92-582: Llyswen is a small village in Powys , Wales on the west bank of the River Wye . It was formerly within the county of Brecknockshire and now forms part of the Community of Bronllys . The nearest town is Brecon approximately 8 miles (13 km) to the south-west. 'Llys-wen' is Welsh for "The White Court" and the settlement is first mentioned as a site of a court where the sons of Rhodri Mawr , ninth century King of
184-568: A Welsh or as an English county, a debate only finally brought to an end in 1972. The laws establishing the 13 counties (shires), the historic counties of Wales , assigned four for the five new counties created from the Marcher Lordships along the Welsh/English border, Brecknockshire , Denbighshire , Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire , to the legal system operated in Wales, administered by
276-464: A basilica and a temple flanking a forum . Other Roman settlements in the area included Blestium (Monmouth). The Romanisation of Monmouthshire was not without continuing civil unrest; the defences at Caerwent, and at Caerleon, underwent considerable strengthening in the 190s in response to disturbances. The Silurian identity was not extinguished: the establishment of a Respublica Civitatis Silurium (an early town council) in around 300 testifies to
368-615: A foundry at Tintern in 1568, and the lower Wye Valley and the Forest of Dean became important centres for metalworking and mining. But the most dramatic impact was in the west of the county during the Industrial Revolution , in the South Wales Coalfield , where some of the largest pits in Wales were dug, and a major iron industry developed. The societal transformation was accompanied by great inequality and unrest. Chartism
460-614: A naturalist whose independent work on natural selection saw Charles Darwin bring forward the publication of On the Origin of Species , was born at Llanbadoc , outside Usk , in 1823. He is commemorated in a statue raised in the town's Twyn Square in 2021. Bertrand Russell , the philosopher and the only Nobel laureate from the county, was born at Cleddon Hall , outside Trellech in 1872. Charles Rolls grew up at his family seat, The Hendre , just north of Monmouth and, in partnership with Henry Royce , co-founded Rolls-Royce Limited . He
552-446: A "miserable village". Things have apparently improved since then. In 2008, Llyswen was judged one of the top ten most desirable British villages in which to live. Powys Powys ( / ˈ p oʊ ɪ s , ˈ p aʊ ɪ s / POH -iss, POW -iss , Welsh: [ˈpou̯ɪs] ) is a county and preserved county in Wales . It borders Gwynedd , Denbighshire , and Wrexham to
644-800: A 0.24 hectares (0.6 acres) outcrop of rock in the Severn Estuary , the southern foreshore of which is the boundary between England and Wales, is Monmouthshire's only offshore island. The battle to save Magor Marsh , the last remaining area of natural fenland on the Gwent Levels , led to the foundation of the Gwent Wildlife Trust . The county contains a range of nature reserves and areas of special scientific interest, including Graig Wood 14.3-hectare (35-acre) SSSI, Pentwyn Farm Grasslands 7.6-hectare (19-acre) SSSI and Lady Park Wood National Nature Reserve (45.0-hectare (111-acre)). The Wye Valley ,
736-477: A bus network, connecting Abergavenny, Monmouth, Chepstow, Raglan and Usk, with stopping points at smaller settlements on route. National coach services have stopping points at Monmouth and Chepstow. In its industrial heyday in the 18th and 19th centuries, the western part of the county was served by the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal which connected the South Wales Coalfield with the port at Newport . Today,
828-551: A contemporary observer, noted that "from this time onward, Owain's fortunes began to wane in that region." The first Tudor king, Henry VII , was born at Pembroke Castle in the west of Wales, and spent some of his childhood in Monmouthshire, at Raglan Castle as a ward of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke . His son and heir Henry VIII was to bring the rule of the Marcher lords to an end. The historic county of Monmouthshire
920-467: A feast at Abergavenny Castle . De Braose proceeded to have his men massacre the Welsh, intending the obliteration of the indigenous Gwent aristocracy, before sending them to burn Seisyll's home at Castell Arnallt and to murder his son. A wave of Welsh retaliation followed, described in detail by the contemporary chronicler, Gerald of Wales . Monmouthshire's Norman castles later became favoured residences of
1012-686: A further 54 enclosures and settlement sites. Powys is served by the Cambrian Line and Heart of Wales line which offer connections to major towns and cities such as Swansea , Wrexham , Shrewsbury , Birmingham , Wolverhampton , Manchester , Cardiff , Aberystwyth , London and Telford . The county used to be served by key railways such as the Mid-Wales Railway , Oswestry and Newtown Railway , Tanat Valley Light Railway , Llanfyllin Branch , Leominster and Kington Railway , Swansea Vale Railway and
