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John Frost Square is a large public space in the
John Frost Square was completed in 1977, following 16 years of planning. In 1978 a mosaic mural by artist
Following the 1992 National Garden Festival (held in
The
John Frost Square is a large public space in the centre
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
of Newport, South Wales
South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
, named after the Chartist leader, John Frost. It was redeveloped as part of the Friars Walk shopping and leisure complex in 2014 and 2015.
Major features on John Frost Square include the Newport Museum, Library and Art Gallery, the north entrance to Kingsway Shopping Centre
The Kingsway Shopping Centre is an under-cover shopping centre in Newport city centre, Wales. The northern entrance is on John Frost Square adjoining the Friars Walk shopping and leisure complex. The east entrance is off Commercial Street and ...
and the headquarters of the Monmouthshire Building Society
Monmouthshire Building Society, ( cy, Cymdeithas Adeiladu'r Sir Fynwy), is a building society based in Newport, Wales. The Society provides typical building society services including: a range of mortgage and savings products. insurance, finan ...
.
History
John Frost Square was completed in 1977, following 16 years of planning. In 1978 a mosaic mural by artist Kenneth Budd
Kenneth George Budd (16 October 1925 – 21 January 1995) was an English mural artist, known for his mosaics and work in other materials. His company, Kenneth Budd and Associates was based in Penge, south London.
Budd was born in Fulham, L ...
, commemorating the 1839 Chartist uprising, was added to the underpass in the northeast corner of the square.Clock
Following the 1992 National Garden Festival (held in Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale (; cy, Glynebwy) is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River in Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough. The Ebbw Vale and Brynmawr c ...
), a public clock created for the event was moved and relocated in John Frost Square. Designed by sculptor Andy Plant and called "In the Nick of Time", the clock deconstructed itself at the top of each hour as model figures paraded around it. With skeletons holding hour glass
An hourglass (or sandglass, sand timer, sand clock or egg timer) is a device used to measure the passage of time. It comprises two glass bulbs connected vertically by a narrow neck that allows a regulated flow of a substance (historically san ...
es it functioned as a modern memento mori
''Memento mori'' (Latin for 'remember that you ave todie'Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books.
History Early years
Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 1972, they embark ...
'' guide to Wales described it as "a hilarious clock tower that falls to pieces on the hour". The clock was dismantled in 2008 and put into storage, until 2011 when it was sold to local property developers for £10,000 to re-erect on a 240 hectare Glan Llyn housing development on the old Llanwern Steelworks
Llanwern steelworks is located in Llanwern, east of the City of Newport, South Wales.
History
Built for Richard Thomas & Baldwins Ltd, the works was originally referred to locally as "The RTB", before being called Spencer Works and later Ll ...
site.
Demolition and redevelopment
The Chartist Mural
The Chartist Mural was a mosaic mural designed by Kenneth Budd and created in 1978 in a pedestrian underpass in Newport, Wales. It commemorated the Newport Rising of 1839, in which an estimated 22 demonstrators were killed by troops. It wa ...
was demolished by the city council, despite protests, in October 2013. Shops on the east side of the square were closed and John Frost Square was demolished in January 2014, in preparation for a £100 million refurbishment of the city centre and a new shopping and leisure complex, Friars Walk.
Friars Walk and the redesigned John Frost Square were opened to the public in November 2015. New restaurants and a Cineworld
Cineworld Group plc is a British cinema operator headquartered in London, England. It is the world's second-largest cinema chain (after AMC Theatres), with 9,518 screens across 790 sites in 10 countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Irel ...
cinema face onto the square. The cinema has subsequently closed.
The stone steps leading from Kingsway to John Frost Square are inscribed with the six political reforms demanded by the Chartists.
References
External links
* {{coord, 51.5863, -2.9939, format=dms, type:landmark, display=title Streets and squares in Newport, Wales Shopping in Newport, Wales