128-627: The Llanvihangel Railway was an early horse-drawn railway line in Monmouthshire which operated over a 6.25 mile route between the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal and Llanvihangel Crucorney from 1814 until 1846. The act of Parliament for the railway, the Llanvihangel Railway Act 1811 ( 51 Geo. 3 . c. cxxiii), received royal assent on 25 May 1811. The line was initially constructed only as far as Blaengavenny and it
256-558: A hydroelectric power station was built on the River Monnow at Osbaston, providing electrical power to the town until 1953. A new hydroelectric station was built on the same site and has operated since 2009, typically generating 670,000kWh annually. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Monmouth had close links with the Rolls family , who built a mansion at The Hendre just outside the town. In 1904, Charles Rolls established
384-406: A motte and bailey castle , later rebuilt in stone, and refortified and developed over time. A town grew up around it, and a Benedictine priory was established around 1075 by Withenoc , a Breton who became lord of Monmouth after Roger , the son of William fitzOsbern, was disgraced. The priory may have once been the residence of the monk Geoffrey of Monmouth , who was born around 1100 and
512-475: A town charter by letters patent . The granting of the charter included the charge that the town "at all perpetual future times ... be and remain a town and borough of Peace and Quiet, to the example and terror of the wicked and reward of the good". The layout of the town as depicted in Speed's map of 1610 would be easily recognisable to present day inhabitants, with the layout of the main axis clearly visible from
640-729: A "Bee Town", the first such in Britain. An annual Bee Festival is held, which takes place in the Nelson Garden and Chippenham Fields. The county and town councils have special policies in place for pollinators. The Welsh language and culture are promoted by the Monmouth & District Welsh Society (Cymdeithas Gymraeg Trefynwy a'r Cylch) . Monmouth is twinned with the French town of Carbonne , and Waldbronn in Germany . Monmouth
768-626: A debate on the Administration of Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill in 1938, Lord Raglan objected to the stipulation that the chairman of the Monmouthshire quarter sessions should be a Welsh-speaker. Raglan stated that "The County of Monmouth is an English county. I do not think that will be disputed.." and he claimed that Welsh nationalists had attempted to convince the Lord Chief Justice to move Monmouthshire from
896-922: A group of four boarding and day schools. Monmouth University of the Third Age (U3A) offers educational and leisure activities for retired and semi-retired people. Health care services are provided by the Aneurin Bevan Health Board , part of the National Health Service . Following the closure of the Cottage Hospital in 2006, health services are provided at the Monnow Vale Integrated Health and Social Care Facility . The Bridges Community Centre in Drybridge House adjacent to
1024-587: A growth of 61% over forty years. There are three primary schools in the town: Kymin View, Osbaston, and Overmonnow. The secondary schooling needs of the town are served by Monmouth Comprehensive School which had over 1,600 pupils in 2012. Welsh medium secondary education is provided at Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw in Pontypool . Monmouth also has independent schooling including; the Monmouth Schools ,
1152-667: A long-distance footpath beginning in Chepstow and finishing in North Wales , and the Wye Valley Walk passing through the town. People associated with Monmouth include Geoffrey of Monmouth , the Oxford -based cleric, born in about 1100 and believed to be originally from the area, who wrote Historia Regum Britanniae , the "History of British Kings". Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford and Guardian of England, died at
1280-443: A market town, and agricultural centre, rather than as a centre of industry. The wool industry was important in its early growth, and the town was a centre for the production of the very popular knitted and felted Monmouth caps , from the 15th century onwards. Historically, Monmouth also had iron and tinplate works, together with paper and corn mills. The town was also an important river port, with warehouses and wharves along
1408-659: A new car making business with Henry Royce , but in 1910 he was killed in an aeroplane crash at the age of 32; he is commemorated by a statue in Agincourt Square . St Mary's Church contains a memorial to the men of who died in HMS Monmouth , which was sunk with all hands on 1 November 1914, by German cruisers SMS Scharnhorst and SMS Gneisenau off the Chilean Coast at the Battle of Coronel during
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#17328026035061536-678: A police force of four constables and a sergeant was established in Monmouth in 1836, uncertain finances meant that within two years the force was reduced to just two constables. Four railways were built to serve Monmouth between 1857 and 1883: the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway , the Ross and Monmouth Railway , the Wye Valley Railway , and the Coleford Railway . All of these closed between 1917 and 1964. In 1896
1664-493: A question from George Thomas that "...in future the argument about Monmouthshire being part of Wales is over, and that [his] statement makes it clear that Monmouthshire is part of Wales for good and for ever?" Raymond Gower said that the statement was "quite consistent with the fact that towns with names such as Abergavenny and Llantarnam could not be anything other than Welsh"; it was opposed by Gerald Kaufman , who stated: "Am I to take it that an act of annexation of this magnitude
1792-438: A relatively quiet town for most of the 20th century; its passenger rail services ended in 1959, but its road connections were improved with the new A40 bypassing the town in 1966, although this "severed the town ruthlessly from the river on which in the past it had depended", and later connecting the town to the motorway system. These improved communications contributed to the development of the town, with suburbs extending beyond
1920-474: A revised sign at Monmouth stating "Welcome to Wales and Monmouthshire"; first, the words "..and Monmouthshire" were painted over, and then the words "..to Wales" were also obliterated. The Welsh Office , established in 1965, included Monmouthshire within its remit. The Wales and Berwick Act was repealed in regard to Wales in 1967 by the Welsh Language Act 1967 , which however also continued to use
2048-455: A variety of both national and independent shops, most situated along Monnow Street. There are a number of supermarkets, some banks although the numbers have declined in the 21st century, and independent cafes and restaurants. Church Street , a cobbled pedestrianised street, contains craft shops, a book shop, a greengrocer, chemist, coffee shops and restaurants. Monmouth has been a Fairtrade town since 2005. A regular market takes place close to
