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103-657: Although tourists had been travelling down the River Wye since the middle of the 18th century, the Wye Tour became a must-see series of destinations after the publication of William Gilpin 's Observations on the River Wye and several parts of South Wales, etc. relative chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; made in the summer of the year 1770 , which established the Wye valley as an area rich in Picturesque scenes. After Observations

206-558: 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

309-406: 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

412-475: 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

515-729: 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

618-601: A child pupil the future poet Caroline Anne Bowles . Another pupil was his nephew, the painter William Sawrey Gilpin . He was succeeded at Cheam by his second son, another William Gilpin (1757-1848, headmaster 1777–1805) William Gilpin died at Boldre , Hampshire, on 5 April 1804 and was buried there on 13 April. He was survived by his wife, Margaret (1725 – 14 July 1807), to whom he was married for over 50 years. His older son, John Bernard (1754-1851) became British Consul for Rhode Island . His two daughters, both Margaret, died in infancy (1756 & 1759). In 1768 Gilpin published

721-684: A full-time professional painter, William opted for a career in the church, graduating from Queen's College, Oxford in 1748. While still at Oxford, Gilpin anonymously published A Dialogue upon the Gardens... at Stow in Buckinghamshire (1748). Part guidebook to Stowe , part essay on aesthetics , it shows that Gilpin had already begun to develop his ideas on the picturesque. Unusually for the time, Gilpin showed an appreciation of wild and rugged mountain scenery, perhaps rooted in his Cumbrian upbringing. Even more unusually, he expressed ideas about

824-922: 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

927-587: 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 ,

1030-667: 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

1133-443: 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

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1236-659: 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

1339-870: A now-vanished lake, was discovered in September 2013, during archaeological investigations by the Monmouth Archaeological Society of 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

1442-678: 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

1545-507: A popular Essay on Prints , where he defined the picturesque as "that kind of beauty which is agreeable in a picture" and began to expound his "principles of picturesque beauty", based largely on his knowledge of landscape painting . During the late 1760s and 1770s, Gilpin travelled extensively in the summer holidays and applied his principles to the landscapes he saw, committing his thoughts and spontaneous sketches to notebooks. Gilpin's tour journals circulated in manuscript to friends such as

1648-442: A private carriage. Each Tour followed the same general itinerary. First, tourists would leave Ross-on-Wye, appreciating the "mazy course and lofty banks". of the river on the way to their next major destination, Goodrich Castle . Gilpin deemed the castle "correctly Picturesque". in its own right, and the crumbling structure, entwined with vines and set on a large hill that loomed over the viewer, "was generally considered to rank as

1751-438: 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

1854-474: A unified whole, incorporating several elements: a dark "foreground" with a "front screen" or "side screens", a brighter middle "distance", and at least one further, less distinctly depicted "distance". A ruined abbey or castle would add "consequence". A low viewpoint that tended to emphasise the "sublime" was always preferable to a prospect from on high. While Gilpin allowed that nature was good at producing textures and colours, he saw it as rarely capable of creating

1957-455: 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

2060-588: 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

2163-623: 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

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2266-578: 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,

2369-580: 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

2472-700: 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

2575-705: 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

2678-724: 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

2781-627: Is in the UK Parliament constituency of Monmouthshire and 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

2884-565: 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

2987-407: 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,

3090-966: 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

3193-805: 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

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3296-524: 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 ,

3399-470: 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

3502-685: 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

3605-566: 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

3708-665: 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

3811-654: 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

3914-707: 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

4017-608: 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

4120-662: 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,

4223-421: 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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4326-410: The 1600s. Excavations undertaken by the Monmouth Archaeological Society on sites along Monnow Street have uncovered details of 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

4429-399: The Abbey was immortalised by William Wordsworth's poem " Lines composed a few miles above Tintern Abbey... " it was considered to be an impressive, although imperfectly Picturesque, ruin. During the 18th century, the Abbey was purchased by the Duke of Beaufort , who had immediately attempted to "restore" the Abbey. The Duke's restorative efforts, which included hammering bronze letters into

4532-531: The Bingley sisters in a stroll with the teasing observation, "You are charmingly group'd, and... the picturesque would be spoilt by admitting a fourth.") Although he came in for criticism, Gilpin had published at exactly the right time. Improved road communications and travel restrictions in continental Europe produced a burst of British domestic tourism in the 1780s and 1790s. Many such picturesque tourists were intent on sketching, or at least discussing what they saw in terms of landscape painting. Gilpin's works were

4635-449: 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

4738-409: 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 ,

4841-423: 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

4944-404: 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

5047-432: 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

5150-496: 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

5253-478: The Monnow') is a market town and community in Monmouthshire , Wales , situated on where 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

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5356-444: The Picturesque (1809), brilliantly illustrated by Thomas Rowlandson . This poor curate sets off on his straggly mare Grizzle in a quest for picturesque scenery, often (and usually to his discomfort) oblivious to the realities of the world around him. As well as his picturesque writing, Gilpin published several works on moral and religious subjects, including biographies of Hugh Latimer , Thomas Cranmer and John Wycliffe . Some of

