Wilcrick Explained

Country:Wales
Welsh Name:Chwilgrug
Official Name:Wilcrick
Unitary Wales:Newport
Lieutenancy Wales:Gwent
Constituency Westminster:Newport East
Post Town:CALDICOT
Postcode District:NP26
Postcode Area:NP
Dial Code:01633
Os Grid Reference:ST409879
Population:24
Population Ref:(1961 census)
Static Image Name:Wilcrick.jpg
Static Image Caption:Wilcrick Hill

Wilcrick (Welsh: Chwilgrug) is a hamlet within the administrative boundary of the city of Newport, South Wales, just to the west of Magor and approximately 7miles southeast of Newport city centre. It is within the historic county of Monmouthshire.

Etymology

The name translates from the Welsh as a "bare hill" or "mound".[1]

Archaeology

Willcrick is located on the B4245 road to the northwest of Magor.To the southeast of the village is Wilcrick Hill which has a hillfort on its summit,[2] of which only the earthworks remain. Archaeological evidence of a small Iron Age settlement found preserved under peat at Barland's Farm suggests that the occupiers may have used the Caldicot and Wentloog Levels to pasture their cattle when conditions permitted, and may have moved into the hillfort when the Levels were too wet to be useable.[3]

Nearby, a nearly complete 3rd century Romano-British oak boat was found beside a buried stone and timber quay in 1993, during the building of a distribution depot at the nearby Europark. This suggests that much higher water levels prevailed on the Levels at the time.[4] [5]

The church

The parish church is dedicated to St. Mary, with the minister historically being also the minister for Llanmartin. The only ministers not appearing also as ministers there were Peter Ameline, rector of Wilcrick in 1535 and Edmond Jones instituted to Wilcrick on 16 July 1631. After that the names and dates of ministers for both parishes are the same. The church has a bell of 1726 cast by the Evans foundry of Chepstow.[6] Historian J.A. Bradney describes the church as comprising nave and chancel, with a bell turret at the west end and containing "nothing of interest except an ancient font". The whole edifice was rebuilt in 1860.[7]

References

  1. Book: Owen, Hywel Wyn . Dictionary of the Place-Names of Wales . Morgan . Richard . 2007 . Gomer . 978-1-84323-901-7 . 101 .
  2. Book: Concise Road Atlas: Britain . 2015 . AA Publishing . 978-0-7495-7743-8 . 28 .
  3. Web site: Willcrick - Bishton . Martin, Caroline . 2001 . Hillforts of Gwent: In Search of the Iron Age . 2 May 2016.
  4. Web site: Historic Landscape Characterisation the Gwent Levels . The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust . 2 May 2016.
  5. Web site: Barland's Farm boat . 2004. Newton-Davies, Victoria . The Newport Ship site . 2 May 2016.
  6. Web site: Rectorial Benefice of Magor St Martin's Church, Llanmartin . The Magor Benefice website . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120316145612/http://www.magorbenefice.co.uk/Llanmartin.html . 16 March 2012 . 2 May 2016 .
  7. [Joseph Bradney|Bradney, J. A.]

External links

51.5868°N -2.8544°W