2176-588: A woman from a flooded house. The types of crime that Fuller and subsequent police officers had to deal with in and around Monmouth as the century progressed were recorded in detail in the local newspapers, the Merlin and the Monmouthshire Beacon . These crimes included theft of livestock, clothing, food, valuables, fuel (wood and coal); assault; vandalism; highway robbery; fraud; passing counterfeit coin; prostitution , and indecent exposure, as well as
2304-623: A year and were often men who had experience in other local government or community roles. William Fuller who held office as Monmouth's constable for over twenty years in the early to mid 19th century, also served as Inspector of Nuisances, Chief of the Fire Brigade, Inspector of Weights and Measures, Clerk of the Market, and Conservator of the Wye. Fuller is also recorded as having rescued people from drowning, acted as emergency midwife, and rescued
2432-578: Is a record of a 7th-century church, at an unknown location within the town, dedicated to the Welsh saint Cadoc . In 1056, the area was devastated by the Welsh prince Gruffydd ap Llywelyn , on his way with an army of Welsh, Saxons and Danes to defeat Ralph , Earl of Hereford , and sack the Saxon burh at Hereford , 18 miles (29 km) to the north. Following the Norman conquest of England in 1066,
2560-498: Is always coupled with Monmouthshire". However, most Acts of Parliament listed Monmouthshire as part of England; for example, the Local Government Act 1933 listed both the administrative county of Monmouth and county borough of Newport as part of England. In the rare event that an Act of Parliament was restricted to Wales, Monmouthshire was usually included, in the format "Wales and Monmouthshire"; for example, although
2688-630: Is an English contraction of 'Monnow-mouth'. The Welsh name for the river, Mynwy , which may originally have meant "fast-flowing", was anglicised as Monnow . The town was originally known in Welsh as Abermynwy ("mouth of the Monnow"), replaced by Trefynwy ("Monnow town" – the initial m of Mynwy mutating in Welsh to f , pronounced /v/) by the 1600s. Excavations undertaken by the Monmouth Archaeological Society on sites along Monnow Street have uncovered details of
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#17328026035062816-580: Is best known for writing the chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae ("History of the Kings of Britain"). The town was recorded in the Domesday Book as part of Herefordshire , and expanded thereafter. There was early burgage development along Monnow Street, and the suburb of Overmonnow , west of the river and protected by a defensive moat called the Clawdd-du or Black ditch, began to develop by
2944-700: Is currently closed, prior to its relocation to the Shire Hall. A small Regimental Museum established in 1989 is housed in Great Castle House , a former town house built on the site of part of Monmouth Castle . The Monmouth Festival , a free nine-day music festival, has been running every year since 1982 and is one of the largest free music festivals in Europe. The town also holds the Rockfield Country Music Festival and
3072-705: Is home to Monmouth Town F.C. , a football club founded around 1905. It plays in the Ardal League South East (third tier) at the Chippenham Sports Ground . The town has a leisure centre, on the site of the comprehensive school, with a 20m x 10m swimming pool. In 2011 the swimming pool underwent a £300,000 refurbishment. There is an 18-hole golf course on the edge of the town, as well as the Rolls Golf Club at The Hendre. There are also cricket, bowls and rugby clubs. Monmouth
3200-724: Is in an area of Devonian age Old Red Sandstone , at the point where the River Wye is joined by its tributary, the River Monnow , and immediately north of the point at which the smaller River Trothy flows into the Wye from the west. Immediately to the south, the Wye enters a valley, incised into sandstone and, in particular, Carboniferous Limestone . The town is surrounded by wooded hills to its north, east and south, including Buckholt Wood (230 m or 750 ft), The Kymin (260 m or 850 ft), and The Graig (258 m or 846 ft), with more gently undulating terrain to
3328-591: Is similar in extent to historic Monmouthshire with the addition of the west bank of the Rhymney Valley . 51°40′N 3°00′W / 51.667°N 3.000°W / 51.667; -3.000 Monmouth Monmouth ( / ˈ m ɒ n m ə θ / MON -məth or / ˈ m ʌ n -/ MUN - ; Welsh : Trefynwy , lit. 'Town on the Monnow';) is a market town and community in Monmouthshire , Wales , situated on where
3456-721: Is that it was located not on, strictly speaking, a national frontier, but within a single political formation. This had been the case since the Acts of Union of 1536 and 1543 which had extended the English system of justice, government and parliamentary representation to the principality of Wales and the March. From the mid-sixteenth century to the early nineteenth century it had not been a matter of very much importance as to whether an England/Wales border could be identified and, if so, where it ran in respect of Monmouthshire. That situation changed in
3584-622: Is the current training base for the Welsh Men's National Lacrosse team, which trained at Monmouth Girls School before the 2014 world championships. Monmouth has a rowing tradition on the River Wye, with the Monmouth Rowing Club , founded in 1928, whose boathouse also hosts the rowing clubs of Monmouth Comprehensive School and of Monmouth School for Girls , and Monmouth School for Boys Rowing club, which has its own boathouse on
3712-567: Is to be carried through a sparsely attended House of Commons on the nod at five minutes to midnight on the same basis as Europe has annexed England? I wish to voice my protest." The name "Monmouthshire" was revived for one of the principal areas created on further local government reorganisation in 1996 . The principal area covers only part of the historic county, which also included Newport , Torfaen , most of Blaenau Gwent , and parts of Caerphilly and Cardiff . The preserved county of Gwent , which still exists for some ceremonial purposes,
3840-407: The 2001 census was 8,877. Of that total, 1,760 (19.8%) were aged 15 or younger; 1,227 (13.8%) between 16 and 29; 1,687 (21.1%) between 30 and 44; 1,849 (20.8%) between 45 and 59; 1,386 (15.6%) between 60 and 74; and 968 (10.9%) aged 75 or over. The median age of residents was 42, in comparison to a Wales-wide median age of 39. The town's population increased from 5,504 in 1961 to 8,877 in 2001,
3968-966: The A40 dual carriageway road runs past Monmouth linking with the M50 motorway at Ross-on-Wye . South of the town, the road passes through a short tunnel beneath Gibraltar Hill. It follows the River Wye valley from the northeast of Monmouth. The A466 road , also known as the Wye Valley Road, crosses the A40, linking Chepstow and Hereford, and provides access to the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway . The distances of airports from Monmouth are, Bristol Airport 41 miles (66 km), Cardiff Airport 49 miles (79 km) and London Heathrow Airport 120 miles (190 km). Regular but infrequent bus services run between
