WITHOUT knowledge of the past, there is no future according to a number of dedicated historians scattered across Gwent.

In an effort to spread that message to the wider public in May, the Historical Association have launched local and community history month across the country.

The aim of the campaign is to increase awareness of local history, promote history in general to the local community and encourage all members of the community to participate.

Coinciding with this, in Newport, around 80 people gathered in the spring sun on Sunday for a number of memorial services to remember the city's darkest day in the First World War.

The 1st Battalion, the Monmouthshire Regiment lost 85 men in the Battle of Frezenberg Ridge following heavy shelling from the Germans during the second battle of Ypres on May 8, 1915.

In total, across the three battalions of the Monmouthshire Regiment, 211 men and officers were killed on that day.

It was the heaviest loss of life Newport suffered during the war, and veterans, relatives and passers-by alike were keen to pay tribute on the 101st anniversary of their deaths.

Among those attending was Shaun McGuire, 68, from Bettws, who set up websites on the war dead of Newport, Cwmbran and Waterford after researching his own family tree more than eight years ago.

He found that five members of his family were involved in either the First World War or the Second World War – which made him wonder how many Newport soldiers were killed in conflict.

Through curiosity and the recent 100th anniversary of the First World War, Mr McGuire says the websites have grown and he has now proved himself a crucial resource in detailing the city’s past.

He said: “When you get to about 40, you start thinking, ‘Where do I come from?’

“I realised how important it was from the feedback from family members from those three cities and towns, especially when I started putting photos from newspapers and things.

“It surprised me how many families still remember the people they lost 100 years ago.”

Elsewhere in the city, a self-guided walking tour that has revealed some of Newport’s untold stories has proved a hit.

Walkers can uncover tales ranging from the Newport soldier who returned from the Boer War to kill his wife and the legendary warlord St Woolos who defended his church from pirates.

The tour has been set up by the HistoryPoints project and uses QR codes that smartphones can scan for additional information.

The codes are scatted across the city, running between the Cenotaph in Clarence Place and the Merchant Navy memorial on Cardiff Road at the south end of Commercial Street.

The website’s founder, Rhodri Clark, 46, from Machen, says the aim of the tour is to spark an interest in passers-by so that they will go on to research the topic in local libraries and museums.

He said: “It helps to give a sense of place if we get an insight into a local area.

“With History Points, we’re trying to use mobile phone technology so people have instant access to history while they’re walking the streets or vishing somewhere and they’re curious about something.

“A lot of history is available on the internet but we’ve moved on in a way and one way people want to access information is on their mobile devices.

“We want to make it easier for people to see history. There’s a little bit of an interactive element with children and QR codes rather than an A4 sheer to read off.”

Elsewhere in Gwent, one historical society is on a thrilling search for the find of a lifetime in valleys across the county.

The Aberystruth Archaeology and History Society was set up as a small charity in the spring of 2014 and now has 180 members worldwide aged between 12 and 88.

It aims to protect historical buildings and sites by researching and recording the history of a building and by raising funds to help save historical sites.

Among their finds have been the remains of a First World War territorial army rifle range in the Cwmcelyn valley; and the remains of an ancient shepherd’s hut dating from the Bronze Age.

The society's secretary, Ian Fewings, says the group’s aim is to educate people about the ancient history of the Valleys and how the plains were made up of farm land before industry took hold.

He said: “Local history is very important as it tells us what the area we live in used to be like and it can also tell us a lot about ourselves, i.e. where our family came from and what our ancestors did for a living.

“Most people don't know much about what the Valleys were really like before industry as sadly local history is not taught that much in schools.

“Local history is a fascinating subject which should be taught more in school and local history group's like ourselves are happy to help.”