Newborough () is a village in the south-western corner of the Isle of Anglesey in Wales. It is a part of the Bro Aberffraw electoral ward, to the northwest is Aberffraw, and to the northeast is Llanfairpwll. There is a Church in the village, and a public institute. Nearby is the Newborough Warren, a forest, beach, and public natural nature reserve.
History
In medieval Gwynedd, Rhosyr was the royal demesne () and seat of governance for the commote of Menai. The location was a residence for the Princes of Gwynedd. There is a ruined court building of Llys Rhosyr (Rhosyr court) lying on the outskirts of the present village, the royal court () dates from 1237 and was in use for less than a century. The building was the inspiration and model for the reconstruction of a court at St. Fagans museum, Cardiff.
Modern Newborough was founded by citizens of Llanfaes in eastern Anglesey who were evicted by Edward I in 1294 to promote his new port of Beaumaris. It was established as a "new borough" and gained its charter in 1303, the town produced a Burgess. Before that, the town was called Rhôs Vair. In the time of Henry VII of England, the county of Anglesey's court (Assizes) and businesses were moved to the village after 250 years in Beaumaris Castle, , thus giving the village a member of parliament and making it the county town of Anglesey. Then in 1550, the courts and businesses returned to Beaumaris. It was home to a thriving marram grass industry, used for producing matting, nets, and rope. John Morgan, a blind musician, living around 1740, played the crwth in the village. The village gives it's name to Baron Newborough of the Wynn family.
The village today
In the village is St Peter's Church, the place of worship dates from the 14th century, with additions in the 15th and 16th centuries, and then the church was restored in 1850 and again rebuilt in 1886.
The Prichard Jones Institute was built in 1905. The Neo-Tudor institute with a clock tower was designed by Roland Lloyd Jones and completed for less than £20,000, the building is higher than the average in the village because of the problem of strong winds. The Institute appeared on the BBC2 programme, Restoration, in 2006. There are six single-story cottage homes attached to the institute, they were gifted to the village by Sir John Prichard-Jones, who the building was named after and was born in . Sir John served as an apprentice draper in Caernarfon, then moved to London to work in Dickins, Smith and Stevens. Pritchard-Jones was promoted to become chairman of the Dickins & Jones department store in London, to which he gave his name.
Today, Newborough has a primary school, Ysgol Santes Dwynwen, which opened in 2019.
Recreation
The village and its environs provide walking opportunities for visitors, including at Newborough Warren, one of the largest areas of dunes in the British Isles, and Newborough Forest, a woodland. Much of the area around Newborough is a nature reserve, popular for those interested in geology, botany, birds, and other wildlife.
There is a large sandy Blue Flag beach at Llanddwyn, which provides access to Ynys Llanddwyn, where there is a Church dedicated to Saint Dwynwen. It was built in the 16th century on a mile-long promontory, she was the patron of the Welsh Valentines day (). However, the Church is said to have been dedicated to the Saint in 465 AD. The beach is a popular kitesurfing location.
Just outside the village is Tacla Taid, the Anglesey Transport and Agriculture Museum, the largest of its kind in Wales.
Demographics
The village of Newborough is in the community (and former electoral ward) of Rhosyr, which has a population of 2,169, increasing to 2,226 at the 2011 census.
Historically the population has grown from 599 in 1801 to 934 in 1971. And, by 1831, there were 187 males over 20 years old, of them, 62 were farmworkers. During 2011, the village had a population of 892 with 68% born in Wales. As of the 2021 census, Newborough has a population of 839.
People from Newborough
Sir John Prichard-Jones, 1st Baronet (1841–1917), businessman, partner in the London department store Dickins & Jones. William Jones (1842–1907), master mariner, industrialist and civic leader, settled in Tasmania, Australia. Grace Wynne Griffith (1888–1963) novelist writing in Welsh, joint prize winner at the National Eisteddfod in 1934.
Movies and television filmed in Newborough
Coast, BBC television series
Half Light, 2006 horror film starring Demi Moore. Clash Of The Titans, 2010 historical fantasy film starring Sam Worthington. House of the Dragon, 2022 Fantasy television drama, prequel to Game of Thrones.