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4096-734: The Church in Wales established the Diocese of Monmouth in 1921, and in 1949, Monmouthshire was included within the remit of the Council for Wales and Monmouthshire , an appointed precursor of the Welsh Office . The issue of whether Monmouth should be considered as part of Wales for administrative purposes was finally clarified in law by the Local Government Act 1972 , which incorporated Monmouthshire within Wales. Monmouth developed primarily as
4224-467: The Church in Wales was set up in 1920, containing within it the Diocese of Llandaff which included almost all of Monmouthshire. The new Diocese of Monmouth was formed in 1921. In Anglican terms, the area thus came to be treated as part of Wales. The question of Monmouthshire's status continued to be a matter of discussion, especially as Welsh nationalism and devolution climbed the political agenda in
4352-475: The County of Monmouth ( / ˈ m ɒ n m ə θ , ˈ m ʌ n -/ MON -məth, MUN - ; Welsh : Sir Fynwy ), was one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales in the south-east of Wales , on the border with England . Its area now corresponds approximately to the present principal areas of Monmouthshire , Blaenau Gwent , Newport and Torfaen , and those parts of Caerphilly and Cardiff east of
4480-524: The Court of Great Sessions in Wales . Ecclesiastically, until 1836 the town of Monmouth fell within the diocese of Hereford , rather than that of Llandaff . These arrangements gave rise to the widespread belief that the area was part of England rather than Wales, although most legislation for Wales was applied to it using the phrase "Wales and Monmouthshire". Following the Welsh Church Act 1914 ,
4608-470: The Diocese of Hereford . St Mary's Roman Catholic Church was the first Catholic church to be built in Wales after the Reformation , and its construction followed the relaxation of laws against Catholics in 1778. The building was extended on several occasions in the 19th century. Monmouth Methodist Church is noted for both its exterior and interior architectural features. The Baptist Church
4736-685: The First World War ; the church hosts an annual service in remembrance. Seven Royal Navy ships have been named after the town, including a Type 23 frigate launched in 1991 which is still in operation. The remains of two pillboxes stand on the Wyesham side of the Wye Bridge. They were built in 1940/1 as part of the Western Command Stop Line No. 27, designed to impede a German invasion force. Monmouth remained
4864-566: The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway . The other station at Monmouth was Monmouth May Hill on the Ross and Monmouth Railway , built on the opposite bank of the Wye to the town centre. This operated for many years as Monmouth Sawmills and Gas Works after its closure as part of the rail network . Monmouth is administered by Monmouthshire County Council , one of the 22 unitary local authorities in Wales formed in 1996. Its offices were located until 2012 at
4992-665: The Great Reform Act of 1832 the constituency was generally referred to as the Monmouth Boroughs . The Representation of the People Act 1918 led to Newport becoming a parliamentary borough in its own right, and Monmouth was included in the new Monmouth county constituency . The town has remained part of the Monmouth constituency in subsequent elections, although the constituency boundary has changed several times. Notable Members of Parliament (MPs) for
5120-607: The Honddu Valley remained an exclave within Monmouthshire until 1891. The county was divided into six hundreds in 1542: Abergavenny , Caldicot , Raglan , Skenfrith , Usk and Wentloog . The county contained the three boroughs of Monmouth, Newport and Usk. In the medieval period Monmouthshire was divided into the following civil parishes, listed by hundred (chapelries in italics ): extra-parochial, but still had its own church Monmouth and Newport were reformed as municipal boroughs with elected town councils by
5248-570: The House of Commons in February 1957 he said "I think that it is about time we dropped this Wales and Monmouthshire business. Apart from a few cranks who search the files of the distant past for some very flimsy tokens of evidence to suggest that Monmouthshire belongs to England, no person acquainted with the county — its history, customs, place names, culture and way of life — would dream of regarding Monmouthshire people as anything but Welsh." Later in
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5376-541: The House of Lords : "To ask Her Majesty's Government why they propose to incorporate Monmouthshire into Wales without consulting Monmouthshire's inhabitants." Replying for the government, Baroness Phillips stated that "The purpose of the change is to remove the anomaly arising from the present need to refer to Monmouthshire separately from Wales in Statutes. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State believes that
5504-654: The Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542 , abolishing the powers of the Marcher Lords and integrating the administration of England and Wales . A new shire was created covering the area west of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire , and Monmouth became its county town. The town gained representation in the English Parliament at the same time, and its priory was dissolved . In 1605, James I granted Monmouth
5632-410: The Local Government Act 1894 , the administrative county was divided into urban and rural districts , based on existing sanitary districts . In 1899 Abergavenny was incorporated as a borough. Two further urban districts were formed: Mynyddislwyn in 1903, and Bedwas and Machen in 1912. The County of Monmouth Review Order 1935 revised the number and boundaries of the urban and rural districts in
5760-521: The Local Government Act 1972 , which provided that "in every act passed on or after 1 April 1974, and in every instrument made on or after that date under any enactment (whether before, on or after that date) "Wales", subject to any alterations of boundaries..." included "the administrative county of Monmouthshire and the county borough of Newport ". Debate on the relevant amendment, Clause 256, took place late on 20 July 1972, with few local MPs present. The Minister of State , David Gibson-Watt , agreed to
5888-484: The Monmouth Women's Festival each year. An annual regatta is held, each May, and a raft race takes place each year for the St David's Foundation. Location scenes for two episodes of the BBC drama series Doctor Who were filmed in Monmouth: " The Unquiet Dead " (2005) and " The Next Doctor " (2008). Monmouth was named one of the best places to live in Wales in 2017. In 2020 the international beekeeping charity organisation Bees for Development designated Monmouth
6016-469: The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 . Usk continued as an unreformed borough until its final abolition in 1886. New forms of local government were established in the urban areas of the county with the setting of local boards under the Public Health Act 1848 and Local Government Act 1858. The Public Health Act 1875 divided the rural areas into rural sanitary districts . An administrative county of Monmouthshire, governed by an elected county council ,