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#17328548337251104-711: A lower level of road usage than in 2016. Monmouthshire is served by four railway stations: in the south are the Severn Tunnel Junction railway station at Rogiet on the South Wales Main Line , which connects South Wales to London; and Chepstow railway station and Caldicot railway station on the Gloucester–Newport line ; and in the north, Abergavenny railway station on the Welsh Marches line . The county's main centres of population are served by
1196-468: A national scandal. During a debate in parliament on the establishment of a turnpike trust for the county, the local landowner Valentine Morris asserted that the inhabitants of the county travelled "in ditches". By the mid-century, commercial demands saw the first timetabled stagecoach between London and Monmouth arrive in Agincourt Square on 4 November 1763, the journey having taken four days. By
1288-409: A partial proportional representation system. Fire and rescue services are provided by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service , which has fire stations in the county at Abergavenny, Caldicot, Chepstow, Monmouth and Usk. Policing services are provided by Gwent Police , whose officers cover Monmouthshire, as well as Blaenau Gwent , Caerphilly , Newport and Torfaen . Civilian oversight is provided by
1380-481: A population of 133,891 in 2022. After Newtown (11,362), the most populous settlements are Ystradgynlais (8,270), Brecon (8,254), and Llandrindod Wells (5,602). The county is entirely rural, and characterised by multiple market towns and villages. The Welsh language can be spoken by 16.4% of the population. The county is predominantly hilly and mountainous. To the west lie the Cambrian Mountains , where
1472-491: A substantially lower number than in all of the adjoining principal areas; average annual earnings in 2020 were just over £41,000 compared to just over £32,000 in Wales as a whole. Total income tax payments from the county in 2013 were second only to the City of Cardiff, and the average individual payment exceeded that paid in the capital city. Agriculture continues to be an important employer, accounting for 15.3 per cent of businesses,
1564-648: A united Wales under Gruffydd ap Llywelyn , but his death in 1063 was soon followed by that of his opponent Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings , and the re-established unity of the country was to come from Norman dominance. The Norman invasion of South Wales from the late 1060s saw the destruction of the Kingdom of Gwent, and its replacement by five Marcher lordships based at Striguil (Chepstow), Monmouth, Abergavenny, Usk and Caerleon. The Marcher Lord of Abergavenny, Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Gloucester , described
1656-581: Is Mary Ann Brocklesby. Monmouthshire elects one member to the UK parliament at Westminster , until 2024 representing the Monmouth constituency . Under the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies , a new constituency, Monmouthshire , came into effect at the 2024 general election , comprising 88.9% of the previous constituency. The seat was won by the Labour Party candidate Catherine Fookes who defeated
1748-533: Is a " semé of black lozenges " for the former coal mining industry, while the golden fleece it carries is a reference to the importance of sheep rearing in the county. The county motto is: Powys – the paradise of Wales ( Welsh : Powys Paradwys Cymru ). On 1 April 1974, Powys was created under the Local Government Act 1972. At first, the former administrative counties of Montgomery , Radnor , and Brecknock were districts within it. On 1 April 1996,
1840-482: Is also retained for a limited number of public service functions which operate across principal areas, for example Gwent Police . In the 1997 Welsh devolution referendum , which resulted in a narrow "Yes" vote, 50.30 per cent in favour v. 49.70 per cent against, for the establishment of a National Assembly for Wales, Monmouthshire recorded the highest "No" vote of any principal area, its population voting 67.9 percent against to 32.1 per cent in favour. Monmouthshire
1932-458: Is broadly rectangular in shape, and borders the county of Powys to the north and the county boroughs of Newport , Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent to the west, with its southern border on the Severn Estuary giving the county its only coastline. To the east, it borders the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire . The centre of the county is the plain of Gwent, formed from the basin of
