Rogerstone: Canal Heritage and Church Architecture

Rogerstone brings together a distinctive theme of canal heritage and buildings from different periods. The Fourteen Locks Canal Centre is located in Rogerstone, Newport; the Cefn Flight, the Heritage Trail and two churches offer further perspectives on the town’s history. If you are looking for a hotel in Rogerstone, these highlights can help you shape your stay around the topics that interest you. Industrial history, a canal-side path and ecclesiastical architecture offer different starting points for planning your visit.

Fourteen Locks: Visiting and Getting Your Bearings

As of 1 September 2026, the Fourteen Locks Canal Centre, shop, museum and Dadford Tea Room were open daily from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. The Centre holds history talks and walks throughout the year; the programme may change. Opening hours and events answer different planning questions: check the opening hours again before your visit, and consult the relevant dates for talks and walks.

If you are planning your journey with the M4 in mind, you can use Junction 27 as a reference point: the Centre is about half a mile away and is signposted from the motorway.

The Cefn Flight and Its Heritage

The Fourteen Locks Heritage Trail runs along the Cefn Flight. It consists of a single lock (Lock 21), five pairs of locks and a group of three locks. The Fourteen Locks flight was completed in 1799 and is among the steepest rises in a larger flight of locks in the United Kingdom.

There is also a limekiln on the Heritage Trail. Limestone was burned there to produce lime, which was used as fertiliser or mixed with sand to make mortar. The industrial history of the Cefn Flight therefore includes the processing of limestone as well as lock construction. Lock 11 in the Cefn Flight is known as the “Mystery Lock.”

The canal towpath forms part of National Cycle Route 47. This brings together two distinct themes: the Heritage Trail runs along the Cefn Flight, while the towpath is part of a named cycle route.

Church Architecture in Rogerstone

Rogerstone Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built in 1832. Its masonry is made of Pennant sandstone, with Bath stone used for the ashlar details. Rogerstone Wesleyan Methodist Chapel and St Basil and St Gwladys thus display different architectural features, evident in their materials and design.

St Basil and St Gwladys in Rogerstone is a Gothic Revival church dating from 1892. Its features include a picturesque stone bell turret and a carved wooden rood screen. Such a rood screen is an unusual feature in a late 19th-century Catholic church.

The two churches were built sixty years apart. Their architectural features also differ: the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel stands out for its masonry and ashlar details, while St Basil and St Gwladys is notable for its Gothic Revival style and the features described above.

Discover more destinations: Newport, Castleton, Marshfield, Bettws, Caerleon

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