6144-401: The Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway Company, the Llanvihangel Railway fetching a price of £21,750 (equivalent to £2,660,000 in 2023). The company replaced them with a standard-gauge steam railway. Monmouthshire (historic) Monmouthshire ( / ˈ m ɒ n m ə θ ʃ ər , ˈ m ʌ n -, - ʃ ɪər / MON -məth-shər, MUN -, -sheer ), also formerly known as
6272-531: The Parc Glyndwr housing development site, immediately north-west of the town. The excavations later revealed the remains of a Neolithic dwelling. The dwelling was constructed on stilts on a human-made island away from the lake shore in water up to 10 ft (3 m) deep. Oak timbers had been "skillfully" cut with stone or flint axes to form stilts, of posts and poles, which "probably" rested on three parallel fully-grown tree 'sleeper beams', up to 3 feet 3 inches (1 m) wide, laid horizontally on
6400-414: The Rhymney River . The eastern part of the county was mainly agricultural, while the western valleys had rich mineral resources. This led to the area becoming highly industrialised with coal mining and iron working being major employers from the 18th century to the late 20th century. Its five largest towns were Newport, Cwmbran , Pontypool , Ebbw Vale and Abergavenny . Monmouthshire's Welsh status
6528-441: The River Monnow joins the River Wye , two miles (three kilometres) from the Wales–England border . The population in the 2011 census was 10,508, rising from 8,877 in 2001. Monmouth was the county town of historic Monmouthshire , although Abergavenny is the largest settlement and Monmouthshire County Council has its main offices at Rhadyr, just outside Usk . Monmouth is in the UK Parliament constituency of Monmouthshire and
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#17328026035066656-432: The Senedd , the town is part of the Monmouth constituency ; the current MS is Peter Fox (Conservative). Until January 2020, Monmouth was within the Wales constituency for the European Parliament . The Laws in Wales Acts created an anomaly in that, although Monmouthshire was noted as being in the 'Country or Dominion of Wales', it was made directly responsible to the courts of Westminster rather than falling under
6784-414: The Senedd constituency of Monmouth . The town was the site of a small Roman fort, Blestium , and became established after the Normans built Monmouth Castle c. 1067 . The medieval stone gated bridge is the only one of its type remaining in Britain. The castle later came into the possession of the House of Lancaster , and was the birthplace of King Henry V in 1386. The name Monmouth
6912-427: The Severn Estuary which show a maritime influence, and the cooler and drier conditions of the English Midlands further inland. The nearby Ross-on-Wye weather station shows average daily maximum temperatures ranging from 7.3 °C (45.1 °F) in January to 22.0 °C (71.6 °F) in July, with 1504 hours of sunshine per year, and an average annual rainfall of 706 millimetres (27.8 in). Since 1966,
7040-468: The Sunday Closing (Wales) Act 1881 did not apply to Monmouthshire, the creation of the Welsh Office in 1965 and the Welsh Language Act 1967 did (although the latter had the paradoxical effect of reinforcing the legal connection of Monmouthshire with England: see next section). The Welsh Intermediate Education Act 1889 also applied to Monmouthshire. The Sunday Closing Act was also extended to Monmouthshire in 1915 under wartime legislation. In considering
7168-414: The diocese of St David's . In 1549 Edward VI granted a Charter to Monmouth which was described as being "in the Marches of Wales ". Later writers who described Monmouthshire as being in Wales included Humphrey Llwyd ( History of Cambria , 1568); Thomas Churchyard ( Worthiness of Wales , 1587); and Michael Drayton ( Poly-Olbion , 1613). In the late 17th century, under Charles II , Monmouthshire
7296-458: The existing road bridge , on its upstream side, but at a higher level above the river, then north past Abergavenny to the village of Llanvihangel Crucorney where it met with the Grosmont Railway . By 1829 the Llanvihangel Railway connected in turn with the Hereford Railway . Following the decommissioning of the Usk bridge for railway use, it was lowered and incorporated into a widened road bridge in 1868. All three railways were sold in 1846 to
7424-501: The "Country or Dominion of Wales", the Laws in Wales Act 1542 enumerates the Welsh counties as twelve in number, omitting Monmouthshire from the count. Monmouthshire was made directly responsible to the courts of Westminster rather than falling under the Court of Great Sessions in Wales . According to historian John Davies , this arrangement was the origin of the belief that the county had been annexed by England rather than remaining part of Wales. Davies disagrees, and says, "Monmouthshire
7552-410: The "Head and Shire town of the said county or shire of Monmouth", and ordered that the Sheriff 's county or shire court be held alternately in Monmouth and Newport. The county boundaries are the River Wye on the east, dividing it from Gloucestershire and the Rhymney River to the west dividing it from Glamorganshire , with the Bristol Channel to the south. The boundaries with Herefordshire to
7680-423: The 11th until the 16th centuries, the area which later became Monmouthshire (subject to some boundary revisions) comprised six Marcher lordships – Abergavenny , Caerleon , Chepstow (or Striguil ), Gwynllwg (Wentloog), Monmouth and Usk . until the Acts of Union of 1536 and 1543, the land which is today called Monmouthshire was undisputedly in Wales. The Laws in Wales Act 1535 integrated Wales directly into
7808-421: The 12th century. Charters from the period refer to the town's trade in iron , and to forges making use of local ore and charcoal . The cinders produced by the forges formed heaps, and were used in building foundations; the name of Cinderhill Street in Overmonnow dates from this period. During the period of turmoil between the supporters of King Henry III and the barons who sought to curtail his power,
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#17328026035067936-411: The 20th century. This sometimes led to heated debates in Parliament . In 1921 the Earl of Plymouth objected strongly to the inclusion of the county in legislation forcing the closing of public houses in Wales on Sundays. "I stand as strongly as I can for the privileges of Monmouthshire, to say it is a county of England." He went on to complain that Welsh representatives were imposing the ban "against
8064-448: The 5th and 10th centuries the Welsh Kingdom of Gwent covered a variable area roughly contiguous with Monmouthshire. It then became part of Morgannwg , and was part of the unified Welsh realm of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn . At the time of the Domesday Survey in 1086 the Chepstow and Monmouth areas were, for accounting purposes, reckoned as parts of the English counties of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire respectively. These areas, along with