5459-404: The Picturesque, and as public awareness and appreciation for the Picturesque increased, so too did the popularity of the Wye Tour. From May to September 2010, Chepstow Museum held a temporary exhibition, 'The Wye Tour and its Artists', of period art from the Wye Tour. A catalogue and detailed guide was published. William Gilpin (priest) William Gilpin (4 June 1724 – 5 April 1804)

5562-411: The Wye Tour to the Grecian Tempe (he called the Tour "a portrait of the celebrated Grecian Tempe enlarged"), thereby elevating the Wye Tour "to the highest level of classical beauty". During the early 19th century, the popularity of the Wye and other Picturesque Tours skyrocketed. Thousands of tourists descended upon Ross-on-Wye each summer to take a Picturesque tour, and to appreciate scenery that

5665-434: 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

5768-436: 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

5871-414: The brick floor, introducing plants that compromised the structural integrity of arches and hallways, and other such harmful practices, ultimately did more damage than good to the ruins. Despite the Duke's restorative efforts, Gilpin remained unimpressed with the Abbey, and complained that "though the parts are beautiful, the whole is ill-shaped". Most tourists, however, generally considered Tintern Abbey to be

5974-425: 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,

6077-487: 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

6180-436: The end of the Tour, the junction of the Rivers Wye and Severn in Chepstow . The ruins of Chepstow Castle were the final spectacle of the Wye Tour. After arriving in Chepstow, Tourists would arrange for transportation back to their respective homes. The Wye Tour was first popularised by William Gilpin 's Observations on the River Wye... (1782), a travel journal, complete with sketches. Gilpin had been encouraged to make

6283-454: The end of the first day of the Tour, the travellers would arrive at the town of Monmouth , and spend the night in an inn. The following morning, tourists would pass riverside hamlets and Picturesque natural scenery before finally arriving at the Tour's greatest spectacle, Tintern Abbey . There, awestruck seekers of the Picturesque observed the bare columns and walls of what was once a massive structure, overrun with vegetation and decay. Before

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6386-457: The fastidious Gilpin had declared "properly Picturesque". During this time, Wye Tourists (and seekers of the Picturesque in general) were widely lampooned by British caricaturists (e.g. William Combe 's The Adventures of Dr. Syntax, In Search of the Picturesque ) and satirical poets, who mocked their ignorance of local customs, single-minded pursuit of Picturesque views, and disregard for one another. Despite this (frequently accurate) criticism,

6489-416: The forge, deadens the roar of the water-fall") thought of the ironworks as enhancing the Picturesque qualities of the surrounding landscape; "the natural scene itself is awesome, and therefore positively enhanced by the presence of industry". After sailing past New Weir, the boats would next pass under Symond's Yat , a 470-foot-tall (140 m) rock that impressed passers-by with a sense of the Sublime . At

6592-471: 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

6695-410: 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

6798-444: The ideal companions for the new generation of travellers; they were written specifically for them and not intended as comprehensive travel guides. Although Gilpin sometimes commented on designed landscapes, the picturesque remained for him an essential set of rules for depicting nature. It was left to others, notably Richard Payne Knight , Uvedale Price and Thomas Johnes , to develop Gilpin's ideas into more comprehensive theories of

6901-520: 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

7004-424: The insufficiently ruinous gable of Tintern Abbey more picturesque. In the same work he criticised John Dyer 's description of the view from Grongar Hill for giving a distant object too much detail. Such passages were easy pickings for satirists such as Jane Austen , as she showed in Northanger Abbey and other novels and works. (Elizabeth Bennet, in Pride and Prejudice , notably refuses to join Mr. Darcy and

7107-441: The journey by his friend Thomas Gray , who had found the tour to be "a succession of nameless beauties". Gilpin's book did more than encourage British citizens to observe the beauties of the Wye Valley – it marked the first time that Gilpin discussed the Picturesque (originally defined as "that peculiar kind of beauty, which is agreeable in a picture") at length. As a result, the Wye Valley was more or less constantly associated with

7210-468: 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

7313-429: 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

7416-588: 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

7519-507: 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

7622-533: 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

7725-541: The most important and beautiful location on the Wye Tour. Later tourists were probably familiar with Wordsworth's famous poem "Lines.." and the importance of that piece only increased the aura of the Abbey. After walking through the ruins of the Abbey, tourists returned to their boats and sailed further down the Wye, noting the cliff "Lover's Leap" and especially the Picturesque plains of Piercefield before arriving at

7828-595: 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

7931-625: The newly invented aquatint process. There followed Observations on the Lake District and the West of England, and after his move to Boldre, Remarks on Forest Scenery, and other woodland Views... (London, 1791). Gilpin's watercolour technique has been compared with that of Alexander Cozens . Both texture and composition were important in a "correctly picturesque" scene. The texture should be "rough", "intricate", "varied" or "broken", without obvious straight lines. The composition should work as

8034-660: 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 ,

8137-563: The perception of beauty which were purely aesthetic and often divorced from other qualities of the object viewed, such as morality or utility. He is credited with helping to originate the idea of the “picturesque”, producing many pictures in this style. The British Museum holds 113 object of his including many of his drawings. Interestingly, an album of his paintings in the picturesque style was sold at Christie's in 2008 for nearly £10,000. After working as curate, Gilpin became master, and from 1755 headmaster at Cheam School. Perhaps influenced by