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#17328548337252024-711: Is now the largest administrative area in Wales by land and area ( Dyfed was until 1996 before several former counties created by the Local Government Act 1972 were abolished). It is bounded to the north by Gwynedd , Denbighshire and Wrexham County Borough ; to the west by Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire ; to the east by Shropshire and Herefordshire ; and to the south by Rhondda Cynon Taf , Merthyr Tydfil County Borough , Caerphilly County Borough , Blaenau Gwent , Monmouthshire and Neath Port Talbot . The largest towns are Newtown , Ystradgynlais , Brecon , Welshpool , Llandrindod Wells and Knighton . Powys has
2116-506: Is shewn by ourselves." Following the Norman invasion of Wales , Llyswen became subject to the Marcher Lords and in the 12th century formed part of the lands of Walter de Clifford . Most villages in the area were fortified with a motte-and-bailey castle and a possible site for Llyswen Castle has been identified, though no supporting documentary evidence exists. Llangoed Hall to the north of
2208-709: Is the region northwest of Welshpool. The county is named after the Kingdom of Powys , which was a Welsh successor state , petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain . Powys covers the same area as the historic counties of Montgomeryshire , Radnorshire , and Brecknockshire . Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire , most of Brecknockshire , and part of historic Denbighshire . With an area of about 2,000 square miles (5,200 km ), it
2300-465: Is the remnant of a once much larger forest, but remains the largest ancient woodland in Wales and the ninth largest in Britain. Once a 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) woodland, it formed the hunting ground for Chepstow Castle, and gave its name to a traditional north-south, division of the county between the cantrefi (hundreds) of Gwent Uwchcoed (above the wood) and Gwent Iscoed (below the wood). Monmouth's coastline forms its southern border, running
2392-616: The 5th Duke of Beaufort , enjoyed a long military career, serving on the staff of the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo , and as commander-in-chief of the British forces during the Crimean War . Created Baron Raglan in 1852, he died in 1855. His son was gifted Cefntilla Court , near Llandenny in his memory. William Wilson Allen , who fought with the South Wales Borderers at
2484-536: The Annals of Owain Glyn Dwr , "there the English were killed for the most part and they were pursued up to the gates of the town" (of Monmouth). This was the high water mark of the revolt; heavy defeats in the county followed in 1405, at the Battle of Grosmont , and at the Battle of Pwll Melyn , traditionally located near Usk Castle , where Glyndŵr's brother was killed and his eldest son captured. The chronicler Adam of Usk ,
2576-748: The Battle of Rorke's Drift in 1879, is buried in Monmouth Cemetery , the only grave in the county of a holder of the Victoria Cross . The Monmouthshire Regiment was established in 1907. Men from the regiment fought in both the First and Second World Wars , until its disbandment in 1967. HMS Monmouth was sunk at the Battle of Coronel in November 1914, with the loss of all 734 crew. The Local Government Act 1972 , which came into effect in April 1974, created
2668-579: The City of Newport , including Caerleon as it had since 1974. The new Monmouthshire, covering the less populated eastern 60% of the historic county, included the towns of Abergavenny , Caldicot , Chepstow , Monmouth and Usk . In his essay on local government in the fifth and final volume of the Gwent County History , Robert McCloy suggests that the governance of "no county in the United Kingdom in
2760-624: The Court of Great Sessions . Monmouthshire was assigned to the Oxford circuit of the English Assizes . This began a legal separation which continued until 1972; for example, the administrative county of Monmouthshire and the boroughs of Newport, Abergavenny and Monmouth were explicitly listed as being in England rather than Wales in first schedule of the Local Government Act 1933 . For several centuries, acts of
2852-514: The Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner . Monmouthshire's prisons are HM Prison Prescoed , a Category D open prison at Coed-y-paen and HM Prison Usk , a Category C prison, both in the west of the county. Monmouthshire's population was 93,000 at the 2021 census, increasing marginally from 91,300 at the 2011 census. 54,100 (58.2 per cent) of residents were born in Wales, while 32,300 (34.7 per cent) were born in England. Just over 20 per cent of
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2944-551: The Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway , all of which offered connections to South Wales , Hereford , Oswestry , North Wales and West Wales but have all since closed. The gold in the county coat of arms symbolises the wealth of the area. Black is for both mining and the Black Mountains . The fountain is a medieval heraldic charge displayed as a roundel barry wavy argent and azure. It represents water and refers to both