8192-822: The Act the shire consisted of all Honours, Lordships, Castles, Manors, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments, lying or being within the Compass or Precinct of the following Lordships, Townships, Parishes, Commotes and Cantrefs... in the Country of Wales : Monmouth • Chepstow • Matherne ( Mathern ) • Llanvihangel ( Llanfihangel Rogiet ) • Magour ( Magor ) • Goldcliffe ( Goldcliff ) • Newport • Wentlooge • Llanwerne ( Llanwern ) • Caerlion ( Caerleon ) • Usk • Treleck ( Trellech ) • Tintern • Skenfrith • Grosmont • Witecastle ( White Castle ) • Raglan • Calicote ( Caldicot ) • Biston ( Bishton ) • Abergavenny • Penrose ( Penrhos ) • Grenefield ( Maesglas ) • Maghen ( Machen ) • Hochuyslade (possessions of Llanthony Priory ) The Act also designated Monmouth as
8320-449: The Earldom of Hereford was given to William FitzOsbern of Breteuil , Normandy , one of King William 's closest allies, who was responsible for defending the area against the Welsh. A new castle was built at Monmouth, holding commanding views over the surrounding area from a sound defensive site and exerting control over both river crossings and the area's important resources of farmland, timber and minerals. Initially it would have been
8448-436: The English legal system and the "Lordships Marchers within the said Country or Dominion of Wales" were allocated to existing and new shires. Some lordships were annexed to existing counties in England and some were annexed to existing counties in Wales, with the remainder being divided up into new counties, one of which was Monmouthshire. Although the original Laws in Wales Act 1535 specifically includes Monmouthshire as being in
8576-409: The Health and Social Care Facility provides support services to disadvantaged and vulnerable people. In the 2001 census, 74.2% of the town's resident population gave their religion as Christian , with 16.7% stating "no religion". Minority religions included Muslim (0.2%), Sikh (0.2%), and Buddhist (0.2%). Monmouth contains churches of several denominations . Within the Church in Wales ,
8704-474: The Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments Act 1953 contained the provision that "For the purposes of this Act the administrative county of Monmouth shall be taken to be part of Wales and not part of England." This left the county borough of Newport as part of England but treated the rest of the county as part of Wales. The Member of Parliament (MP) for Abertillery , Llywelyn Williams , campaigned to have Monmouthshire unambiguously placed in Wales. Speaking in
8832-423: The House of Lancaster. In 1387, John of Gaunt's grandson was born to Mary de Bohun , in the Queen's Chamber within the gatehouse of Monmouth Castle, while his father Henry Bolingbroke was hunting in the area. The boy was known as Henry of Monmouth before his coronation as Henry V ; supported by longbowmen from the area, he won the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Monmouth's links with Henry are commemorated in
8960-404: The Merlin Society, one of the largest music societies in the country. The Monmouthshire Show (formerly the Monmouth Show) has been held each year, traditionally on the last Thursday of August, since 1919, though its history can be traced back to 1857. Prior to that there had been an agricultural society in the town dating back to the 1790s, which held ploughing competitions. The show, now held on
9088-432: The Monmouth Group of Parishes includes the Priory Church of St Mary , which holds regular weekly services. The church was founded as a Benedictine priory around 1075. It fell into ruin after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, but was rebuilt as a parish church in 1737, and then completely rebuilt again in 1882. The church spire is prominent in views of, and within, the town. Other Anglican churches in
9216-559: The Monnow Bridge, and occasionally in the traditional market place in Agincourt Square. There are numerous public houses in the town. According to the 2001 census, Monmouth had relatively high proportions of its population working in the retail and wholesale sectors of the economy (19.5%, compared with 16.3% for Wales as a whole), education (11.8%, compared with 8.1% across Wales), and property services (10.8%, compared with 8.5% across Wales). The proportion working in manufacturing
9344-536: The Oxford Circuit to the South Wales Circuit, thereby making it part of Wales in matters of court administration. He alleged that these "persons unconnected with Monmouthshire" had claimed incorrectly that the inhabitants of the county "spoke nothing but Welsh". In 1948, Monmouthshire County Council was granted a coat of arms with the motto Utrique fidelis ("Faithful to both"), to reflect
9472-569: The Sunday Closing Act in 1921, Monmouthshire County Council resolved, with only one vote against, to request that the county should be included in Wales for all legislative purposes. Another typical example was the division of England and Wales into registration areas in the 19th century — one of which, the "Welsh Division", was defined as including "Monmouthshire, South Wales and North Wales ". According to Chris Williams of Cardiff University : "...The problem with Monmouthshire
9600-496: The Wye later removed for the building of the A40 relief road. Monmouth is now primarily a centre for service industries and tourism , and its good road communications have encouraged commuting to larger centres in the West Midlands , South Wales , and Bristol . The Monmouth and District Chamber of Trade and Commerce represents businesses in the town and aims to support and encourage their development. The town has
9728-456: The administrative county. A new Cwmbran urban district was formed by the abolition of Llanfrechfa Upper and Llantarnam UDs, Abersychan and Panteg UDs were absorbed by Pontypool urban district, and Magor and St Mellons RD was formed by a merger of two rural districts. The county boundaries provided the basis of the boundaries of the new Diocese of Monmouth , created in October 1921 following
9856-562: The area have included the industrialist Crawshay Bailey from 1852 to 1868; Peter Thorneycroft , Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1957–58 and Chairman of the Conservative Party 1975–81, who was the town's MP from 1945 to 1966; and John Stradling Thomas , MP from 1970 to 1991. The constituency has returned a Conservative MP at most recent elections; the current member is David Davies , first elected in 2005. In elections for
9984-534: The area into a new "South East Wales" county. The proposed inclusion of Monmouthshire in Wales infuriated Lord Raglan, by now Lord Lieutenant of the county. In reaction, a "Make Monmouthshire Welsh" campaign was launched in August 1961 to gain parliamentary recognition that the county was in Wales. In November 1961 it was announced that a branch of the Royal Society of St George was to be formed, emphasising
10112-564: The castle in 1295, and King Edward II was briefly imprisoned there in 1326. The future Henry V , the victor at the battle of Agincourt in 1415, was born in the castle in 1386. Philip Evans , Jesuit priest and martyr , was born in the town in 1645. Horatio Nelson visited Monmouth on several occasions and in 1802, after visiting the Kymin Naval Temple, spoke at the Beaufort Arms Hotel . After his death,
