Monmouth
Monmouthshire, NP25 3DY
Category: Wye Valley and the Vale of Usk
This pretty old market town, which was once a border post, is enclosed on three sides by the rivers Wye and Monnow. The centre of the town is the quaintly cobbled Agincourt Square, named after the Monmouth-born Henry V who won the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. The square is surrounded by old coaching inns and has statues of Henry V and the Honourable Charles Stewart Rolls, who co-founded the Rolls-Royce car company. Coming out of the square, if you follow the shopping street, Monnow Street, you’ll discover one of the town’s best features - the picturesque Monnow Bridge. Dating back to the 1200s, the bridge boasts a fortified gatehouse, the only one of its kind in Britain. History lovers will want to visit Great Castle House, which was built from the ruins of the Norman Monmouth Castle. Originally constructed in 1068, the castle was rebuilt in the 12th century and then promptly destroyed in the Civil War. Great Castle House is home to the Castle Museum and the Regimental Museum. Another interesting building is the 14th-century St Mary’s Church, whose eight bells are said to have been recast from a peal that Henry V bought back from Agincourt.
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