3036-477: The Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire . The Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire and Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire were appointed as lieutenants. The present lord lieutenant is Shân Legge-Bourke of Crickhowell . From 2024, Powys would be in the UK parliament constituencies of Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe and Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr , both of which extend out of the county. In December 2007, Powys
3128-743: The M48 , originally part of the M4, which links Wales with England via the Severn Bridge at Chepstow. In the east of the county, the A449 and the A40 link with the M50 near Goodrich, Herefordshire , connecting Monmouthshire and South Wales with the English Midlands . The Department for Transport recorded traffic in Monmouthshire at 0.9 billion vehicle miles in 2022. This represented
3220-647: The Parliament of England (in which Wales was represented) often referred to "Wales and Monmouthshire", such as the Welsh Church Act 1914 . Monmouthshire in the 1600s experienced to a high degree the political and religious convulsions arising from the English Reformation and culminating in the English Civil War . Following Henry VII's religious reforms, the county had a reputation for recusancy , with
3312-458: The Plantagenet nobility . Henry of Grosmont, Duke of Lancaster (c. 1310–1361), was reputedly born at Grosmont Castle , home of his father Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster , grandson of Henry III . Becoming the richest and among the most powerful lords in England, Grosmont developed the castle as a sumptuous residence, while the village became an important medieval settlement. Henry V (1386–1422)
3404-608: The River Severn and River Wye both have their source on the Powys side of the Plynlimon massif; together with their tributaries they drain most of the county. The southern quarter of the county is occupied by the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog) national park, and further north are two more upland areas, Mynydd Epynt and Radnor Forest . The only extensive area of flat land in Powys
3496-618: The River Usk , while the River Wye forms part of its eastern border, running through the Wye Valley , one of the five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Wales and the only one in the county. The north and west of the county is mountainous, particularly the western area adjoining the industrial South Wales Valleys and the Black Mountains which form part of the Brecon Beacons National Park . Two major river valleys dominate
3588-488: The Severn Estuary to the south, and Torfaen , Newport and Blaenau Gwent to the west. The largest town is Abergavenny , and the administrative centre is Usk . The county is rural, although adjacent to the city of Newport and the urbanised South Wales Valleys ; it has an area of 330 square miles (850 km ) and a population of 93,000. After Abergavenny (12,515), the largest towns are Chepstow (12,350), Monmouth (10,508), and Caldicot (9,813). The county has one of
3680-474: The district of Monmouth along with the Llanelly community from Blaenau Gwent, both of which were districts of Gwent. It is a principal area of Wales. Monmouthshire is styled as a county, and includes: the former boroughs of Abergavenny and Monmouth; the former urban districts of Chepstow and Usk; the former rural districts of Abergavenny, Chepstow and Monmouth; the former rural district of Pontypool , except
3772-432: The water catchment area and the rivers and lakes. Thus, the arms contain references to the hills and mountains, rivers and lakes, water supply and industry. The crest continues the colouring of the arms. A tower has been used in preference to a mural crown , which alludes to the county's military history and remains. From the tower rises a red kite , a bird almost extinct elsewhere in Britain but thriving in Powys. The bird
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3864-658: The 19th centuries county politics was dominated by the Beauforts, and the Morgans , "an everlasting friendship between the house of Raglan and Tredegar". By the late 19th century, three families held over a fifth of the land in Monmouthshire: the Beauforts, the Morgans, and the Hanburys of Pontypool . Industrialisation came early to Monmouthshire; the first brass in Britain was produced at
3956-473: The Britons, might arbitrate their differences. It has been suggested that the remains of a hill fort above the village might be the location of this court. The site of the parish church may be of equal age or older. It is dedicated to St Gwendoline, one of the many saintly offspring of King Brychan of Brycheiniog , who is said to have been killed by pagan Saxons and buried in nearby Talgarth . Unfortunately