10240-554: The castle via the main street, Monnow Street , to the bridge. Monnow Street is a typical market street, in being wide in the middle (for those selling) and narrow at each end, to help prevent livestock escaping. Monmouth School was founded by William Jones in 1614. The castle changed hands three times during the English Civil War , and Oliver Cromwell passed through on his way to retaking Chepstow Castle and laying siege to Pembroke Castle in 1648. Monmouth castle
10368-427: The county is mainly agricultural, while the western valleys had rich mineral resources. This led to the area becoming highly industrialised with coal mining and iron working being major employers from the 18th century to the late 20th century. The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica unambiguously described the county as part of England, but notes that "whenever an act [...] is intended to apply to [Wales] alone, then Wales
10496-549: The county's English identity. Another group, the "Monmouthshire is Welsh" society, was formed and was supported by local MPs Michael Foot and Leo Abse . Two years later Monmouth Borough Council made representations to the Minister of Housing and Local Government seeking the transfer of the town to Herefordshire in the event that the reforms were carried out. Signs erected by Monmouthshire County Council welcoming motorists to Wales were defaced or removed. The County Council placed
10624-604: The disestablishment of the Church in Wales from the Church of England in April 1920. The Diocese covered all of the County of Monmouthshire but also included the Parish of Cyncoed in north-east Cardiff , a situation which continues in 2023. The last major boundary change to affect the administrative county came in 1938 when the Monmouthshire parish of Rumney was incorporated into the city and county borough of Cardiff . However,
10752-641: The dual loyalties of the area. Increasingly in legislation, "the state was prepared to treat Monmouthshire as if it were part of Wales, even if it was not able to concede that legally it was Welsh." In 1949, Monmouthshire was included within the remit of the Council for Wales and Monmouthshire , an appointed body established by the Government to advise on Welsh affairs and a precursor of the Welsh Office. Treating Monmouthshire as part of Wales in legislation occasionally created further anomalies. For example,
10880-470: The early history of the town. The Council for British Archaeology has designated Monmouth as one of the top ten towns in Britain for archaeology. Evidence of a Bronze Age boat building community, including three 100-foot-long (30-metre) channels adjoining the site of a now-vanished lake, was discovered in September 2013, during archaeological investigations by the Monmouth Archaeological Society of
11008-471: The former Gwent County Hall at Croesyceiliog , Cwmbran ; its main offices are now located at Rhydar, just outside Usk . The town elects five county councillors, for the wards of Dixton with Osbaston , Drybridge , Overmonnow, Town and Wyesham; as of March 2024, three councillors are Welsh Labour, two independent and one Welsh Conservative. The town also has its own town council , comprising 19 councillors elected every five years. The mayor of Monmouth for
11136-602: The garden where he dined with Lady Hamilton after the speech was named the Nelson Garden . William Allen was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions in the Battle of Rorke's Drift (1879), and is buried in Monmouth Cemetery . Rockfield Studios , situated just outside the town, have hosted many prominent bands including Queen and Oasis . Notable rock guitarist Brian Godding was born in
11264-570: The geographical Monmouthshire/Glamorgan and England/Wales border remained the Rhymney River . The administrative county of Monmouth and county borough of Newport were abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 . The successor authority, with minor boundary changes, was titled Gwent . Some border parishes became part of the new Rhymney Valley district of Mid Glamorgan or the Cardiff district of South Glamorgan . Between about
11392-631: The importance of the area's woodland in providing timber for the British Navy and approved a Naval Temple built in his honour on the nearby Kymin Hill . Wooden ships up to 500 tons were built at a shipyard just south of Monmouth bridge until the new bridge at Chepstow was opened in 1816. Priory Street , the town's first bypass, was built in the 1830s, with the town slaughterhouse beneath. In 1840, at Monmouth's Shire Hall, Chartist protesters John Frost , Zephaniah Williams and William Jones became
11520-516: The judges then began to keep the assizes here in the Oxford circuit." A later traveller, George Borrow in 1862, wrote: "Monmouthshire is at present considered an English county, though certainly with little reason, for it not only stands on the western side of the Wye , but the names of almost all its parishes are Welsh, and many thousands of its population still speak the Welsh language." Although Wales
11648-520: The lakebed. Timbers from the structure were radiocarbon dated to 4867 years before present (BP) . The first recorded settlement at Monmouth was the small Roman fort of Blestium , one of a network of military bases established on the frontiers of the Roman occupation. This was connected by road to the larger Roman towns at Glevum ( Gloucester ) and Isca Augusta ( Caerleon ). Archaeologists have found Roman pottery and coins within
11776-484: The last men in Britain to be sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered after being found guilty of treason following riots in Newport that led to 20 deaths. The sentences were later commuted to transportation to Van Diemen's Land . Until the establishment of an official police force in 1857, Monmouth had a parish constable assisted by beadles to keep law and order. The appointed constables held office for
11904-533: The local group of parishes are St Thomas ' at Overmonnow, and the churches at Mitchel Troy , Wonastow and Buckholt . The Diocese of Monmouth , the cathedral of which is the Cathedral Church of St Woolos in Newport, is one of the six dioceses of the Church in Wales. The churches at Wyesham and Dixton , though within the boundaries of Wales, are administered by the Church of England , and fall within
12032-507: The modern town centre. During the later Roman period, between the 2nd and late 4th centuries, it appears to have been a centre for iron working , using the local iron ores and charcoal also worked at nearby Gobannium ( Abergavenny ) and Ariconium (near Ross-on-Wye ). After the end of Roman rule in Britain , the area was at the southern edge of the Welsh kingdom of Ergyng . The only evidence of continuing settlement at Monmouth
12160-533: The more serious crimes of concealing the death of an infant, carnal knowledge without consent, and murder. The constable would have been present in court at Shire Hall when many of these cases came before the Quarter Sessions or Assizes . Once the court had passed sentence there was a wide range of punishments available to the authorities. Capital offences were dealt with at Monmouth County Gaol , as were whippings and sentences of hard labour. Although
