Coldra Farm, Penlyan Farm, Caerleon nr Newport

[chepstowgirl]

I have discovered my ancestors in 1901, living at Woodward Cottage, Caerleon.

On the census form, this cottage is sandwiched as follows....

'Cockynorth' Caerleon
Coldra Farm, Caerleon
Penylan Farm, Caerleon
WOODWARD COTTAGE

[chepstowgirl]

sorry - lets try that again!!!

I have discovered my ancestors in 1901, living at Woodward Cottage, Caerleon.

On the census form, this cottage is sandwiched as follows....

'Cockynorth'
Coldra Farm
Penylan Farm
WOODWARD COTTAGE
Woodville
St Alban's Lodge
Mount St Albans

I have found Coldra Farm in Kelly's, owned by Mr Waters. This ties in with the census as both Coldra and Penylan are owned by the Waters family.

My ancestor, Mark Sheppard was, curiously, a Shepherd. I would live to find out where this cottage was and indeed if it is still there, along with the farm my ancestor worked on. Can anyone help me with the location of this farm please? I would be most grateful.

thanks in advance.

[rgee]

Hi
If you go onto streetmap.com and get Newport on screen,(1:25000 scale) go to M4 jct24 running throughthis jct is a grid line follow this grid line North until you come to brown coloured road called Catsash road.
Alongside and to the left of this grid line just south of this road you will find Pen-y-lan. Along this road towards Newport just before the next grid line you will find Cock-y-North, between those two is where Coldra farm used to be. Back to Pen-y Lan where the track from Pen-y Lan joins the road on the other side of the road is a track going up to Mount Tudor, on an old map I have this is shown as Mount St. Albans, I remember it being a night club back in the 1970's.
The problem with this area now is most of the land has been bought up by the Celtic Manor and has been turned into golf courses, I believe that some of the old buildings are still standing, but weather you could get access to them is another matter.
If you still have trouble finding these places pm me with your contact details and I gladly help you.

[chepstowgirl]

This is brilliant, thank you so much! I have got the streetmap page up now and I am looking at the map, with all the information you describe.

I drive home from Newport to Chepstow along Catsash Road every day - I have found Catsash House (which is very pretty at the moment with blue lights on the little trees outside!), next to this is a house called The Lodge, which I had felt, from looking at an old map online, was Mount St Albans. However, I see Mount Tudor on the map now and wonder....... As you say, much of this is now part of the 2010 Ryder Cup course, so perhaps Woodward Cottage is no more. If I could find a safe place to park my car, i would have a wonder around lol.

Thank you so much for this information. I really should invest in a decent old map of Newport and the surrounding area for the beginning of the 1900's. Anything you can recommend?

Thanks again - and happy new year x

[rgee]

Hi again
Just been on a web site www.old-maps.co.uk and found the Newport area for the years 1887 and 1902 moved across to catsash onto a scale of 1:10560 and there is name of Woodville (could this be the Woodward cottage on the census).
It is where Catsash house is shown on my map, which would be slightly to the west of the track up to Mount St Albans (mount tudor)
Regards Ray

[chepstowgirl]

Hi again Ray

Thanks again for all this.. I have had a good look at both the old map and the google maps view. Woodville is marked on the census as a separate dwelling from Woodward cottage, and I think it could very well be the house that is known as Catsash House today. Penylan farm is marked on the opposite side of the road and quite possibly the farm that my ancestor kept sheep on. I cannot find Woodward cottage on any of the maps.

I am thinking I might write to the Celtic Manor estate to ask if anyone there knows what happened to the cottage. It may have been on the plans prior to the development of the resort, or at least the remains of it. I see that there is a cottage on the top part of the course to the south of Catsash Road, roughly opposite where Catsash House stands now. This may provide a clue.

Thank you again for your help - I am most grateful to you for taking the trouble to look the houses up on my behalf. If ever i can be of assistance to you, please ask.

Kindest regards

Julie 

[SASHA.P]

Hi Julie I can tell you exactly where cock y north farm was I own 11 acress of land almost just below where it used to stand there was two cottages up the top I do believe when the celtic manor bought the land they bulldozed both buildings sadly the footings are still there though buried beneath growth of goats willow and brambles the easiest way to find it is if you come up the footpath on the Usk valley walk from the bullmore road you bear right off the bulmore up a couple of steps through a wooden walkway onto the path go up through this first section of path then you will reach the wooden kissing gate go through that small wooden gate a few metres on you will then find steps that go up further and lead to the next gate then the path splits in two one to the right that heads up the hill and one that veers off to the left you need the right hand path follow it up there is a reen to the right of this path just away from the path by about 5-10 metres the channel is edged with big old beech trees and oaks it's quiet a treck up the hill when you reach the top before the golf course there is another little wooden gate on the right that leads into an overgrown pathway that path leads you across the top of the course and out onto belmont hill this year it has not been cut back so is overgrown a bit but you dont need to go that way anyway as just below this style area back down the hillside by the reen on the opposite side of the reen to where the path is that you just walked up is where cock y north farm sat ,I do believe there is some old railings partially exposed and tin sheets sticking out of the ground you will also see in the reen building materials bricks and rubbish I think this was all pushed down by the contractors who cleared the farm into the reen there and eventually been covered by time ,the best time of year to visit this spot is winter when the growth has died back as you will be able to access it I recall some nice trees being sat in what would of been its garden ,some of my elderly neighbours remember the cock y north farm if you ever want to get in touch please do I could always ask them for you .