4048-595: The Kings of Britain , with a focus on King Arthur and Camelot which Geoffrey located at Caerleon (now in Newport ), and which remained highly influential for centuries, although modern scholars consider it little more than a literary forgery. Christmas 1175 saw an outbreak of particular violence in the gradual extension of Norman control over South Wales. The Marcher lord William de Braose invited Seisyll ap Dyfnwal , lord of Upper Gwent, and an array of other Welsh notables to
4140-726: The River Wye and several parts of South Wales, etc. relative chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; made in the summer of the year 1770 . Although his efforts were sometimes satirised, Gilpin established what became the conventional route down the "mazy course" of the River Wye , with visitors embarking at Ross-on-Wye , and sailing past Symonds Yat , and Monmouth, before the highlight of the tour, Tintern Abbey . Voyages concluded at Chepstow. The abbey at Tintern inspired artists and writers; J. M. W. Turner painted it; William Wordsworth committed it to verse; while Samuel Taylor Coleridge almost died there. Another object of interest to artists undertaking
4232-644: The Silurian territories was achieved. The Roman conquest of Britain began in AD 43, and within five years they had reached the borders of what is now Wales. In south-east Wales they encountered strong resistance from the Silures, led by Caratacus (Caradog), who had fled west after the defeat of his own tribe, the Catuvellauni . His final defeat in AD 50 saw his transportation to Rome, but stiff Silurian resistance continued, and
4324-719: The Wye Tour was the Monnow Bridge at Monmouth. A late 18th-century watercolour by Michael Angelo Rooker is now in the Monmouth Museum . The noted architectural watercolourist Samuel Prout painted the bridge in a study dated "before 1814", now held at the Yale Center for British Art in Connecticut. In 1795, J. M. W. Turner sketched the bridge and gatehouse during one of his annual summer sketching tours. Alfred Russel Wallace ,
4416-443: The alliances formed by neighbouring petty kings was the Kingdom of Morgannwg , a union between Gwent and its western neighbour, the kingdom of Glywysing , which formed and reformed between the 8th and the 10th centuries. The common threat they faced is shown in Offa's Dyke , the physical delineation of a border with Wales created by the Mercian king . For a brief period in the 11th century, Monmouthshire, as Gwent, became part of
4508-413: The ancient Welsh Kingdom of Powys , which in the sixth century AD included the northern two-thirds of the area as well as most of Shropshire and adjacent areas now in England, and came to an end when it was occupied by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd of Gwynedd during the 1260s. The uplands retain evidence of occupation from long before the Kingdom of Powys, and before the Romans, who built roads and forts across
4600-435: The area prior to the Norman Conquest is poorly documented and complex. The kingdom of Gwent frequently fought with the neighbouring Welsh kingdoms, and sometimes joined in alliance with them in, generally successful, attempts to repel the Anglo-Saxons , their common enemy. The Book of Llandaff records such a victory over the Saxon invaders achieved by Tewdrig at a battle near Tintern in the late 6th century. An example of
4692-428: The area. There are 1130 identified burial mounds within the county, of varying styles and ages, dating from 4000 BC to 1000 BC, most of them belonging to the Bronze Age . Of these, 339 are scheduled monuments . Standing stones , most again dating to the Bronze Age, also occur in large numbers, 276 being found across the county, of which 92 are scheduled. From the Iron Age , the county has 90 scheduled hillforts and
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#17328548337254784-420: The bow and arrow than those who come from other parts of Wales". There was a brief reassertion of Welsh autonomy in Monmouthshire during the Glyndŵr rebellion of 1400 to 1415. Seeking to re-establish Welsh independence, the revolt began in the north, but by 1403 Owain Glyndŵr 's army was in Monmouthshire, sacking Usk and securing a victory over the English at Craig-y-dorth , near Cwmcarvan . According to
4876-498: The canal is a popular route for leisure cruising but most of its length lies within the principal areas of Torfaen , Blaenau Gwent and Newport. The Monmouthshire villages of Gilwern , Govilon and Goetre , on the western extremity of the county, remain adjacent to the canal. Tourism remains an important element of the county's economy. It generated just under £245 million in income in 2019, from 2.28 million visitors. The sector also provides employment for over 3,000 inhabitants of
4968-405: The capital of the Silures , a Celtic tribe who occupied south-east Wales in the Iron Age . The Silures proved among the most intractable of Rome's opponents, Tacitus described them as "exceptionally stubborn" and Raymond Howell, in his county history published in 1988, notes that while it took the Romans five years to subdue south-east England, it took thirty-five before complete subjugation of