12288-595: The naming of the main town square, Agincourt Square , and in the statue of Henry on the front of the Shire Hall . From the 14th century onwards, the town became noted for the production of woollen Monmouth caps . However, as a border town, its prosperity suffered after nearby areas, including Usk and Grosmont , were devastated through attacks by supporters of Owain Glyndŵr around 1405, though Monmouth itself did not come under attack. In 1536, Henry VIII imposed
12416-497: The nineteenth century, as the particular cultural, linguistic and political characteristics of Welsh society emerged as both a problem (for the British state) and as a cause (particularly among Welsh Liberals and nonconformists). Once specific policies (be they considered corrective or emancipating) began to be designed for application to Wales, then the question of Monmouthshire's placement became important." It has been suggested that
12544-525: The northeast and Brecknockshire to the north were less well-defined. The parish of Welsh Bicknor , was an exclave of Monmouthshire, sandwiched between Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. The area was considered part of Monmouthshire until it was made part of Herefordshire "for all purposes" by the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844 , while the Herefordshire hamlet of Fwthog (or Ffwddog) adjoining
12672-424: The notion that anomalies in the 16th-century legislation had made the county non-Welsh. The distinction implied in the description "Wales and Monmouthshire" was nurtured by elements of the establishment, and became increasingly accepted on the English side of the border and in central government, until the local Welsh residents more fully asserted themselves in the 20th century. Following the Welsh Church Act 1914 ,
12800-598: The opposite bank of the Wye. Monmouth has been established as a tourist centre for some 200 years. It is in close proximity to the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley. Tourist attractions within the town include the castle, the museum , the Nelson Garden and the Shire Hall where the Tourist Information Centre and visitor centre is located. The area is also attractive to walkers. Both the Offa's Dyke Path ,
12928-401: The phrase "Wales and Monmouthshire". The Interpretation Act 1978 hence provides that in legislation passed between 1967 and 1974, "a reference to England includes Berwick upon Tweed and Monmouthshire". In 1969 George Thomas , Secretary of State for Wales proposed to fully incorporate Monmouthshire into Wales. Lord Raglan (son of the former lord lieutenant), asked the following question in
13056-402: The proposal commands wide support in the county." In April of the following year Plaid Cymru MP Gwynfor Evans asked Thomas "when he proposes to implement his undertaking that the phrase 'Wales and Monmouthshire' " will be dropped." The Secretary of State indicated that it would be after the passing of legislation to reform local government in Wales. The issue was finally clarified in law by
13184-540: The question of the status of Monmouthshire arose in earnest in the 19th century, when some of the local gentry such as the Dukes of Beaufort established family seats in England, and many industrialists and others moved into Monmouthshire, particularly in the eastern part of the county. Some of these, and others with "social aspirations", considered it essential to emphasise their "Englishness", and there were attempts to refine
13312-660: The rest of what would later become Monmouthshire, included land from Pembrokeshire to Monmouthshire which was largely in the hands of the Marcher Lords ; this land, however, was not subject to English law. While the Principality of Wales (the northern part of Wales) was 'annexed' into the Kingdom of England by the Statute of Rhuddlan , enacted on 3 March 1284, the administration of the Marcher lands remained unchanged. From
13440-434: The rivers Wye and Monnow to the south-east, west and north of the old town centre. In July 2015 the town adopted a flag. Monmouth is the focus of MonmouthpediA, the first Misplaced Pages GLAM project to cover a whole town, creating Misplaced Pages articles on interesting and notable features and aspects of the town. It uses QRpedia QR codes to deliver articles to users, in English, Welsh or alternative languages. Monmouth
13568-442: The said Country of Dominion of Wales". However, it was given only one Borough member , like the other Welsh counties (apart from Pembrokeshire which had two Borough members and Merioneth which had none). In ecclesiastical terms, most of the county outside the town of Monmouth itself remained within the Diocese of Llandaff ; the town of Monmouth was in the diocese of Hereford , while the parishes of Cwmyoy and Llanthony were in
13696-523: The third Saturday in July, is the largest one-day agricultural show in Wales, with over 350 trade stands. The Monmouth Museum , formerly the Nelson Museum , is home to one of the largest collections of Nelson material, bequeathed to the town by Lady Llangattock , mother of Charles Rolls. It also displays the only known example of an original Monmouth cap , dating from the 16th century. The museum
13824-471: The town and Hereford , Ross-on-Wye, Coleford , Chepstow, Newport and Abergavenny . Monmouth has been without passenger rail services since January 1959; goods trains ran until 1964. Monmouth's main railway station , known as Monmouth Troy , was a coal distribution depot and a base for heavy goods vehicles for many years after its closure as a part of the rail network, but the building has now been dismantled and re-erected at Winchcombe railway station on
13952-452: The town had become a popular centre for visitors undertaking the " Wye Tour ", an excursion by boat through the scenic Wye Valley taking in the picturesque sights of Ross-on-Wye, Goodrich , Tintern , Chepstow and elsewhere. Poets William Wordsworth , Samuel Coleridge , and Robert Southey , as well as painter J. M. W. Turner , were among those who visited the area. The town was visited in 1802 by Admiral Horatio Nelson , who knew
14080-578: The town was the scene of a major battle in 1233 , in which the king's forces were routed by the troops of Richard Marshal , Earl of Pembroke . Later, the castle was extended by Henry's son Edmund Crouchback , after he became Earl of Lancaster in 1267. In about 1300, town walls were built, and the Monnow Bridge was fortified . The bridge, now pedestrianised , remains in place, the only such fortified bridge in Britain and reputedly one of only three similar crossings in Europe. King Edward II
14208-403: The west. The town centre itself is sited on a low-lying spur between the floodplains of the Wye and Monnow, and has frequently suffered from severe flooding. The water-meadows to the north and south of the town centre, known respectively as Vauxhall Fields and Chippenham Mead , have generally remained free of development. In climatic terms, the town is located between those areas around
14336-466: The will of the people of Monmouthshire". The extension of the legislation to Monmouthshire was confirmed by Parliament despite a petition of over 77,000 names against Sunday closing. In 1937, the Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire , Sir Henry Mather Jackson , stated: "Monmouthshire is not in Wales... We are in England, and I am not going to be added to Wales for any purpose whatsoever". During