8240-497: The perfect composition. Some extra help from the artist, perhaps a carefully placed tree, was usually required. Unlike other travel writers of his time such as Thomas Pennant , Gilpin included little history and few facts or anecdotes. Even Gilpin's descriptions can seem quite vague, concentrating on how scenery conformed to picturesque principles rather than its specifics. In a much-quoted passage, Gilpin took things to an extreme, suggesting that "a mallet judiciously used" might render

8343-508: The picturesque and apply these more generally to landscape design and architecture. Ultimately, these grand theories of wild natural beauty gave way to the tamer, more commercialised picturesque of the mid-19th century, though Gilpin's works remained popular and several new editions appeared with additions by John Heaviside Clark . Gilpin also lives on as the model for the satirist William Combe 's clever but cruel Tour of Dr Syntax in Search of

8446-432: The poet William Mason and a wider circle including Thomas Gray , Horace Walpole and King George III . In 1782, at Mason's instigation, Gilpin published Observations on the River Wye and several parts of South Wales, etc. relative chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; made in the summer of the year 1770 (London 1782). This was illustrated with plates based on Gilpin's sketches, etched by his nephew William Sawrey Gilpin using

8549-829: The popularity of the tour endured until the middle of the 19th century – well after the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the Picturesque fad. Wye Tour destinations like Tintern Abbey remain some of the most popular weekend destinations for British tourists to the present day During the height of the Wye Tour's popularity (the first decade of the nineteenth century, there were no fewer than eight to ten "pleasure boats" launching from Ross-on-Wye towards Chepstow each day. These pleasure boats were equipped with drawing tables, at which tourists would either read travel journals (usually Gilpin's Observations... ) or sit and rapidly sketch scenes that struck them as especially Picturesque. The boats also featured canopies (to protect travellers from

8652-617: The premature death of his great-uncle, Richard Gilpin (born 1664)“from a blow of his schoolmaster”, he was an enlightened educationalist, instituting a system of fines rather than corporal punishment and encouraging the boys to keep gardens and in-school shops. His broad intention was to promote "uprightness and utility" and give his pupils "a miniature of the world they were afterwards to enter." As an educator, he has been compared to his contemporary, David Manson , who in his grammar school in Belfast sought to exclude "drudgery and fear" through

8755-670: The profit from his writing went on good works in his parish, including the endowment of a school at Boldre that now bears his name. Many of the manuscripts of his tours, including unpublished or recently published material, are now housed in the Bodleian Library , Oxford. Gilpin is one of eight travellers included in Nicholas Crane 's Great British Journeys . Monmouth Monmouth ( / ˈ m ɒ n m ə θ / MON -məth or / ˈ m ʌ n -/ MUN - ; Welsh : Trefynwy , lit.   'Town on

8858-489: 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

8961-410: The second grand object of the tour". From Goodrich Castle, tourists would sail past the ironworks at New Weir (sometimes spelled "New Wear"). Tourists of the time (like Thomas Whateley, who reverentially mentioned "a path [for the ironworkers], worn into steps narrow and steep, winding among the precipices" and commented on a "sullen sound that, at stated intervals from the strokes of the great hammers in

9064-467: The sun), and crews to steer and row the boats downriver. Such boats could be retained for the price of three guineas per passenger per day. Alternately, a tourist could elect to walk along the banks of the Wye (as William Wordsworth did before writing " Lines Composed a few miles above Tintern Abbey, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour, 13 July 1798"), or, if they were exceptionally rich, take

9167-472: 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

9270-471: 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

9373-452: 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

9476-578: 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

9579-503: The use of play, outdoor activity and peer tutoring. Like Manson, Gilpin appears to have foreshadowed some of the experiments usually ascribed to the school of educationalists inspired by Rousseau , but there is no evidence that he (or Manson) was influenced by Continental theorists. Gilpin stayed at Cheam until 1777, when he moved with his wife Margaret to become Vicar of Boldre in the New Forest , Hampshire . While there he took as

9682-403: 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

9785-563: 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

9888-552: 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,

9991-498: 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

10094-547: Was an English artist, Church of England cleric, schoolmaster and author. He is best known as a travel writer and as one of those who originated the idea of the picturesque . Gilpin was born in Cumberland , the son of Captain John Bernard Gilpin, a soldier and amateur artist. From an early age he was an enthusiastic painter, sketcher and collector of prints. However, while his brother Sawrey Gilpin became

10197-403: 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

10300-547: 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

10403-503: 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

10506-543: Was published in 1782, travellers from all across Britain flocked to Ross-on-Wye , typically used as a launching point for the Tour, and sailed downriver to Chepstow , the Tour's final destination, over a course of two days. For British travellers unable to travel to continental Europe during the Napoleonic Wars, the Wye Tour became a replacement for the Grand Tour . In his Wye Tour (1818), Thomas Dudley Fosbroke compared

10609-477: Was the birthplace of King Henry V in 1386. The name Monmouth 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

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