5060-408: The chair of Monmouthshire County Council. The western edge of the county, bordering Newport and including the settlements of Magor , Undy , Rogiet and Caldicot , forms part of the Newport East constituency which has John Griffiths of Labour as its member. Monmouth is also one of eight constituencies in the South Wales East electoral region , which elects four additional members , under
5152-521: The church was destroyed and rebuilt in 1862 and only the Norman font remains. Unusually, this destruction (common in the Victorian period) drew adverse comment at the time. A contemporary editorial in Archaeologia Cambrensis said: "We are sorry to hear that this ancient edifice has been pulled down...We have no right...to remove the handiwork of our forefathers...It would be better to let the old buildings, plain or ugly as they may be, pass down unscathed to our children, who will have more respect for them than
5244-518: The community of Llanfrechfa Lower ; and the parish of Llanelly from the former Crickhowell Rural District in Brecknockshire. The county is administered by Monmouthshire County Council , with its head office at Rhadyr, outside Usk , opened in 2013. In the 2022 Monmouthshire County Council election , no party gained overall control, with the Welsh Labour party forming a minority administration, its 22 councillors allying with five Independents and one Green Party councillor. The council leader
5336-438: The county is Chwarel y Fan in the Black Mountains, with a height of 679 metres (2,228 ft). The Sugar Loaf (Welsh: Mynydd Pen-y-fâl or Y Fâl ), located three kilometres (two miles) northwest of Abergavenny, offers far-reaching views; although its height is only 596 metres (1,955 ft), its isolation and distinctive peak shape make it a prominent landmark. Wentwood , now partly in Monmouthshire and partly in Newport ,
5428-497: The county of Gwent, confirmed it as part of Wales, and abolished the historic administrative county of Monmouthshire and its associated lieutenancy . It also subsumed Newport County Borough Council , creating a two-tier system of local government across the county. The entire county was administered by Gwent County Council , based at County Hall, Cwmbran , with five district councils below it: Blaenau Gwent , Islwyn , Monmouth , Newport and Torfaen . The largest five towns in
5520-555: The county of Monmouthshire, although only with the eastern three-fifths of its historic area, and with a substantially reduced population. The western two-fifths of the county were included in other principal areas: Caerphilly County Borough , part of which came from Mid Glamorgan, including the towns of Newbridge , Blackwood , New Tredegar and Rhymney ; Blaenau Gwent County Borough , including Abertillery , Brynmawr , Ebbw Vale and Tredegar ; Torfaen County Borough , including Blaenavon , Abersychan , Pontypool , and Cwmbran ; and
5612-408: The county's only National Landscape , has its largest population of deer and the UK's largest population of Lesser horseshoe bats . The Wye itself was once one of the country's major centres of salmon fishing, but this has suffered very rapid decline in the 21st century due to river pollution . The current unitary authority of Monmouthshire was created on 1 April 1996 as a successor to
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#17328548337255704-472: The county's population is over the age of 65. It remains one of the least densely-populated of Wales' principal areas . The 2021 census recorded that Welsh is spoken by 8.7 per cent of the population of the county, a decrease from 9.9 per cent in 2011. The number of non-Welsh speakers increased by 3,000 over the decade. In 2021, 96.9 per cent of Monmouthshire residents identified as "white European", marginally lower than in 2011, compared with 98 per cent for
5796-443: The course of the River Wye and its tributary, the River Monnow . In the southeast is the Wye Valley AONB , a hilly region which stretches into England. The county has a shoreline on the Severn Estuary , with crossings into England by the Severn Bridge and Second Severn Crossing . The name is identical to that of the historic county , of which the current local authority covers the eastern three-fifths. Between 1974 and 1996,
5888-402: The districts were abolished, and Powys was reconstituted as a unitary authority . There was a minor border adjustment in the northeast—specifically, the addition of the communities of Llansilin and Llangedwyn from Glyndŵr district in Clwyd —and with moving the border, so that rather than half of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, all is included. The first Lord Lieutenant of Powys was previously
