Newport and Gwent postal events since 1947


In 1947, Newport was part of Monmouthshire. "Newport (Mon)" was on postmarks until 1973, when the new Welsh county of Gwent was created. The introduction of postcodes in 1960s saw Newport among the first of the sorting offices with a code of "NPT". New towns were introduced each with two letter post-towns and in the 1980s, Newport changed to NP. The re-organisation of the postal services in recent years has seen the main sorting work move to Cardiff and the new name of "Newport, Cardiff" appearing on most mail from 5 April 1993.

On 1 April 1996, the creation of the unitary authorities in Wales resulted in the demise of Gwent, which was replaced broadly by Newport, Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent and Caerfilly. The post office has yet to recognise the change, with the counter postmarks and the postmarks of the minor sorting offices at Caldicot, Monmouth and Ebbw Vale still using Gwent.

Regionalisation of postal sorting has resulted in mail having ink jet postmarks for SE Wales, with no mention of Newport or Gwent. First day postmark facilities for Gwent were also removed in 2002. The creation of the City of Newport in 2002 has not resulted in any improvement.

Special postmarks for "Gwent" have been infrequent. The following have been used in addition to those produced in connection with the day of issue of new stamps:


1518

ALF Automatic Sorting

14-10-1970


1679

W H Davies Poet Centenary

03-07-1971


2111

Completion of A449

08-12-1972


2146

Gateway Motel & Restaurant opened

13-03-1973


2312

CHEPSTOW - 50th Anniversary Army Apprentices College

26-07-1973


2394

25th.Anniversary of The Home of a Self Grip Wrench

26-09-1973


2495

MONMOUTH - Borough will cease to exist

31-03-1974


2613

MONMOUTH - Gwent Scouts County Rally

07-07-1974


-

Newport Athletic Club

18-09-1974


3178

MONMOUTH - 400 years Royal Engineers

21-03-1977


3290

MONMOUTH - Provincial Mark Lodge Anniversary

14-06-1977


3740

CWMBRAN - Introduction of new Postcode

15-01-1979


3914

PONTYPOOL - Home of International Bowls

16-07-1979

20-07-1979

3972

CWMBRAN - 27th Welsh National Caravan Rally

25-08-1979


4398

Newport County Football Club

19-08-1980


-

NEWPORT - Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) Centenary

28-10-1980


4933

Transporter Bridge 75th Anniversary

12-09-1981

10-10-1981

5037

Philatelic Counter Official Opening

16-12-1981


5112

150th Anniversary of the Poet Islwyn's Birth

03-04-1982


5167

1st Anniversary of the twining with Heidenheim

15-05-1982

12-06-1982

PH 70

Philatelic Counter Handstamp -Transporter Bridge

22-08-1983

06-06-1990

6156

Risca Miners Flower Show

29-09-1984


6298

600th Anniversary of the Borough of Newport

13-04-1985


6586

Centenary of Severn Tunnel - First Coal Train

09-01-1986


6899

Centenary of Severn Tunnel - First Passenger Train

01-12-1986


8448

South Wales Argus Centenary

30-05-1992


8420/1

EBBW VALE - Garden Festival of Wales

01-05-1992

04-10-1992

8521

EBBW VALE - Garden Festival of Wales

01-08-1992


-

CROSS KEYS - 75th National Eisteddfod

29-05-1997


-

EBBW VALE - NHS Day

05-07-1998


-

MONMOUTH CASTLE – Houses of Lancaster and York

21-03-2008



BLAENAVON, PONTYPOOL – Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway – Celebrating the opening of the extension

18/09/10



Numbers are ex Pearson: "SPECIAL EVENT POSTMARKS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM" and the information has been supplied by Trevor Wigmore, who also provided the designs for the Federation of South Wales Philatelic Societies 1997 Convention postcard.

A special cancel was produced for the first journey of the Abergavenny - Skenfrith Post Bus (25 February 1980). Similar postmarks exist for both the Usk Bettws Newydd & the Usk Llandenny Llansoy post buses (10 July 1978)

Although slogan postmarks are used frequently, the only slogan cancellations specific to the "county" have been: