First impressions of Monmouth, Wales

First impressions of Monmouth, Wales

First visited on Weds 7th May, 2003.
Monmouth is about 20 miles west of Huntley, through the Forest of Dean. The Wye and the Monnow Rivers are on 3 sides of the town, which has a bridge over each river. The only north-south street is called Monnow St and then Priory St, has two lanes for traffic, and provides a wealth of interesting shops, many occupying very old buildings.
The Tourist guide suggests web sites for the town, for tourists and the Council official site.

First park, pay and display

We followed the arrows, and found a car park with spaces. The challenge was to find our way back to the east shore of the Wye River, achieved with only two detours. Both direction givers were very amused by our Australian accents.

Take note of landmarks - Woolworths is across the road

Turn left in Priory St to see Agincourt Square, and enjoy the luxury of history beginning with the Romans, who named the area Blestium.

To quote 'one of Britain's most famous kings, Henry V was born in Monmouth castle in 1387'. In 1673 the castle was rebuilt by the Marquis of Worcester, and now houses the Royal Monmouthshire Engineers, the senior reserve regiment in the British Army.

The Bridge from inside the town

The modern bridge over the Wye did not prepare us for this beauty, at the southern entry to the town. Ducks represented the original inhabitants, and show the cleanliness of the water.
Tolls are not new - many a carter was pleased to pay a fee to cross the wooden bridge and save his load risking the river bed.

Looking north through the main arch of the bridge, and back up Monnow Street

Monmouth once had over 50 Pubs, now there are 13, each with a different feature.
Bob's Pub facing the park where our car waited, has a mural of happy customers.
This view shows Joe Ramsdens at The Gate House with a beer garden on the river bank to the left, and across the street is The Robin Hood, one of oldest Pubs in a 15th century building.

The bridge is single lane
In the 13th century the old bridge needed replacing, and now we have the only surviving medieval fortified stone bridge with a gatehouse actually on the bridge. It was completed with a porticullis and a battlemented parapet.
In the 18th century the building was converted into a house, with the parapet becoming an attic. One writer comments that the waters were so shallow an invader could just wade across.

Got the walls straight!
After resisting the Normans in 1066, during the Civil War (1643 - 1673) Monmouth was held by each side (Royalists and Roundheads).
Traffic into town increased and in the early 1800s the bridge was redesigned. It was widened, and pedestrian passageways were built.
Now it is moving smoothly into the Post Millenium 'noughty' era.

We had the 'eighties' and the 'nineties', now a bright spark has called this the 'noughties'. (Think of Noughts and Crosses)

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