5980-422: The end of the century, the need for access to exploit the South Wales coalfields saw the development of trams and canals. Tourism became prominent in Monmouthshire at the end of the 18th century, when the French Revolution and the subsequent Napoleonic Wars precluded travel to Continental Europe . The focus of activity was the Wye Tour , first popularised by the Rev. William Gilpin , in his Observations on
6072-402: The historic county was known as Gwent , recalling the medieval kingdom which covered a similar area. The present county was formed under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 , which came into effect in 1996. In his essay 'Changes in local government', in the fifth and final volume of the Gwent County History , Robert McCloy writes, "the local government of no county in the United Kingdom in
6164-449: The incumbent, David TC Davies , a Conservative Party politician who had held the previous seat since 2005 and who served as the Secretary of State for Wales in the prior government. Monmouthshire directly elects two members to the Senedd , the Welsh parliament. The Monmouth constituency covers most of the county and since May 2021 the directly elected member is Peter Fox , a Conservative Party politician who previously served as
6256-408: The industrial area of Ystradgynlais in the southwest of Brecknockshire. In Radnorshire, the language survived into the 20th century west of Rhayader with a few native speakers from Nantmel parish surviving into the 20th century too. The 2021 census recorded that 16.4% of the population were able to speak the Welsh language, a decline from 18.6% in 2011 and 21% in 2001 . The county is named after
6348-432: The length of the Severn Estuary from Chepstow in the east to the shore south of Magor in the west. The distance, roughly 15 miles (24 km), can be walked via the Wales Coast Path . The coastline includes the eastern part of the Caldicot and Wentloog Levels , also known as the Monmouthshire or Gwent Levels, an almost entirely man-made environment that has seen land reclamation since Roman times . Denny Island ,
6440-416: The longevity of the indigenous tribal culture. The Roman abandonment of Britain from AD 383 saw the division of Wales into a number of petty kingdoms . In the southeast (the present county of Monmouthshire) the Kingdom of Gwent was established, traditionally by Caradoc , in the 5th or 6th centuries. Siting their capital at Caerwent, the settlement gave its name to the kingdom. The subsequent history of
6532-451: The lowest population density of all the principal areas of Wales. Most of Powys is mountainous, and most roads and railways are relatively slow. Just under a third of the residents have Welsh linguistic skills: Welsh speakers are concentrated mainly in the rural areas both in and around Machynlleth , Llanfyllin and Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant (where William Morgan first translated the whole Bible into Welsh in 1588) in Montgomeryshire, and
6624-407: The lowest percentages of Welsh speakers in Wales, at 8.2% of the population in 2021. The lowlands in the centre of Monmouthshire are gently undulating, and shaped by the River Usk and its tributaries. The west of the county is hilly, and the Black Mountains in the northwest are part of the Brecon Beacons National Park ( Bannau Brycheiniog ). The border with England in the east largely follows
6716-507: The lowlands: the scenic gorge of the Wye Valley along the border with Gloucestershire adjoining the Forest of Dean , and the valley of the River Usk between Abergavenny and Newport. Both rivers flow south to the Severn Estuary . The River Monnow is a tributary of the River Wye and forms part of the border with Herefordshire and England, passing through the town of Monmouth. The highest point of
6808-404: The marquess died in captivity and his son spent time in prison and in exile abroad. John Arnold was a firm enemy of Catholics and pursued a policy of harassment throughout the 1670s. Monmouthshire’s only dukedom was created in 1663 for James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth , but became forfeit following Scott’s execution after the failed Monmouth Rebellion in 1685. In the 18th and much of
6900-426: The new county were Newport , Cwmbran , Pontypool , Ebbw Vale and Abergavenny . The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 created the present local government structure in Wales of 22 unitary authority areas , the principal areas , and abolished the previous two-tier structure of counties and districts . It came into effect on 1 April 1996. It brought to an end the 22-year existence of Gwent, and re-created
6992-490: The north; the English ceremonial counties of Shropshire and Herefordshire to the east; Monmouthshire , Blaenau Gwent , Merthyr Tydfil , Caerphilly , Rhondda Cynon Taf , and Neath Port Talbot to the south; and Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion to the west. The largest settlement is Newtown , and the administrative centre is Llandrindod Wells . Powys is the largest and most sparsely populated county in Wales, having an area of 5,181 km (2,000 sq mi) and
