reaching ‘the sea’? And watching and listening to the churn of the paddles. From the late 19thcentury until the 1950s paddle steamers of the White Funnel Line sailed during the summer from D. B. wharf near the old Art College. Steamers then could pass easily under the Transporter Bridge and up to Newport Bridge, but the town’s new bridges prevent ships coming so far upstream. In the 1970s when the Waverley and Balmoral came into service they had to moor at Newport Docks. Take a walk along the river bank from the castle to the Transporter, spotting the creosote soaked timber stumps of the wharves and disused dry docks, as a reminder of the days when the Usk was busy with shipping and workers. Now it’s a nostalgic urban stroll, where two memoria...

  Denise Brennan 'I wanted to juxtapose old Newport with the wooden remains of the posts with the reflection of the new bridge. The reflections in the water make it very abstract so you don’t necessarily know what you are looking at'.

  This stunning photo was taken by Rachael Harding  one of our  FONMAG  committee members.  The reflections of the footbridge in the Usk are amazing!

This is our very first blog post for Folk of The Footbridge! The project was launched on 15th January 2021 and here is the article from Newport Matters. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram very soon!

Folk of the Footbridge is a project led by Friends of Newport Museum and Art Gallery and Newport Museums nnd Heritage Service. The project is funded through a Fifteen Minute Heritage Grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Usk and Footbridge is a focul point for many stories, so share yours with us. Send us photographs, artwork and poems, videos to add to our collection.  This blog brings together all the pictures, memories and artwork created and contributed by members of the Newport community.  You can also find the project on:- Social media: Folk of the Footbridge Facebook Page Folk of the Footbridge Instagram Folk of the Footbridge Twitter