Editing Usk (section)

==History==
[[File:Town of Usk and River from Llanbadoc Rock (3375616).jpg|thumb|Usk and river from Llanbadoc Rock, 1860]]
[[File:The Illustrated Usk Observer Jul 7 1855.jpg|thumb|Front page of the earliest surviving copy of the newspaper ''[[Illustrated Usk Observer|The Illustrated Usk Observer]]'', 7 July 1855]]

===Roman times===
The [[Roman Britain|Roman]] [[Roman legion|legionary]] [[castra|fortress]] of [[Burrium]] was founded on the River Usk by the military commander [[Aulus Didius Gallus]], around AD 55. He moved his [[Legio XX Valeria Victrix|XX Valeria Victrix legion]] into the area from its earlier base at [[Glevum]] ([[Gloucester]]).<ref name=towntrail>Usk Civic Society, ''Usk Town Trail'', 2010.</ref> It was the earliest legionary fortress in Wales and although the site was constricted by hills, subject to flooding, and not on a navigable river, it did offer good communications inland up the river. The fortress at Usk was surrounded by ramparts and covered a large area. However, by around 75&nbsp;AD, its disadvantages had become apparent and the Romans relocated their permanent military base further south to [[Caerleon]], leaving only a small auxiliary fort and civilian settlement at Usk.<ref name=towntrail/>

The Roman remains are buried on the southern side of Usk.<ref name=newman>[[John Newman (architectural historian)|John Newman]], ''The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire'', 2000, {{ISBN|0-14-071053-1}}</ref> Many of the Roman finds from Usk are now housed in the [[National Roman Legion Museum]] in Caerleon.<ref name=towntrail/>

===Norman times===
After the fortress was abandoned, it continued to be occupied as a civilian settlement, with evidence of ironworking.  The [[Normans]] also realised Usk's geographical and military importance within the region, and the powerful [[de Clare]] family built [[Usk Castle]] as part of their plans for controlling the area's resources and people. The castle, now hidden from view by surrounding trees planted in the early 20th century, is one of the few castles still privately owned and occupied.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uskcastle.com |title=Official Website |publisher=Usk Castle |access-date=14 January 2011}}</ref>

The town was laid out in rectangular building plots, centred on the market square. Markets were originally held in Twyn Square, ''twyn'' being a [[Welsh language|Welsh]] word for "[[hillock]]".<ref name=towntrail/>

===Charters===

The town was owned by the [[Earl of Gloucester|Earls of Gloucester]] and [[Earl of Hereford|Hereford]] until 1314, when it was claimed by the [[Earl of Ulster]] through marriage. It descended in the female line to [[Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence|Lionel Duke of Clarence]], the son of [[Edward III]] and through him to [[Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March|Mortimer Earl of March]], Marshal of England. His nephew, [[Richard Duke of York]] then inherited and it became a favourite residence of his. At the death of [[Richard III]] in 1485 it was given by [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] to his son [[Arthur, Prince of Wales]]. In 1544 it became part of the [[dowry]] of [[Catherine Parr|Queen Katherine Parr]] and on the death of Catherine it was granted by [[Edward VI]] to the [[Earl of Pembroke]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/MON/Usk/Gaz1868.html |title=Usk, Monmouthshire – Extract from National Gazetteer, 1868 |publisher=GENUKI |date=17 February 2009 |access-date=14 January 2011}}</ref> Its location meant that it was inevitably frequently caught up in the border disputes between the English and the Welsh in this section of the [[Welsh Marches]].