14464-563: The year 2023/2024 is councillor Tom Kirton. Monmouth had a mayor and burgesses in medieval times, and the town gained its first charter, from Henry VI , in 1447. It was included within the Hundred of Skenfrith after the county of Monmouthshire was formed. Following the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , the town elected a borough council , comprising a mayor, aldermen and councillors. In 1974 that corporation
14592-566: The year he asked Henry Brooke , Minister of Housing and Local Government and Welsh Affairs , "whether he will now remove from official documents and records relating to Wales the additional words 'and Monmouthshire', since Monmouthshire is included in the term Wales.". Brooke replied in the negative, as he did not think "such a course would be consistent with various statutory provisions relating to Monmouthshire." The Local Government Commission for Wales established in 1958 included Monmouthshire within its review area, and in 1961 proposed merging
14720-552: Was slighted after the wars ended, but the town itself grew in prosperity. Great Castle House , built in 1673, is now the home of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) , the oldest regiment in the British Army . The Shire Hall was built in 1724, and was used for the local Assizes , with the area beneath the building serving as the town market. By the end of the 18th century,
14848-489: Was 1820 or 1821 before it was extended to Llanvihangel. Its construction followed unsuccessful attempts in 1793 and 1810 to construct a canal from Abergavenny to the Wye at Hereford. Two other similar but unsuccessful tramroad schemes were also promoted in 1810. The railway was constructed from a coal wharf on the canal east by way of Llanfoist , across the River Usk by means of a bridge constructed immediately adjacent to
14976-498: Was abolished, and the town became part of the much larger Monmouth District (becoming Monmouth Borough in 1988), which until 1996 formed one of the five districts of Gwent . The town was first represented in Parliament in 1536, when it was allocated one seat and the shire two further seats. By the late 17th century, the electorate of the three seats comprised the resident freemen of Monmouth, Newport and Usk , and after
15104-406: Was added to the Oxford circuit of the English assizes following which, according to the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica , it gradually "came to be regarded as an English county". The Modern Universal British Traveller of 1779 stated: "Monmouthshire was formerly a part of Wales, and continued so till the reign of Charles II, when it was reckoned an English county (as it has been ever since) because
15232-523: Was ambiguous between the 16th and 20th centuries, with it considered by some to be part of England during this time; its legal inclusion in Wales was clarified by the Local Government Act 1972 , the same act that changed the structure of local government within the county. The "county or shire of Monmouth" was formed from parts of the Welsh Marches by the Laws in Wales Act 1535 . According to
15360-410: Was based in Newport, rather than the historic county town of Monmouth. In 1891 the borough of Newport achieved county borough status and therefore left the administrative county, although the administration of the county council continued to be based at Shire Hall, Newport . In the same year the parish of Fwthog was transferred to both the administrative and geographic county of Monmouthshire. Under
15488-551: Was being "annexed" to England, not just Monmouthshire. Despite Monmouthshire being a new county, it was given two knights of the shire in common with existing counties in England, rather than one as in the counties in Wales. The relevant section of the Act states that "one Knight shall be chosen and elected to the same Parliaments for every of the Shires of Brecknock , Radnor , Montgomery and Denbigh , and for every other Shire within
15616-403: Was briefly imprisoned at Monmouth Castle in 1326 after being overthrown by his wife Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer . In the mid 14th century, the castle and town came into the possession of the House of Lancaster through the marriage of John of Gaunt to Blanche of Lancaster . John of Gaunt strengthened the castle, adding the great hall, and the castle became a favourite residence of
15744-506: Was formed in 1889 under the terms of the Local Government Act 1888 . The act directed that where urban sanitary districts straddled county boundaries they should be placed entirely in the administrative county which had the majority of the urban sanitary district's population. Along the boundary between Monmouthshire and Brecknockshire were four urban sanitary districts which straddled the county boundary: Brynmawr , Ebbw Vale , Rhymney , and Tredegar . The majority of Brynmawr's population
15872-547: Was founded in 1818, though the current church was not constructed until 1907. There is a Christian Fellowship church at Wyesham. The Savoy Theatre , on Church Street, is the oldest working theatre in Wales. Monmouth is also home to the Blake Theatre , which opened in 2004. Local performance groups include the Off Centre Theatre Company, Monmouth Operatic Society, Monmouth Choral Society, and
16000-654: Was in Brecknockshire, and so the southern parts of Brynmawr within Monmouthshire were transferred to the administrative county of Brecknockshire. For the other three urban sanitary districts the majority of the population was in Monmouthshire, which therefore gained from Brecknockshire the Beaufort and Rassau areas of Ebbw Vale, the Dukestown area of Tredegar, and the Llechryd area of Rhymney. The county council
16128-580: Was legally integrated into England, the word "England" was still taken to exclude Wales in many contexts. The Wales and Berwick Act 1746 ensured that "in all Cases where the Kingdom of England, or that Part of Great Britain called England, hath been or shall be mentioned in any Act of Parliament, the same has been and shall from henceforth be deemed and taken to comprehend and include the Dominion of Wales and Town of Berwick upon Tweed ". The eastern part of
16256-503: Was lower than the average (16.5% compared with 17.3% across Wales), as was the proportion in public administration (4.3% compared with 6.8% across Wales). In terms of occupational groups, the proportion of residents in managerial and professional posts was higher than average (30.1% compared with 22.7% across Wales), and the proportions in administrative and processing work were lower (8.7% in each group, compared with 12.2% and 10.2% respectively across Wales). The usual resident population in
16384-413: Was no less Welsh in language and sentiment than any other eastern county". Moreover the belief that Monmouthshire was somehow specially annexed to England is not consistent with the wording in the Act "That his said Country or Dominion of Wales shall be, stand and continue for ever from henceforth incorporated, united and annexed to and with this his Realm of England", making it clear that the whole of Wales
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