===The Welsh Revolt===
Usk was the birthplace of [[Adam of Usk]]. His chronicle records the '[[Glyndŵr Rising|Welsh Revolt]]' in 1403, when [[Owain Glyndŵr]] burned Usk to the ground while gaining control of much of South Wales from the English under King [[Henry IV of England|Henry IV]] and his son, later to become King [[Henry V of England|Henry V]]. The important [[Battle of Pwll Melyn]] in 1405 occurred immediately north of Usk Castle, when English forces routed their Welsh opponents, causing much loss of life, including that of Owain's brother Tudur. After their defeat, three hundred Welsh prisoners were executed in front of the castle.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/sources/usk.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206122358/http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/sources/usk.htm|url-status=dead|title=Battles and Campaigns from The Chronicle of Adam of Usk|archivedate=6 February 2012}}</ref> In 2005 the 600th anniversary of the battle of Pwll Melyn was commemorated by a [[Son et lumière (show)|son-et-lumiere show]] at the castle.

The town appears as "Uck" and "Branbuga" on the [[Cambriae Typus]] map of 1573.<ref>A reproduction of the map is at [[:File:Atlas_Ortelius_KB_PPN369376781-011av-011br.jpg]]</ref>

===The 16th and 17th centuries===
[[File:Royal British Legion club, Usk - geograph.org.uk - 3043544.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Old Town Hall, Usk|Old Town Hall]]]]
The Great House of the town, later subdivided into smaller units, was built on Old Market Street in the mid-16th century for the Williams family. Its original entrance was at the rear of the present building, and faced onto gardens and meadows. Though much altered, the building retains many original features including chimney stacks and decorative plaster ceilings.<ref name=towntrail/><ref name=newman/>

The town market was moved from Twyn Square in 1598 to a location closer to the river, at New Market Street. The [[Old Town Hall, Usk|Old Town Hall]] was built on the street at the same time; this was later partially rebuilt at several times during the 19th century, and is now used by the [[Royal British Legion]].<ref name=towntrail/><ref name=newman/>

In 1621 the wealthy Midlands wool merchant [[Roger Edwards (wool merchant)|Roger Edwards]], the owner of [[Allt-y-Bela]] in Llangwm, founded [[Usk Grammar School]].<ref>Newman, 2000, p.595</ref>

===The 18th and 19th centuries===
[[File:Usk Bridge, Usk - geograph.org.uk - 1268258.jpg|thumb|The bridge over the [[River Usk]], built in 1746–1752, to a design by [[William Edwards (architect)|William Edwards]]]]
The first stone bridge at Usk, replacing one of wood, was built to the designs of Welsh architect [[William Edwards (architect)|William Edwards]]. Unlike the bridge downstream at Caerleon, it withstood the great floods of 1795.  The bridge was strengthened and widened in 1836, but two of its arches were destroyed by floods in 1877 and later replaced.<ref name=towntrail/>

In 1769 a [[Congregational chapel]] was built in Twyn Square. It was rebuilt, in the [[Gothic architecture|Gothic style]] in 1863, with a turret for one bell and room for 400 worshippers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jlb2011.co.uk/walespic/churches/usk3.htm|title=John's Homepage|website=www.jlb2011.co.uk}}</ref> The Town Clock was originally positioned directly in front of the church.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/384809|title=The Former Congregational Chapel Twyn Sq Usk.|website=Peoples Collection Wales}}</ref>

From the late 18th century, Usk became well known for the high quality of its [[japanning|japanware]],<ref name=towntrail/> a process of decorating metals by applying a lacquer to tinplate. The process, known as [[Pontypool japan]], was first developed in the west by Thomas Allgood of nearby [[Pontypool]] and was taken on in Usk in 1763 by his grandsons Thomas and Edward Allgood. Products from Usk included tin trays, [[jardinière]]s, and coal boxes. However output declined with changing fashions in the 19th century, and the last Usk japanware was produced in 1860 on the site of what is now Bunning's builders' merchants.<ref name=towntrail/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.japanware.org/index.asp?pID=8 |title=Japanware.org – Pontypool and Usk rivalry |access-date=17 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070904231838/http://www.japanware.org/index.asp?pID=8 |archive-date=4 September 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Usk was a thriving [[market town]] in the first part of the 19th century, when many of its existing buildings were constructed, and into the [[Victorian era]], although its population fell in the second half of the century as a result of agricultural depression.<ref name=newman/>