7084-435: The remainder reporting themselves as Buddhist (0.4 percent); Hindu (0.2 per cent); Jewish (0.1 per cent); Muslim (0.5 per cent); Sikh (0.1 per cent) or Other (0.6 per cent). Monmouthshire is now primarily a service economy , with professional, scientific and technical businesses, financial services, IT and business administration, retail, hospitality and arts and entertainment businesses accounting for just over 50 per cent of
7176-522: The rule of the lords as sicut regale ("like unto a king"). The lords established castles, first earth and wood motte-and-bailey constructions, and later substantial structures in stone, such as Chepstow Castle , begun by William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford as early as 1067, and that at Tregrug , near Llangybi , by de Clare's son, Gilbert . In the early Norman period, the cleric and chronicler, Geoffrey of Monmouth (c. 1095 – c. 1155), who may have been born at Monmouth, wrote his The History of
7268-564: The second largest single sector after professional, scientific and technical enterprises. The Monmouthshire Show , an annual agricultural show , is one of the largest such events in Wales and has operated since 1790. The third largest individual employment sector is construction. The only motorways are in the south of the county: the M4 which connects Wales with England via the Second Severn Crossing with its Welsh end near Sudbrook ; and
7360-403: The strongly Catholic Marquesses of Worcester (later Dukes of Beaufort) at its apex, from their powerbase at Raglan Castle . The outbreak of war saw the county predominantly Royalist in its sympathies; Henry Somerset, 1st Marquess of Worcester expended a fortune in support of Charles I and twice entertained him at Raglan. His generosity was unavailing; the castle fell after a siege in 1646;
7452-429: The subjugation of the entirety of south-east Wales was not achieved until around AD 75, under the governor of Britain, Sextus Julius Frontinus . Monmouthshire's most important Roman remains are found at the town of Venta Silurum ("Market of the Silures"), present-day Caerwent in the south of the county. The town was established in AD 75, laid out in the traditional rectangular Roman pattern of twenty insulae with
7544-400: The total number of enterprises in the county. Employers are generally small, with 91 per cent of businesses employing fewer than 10 people. It is a relatively prosperous county in comparison with the average in Wales; 80.0 per cent of people of working age are in employment compared with the Welsh average of 72.8 per cent; just under 3,000 people were in receipt of the main unemployment benefit,
7636-608: The twentieth century was so transformed as that of Monmouthshire". Evidence of human activity in the Mesolithic period has been found across Monmouthshire; examples include important remains on the Caldicot and Wentloog Levels and at Monmouth . An important hoard of Bronze Age axes was discovered at St Arvans . The county has a number of hillfort sites , such as those at Bulwark and Llanmelin Wood . The latter has been suggested as
7728-458: The twentieth century was so transformed as that of Monmouthshire". The title of Gwent continues as a preserved county , one of eight such counties in Wales, which have mainly ceremonial functions such as the Lords Lieutenant and High Sheriffs . The current Lord Lieutenant of Gwent from 2016 is Brigadier Robert Aitken. The current High Sheriff for 2023–2024 is Professor Simon J. Gibson. It
7820-507: The village was built in 1633 by the Williams family of Old Gwernyfed in nearby Aberllynfi . It was lost to the MacNamara family (apparently after a game of cards) in about 1800 and subsequently much rebuilt. A London hatter called Archibald Christy bought the house in about 1860 and later had it extensively redesigned by the architect Clough Williams-Ellis , who formed the romantic notion that it
7912-436: The whole of Wales. 41.9 per cent of the population identified as "Welsh", down from 44.0% in 2011. The percentage of residents in Monmouthshire that identified as "British only" increased from 23.5% to 27.0%. In the 2021 census 43.4 per cent of Monmouthshire residents reported having "No religion", an increase of nearly 15 per cent from the 28.5 per cent in the 2011 census. 48.7 per cent described themselves as "Christian" with
8004-634: Was also an aviation pioneer, and died in a plane crash in 1910. He is commemorated by a statue in Agincourt Square in Monmouth. The Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers was founded in 1539, making it the second oldest regiment in the British Army . Originally a county militia, it was amalgamated into the Royal Engineers in 1877. It is based at Monmouth Castle . Fitzroy Somerset , a younger son of
8096-409: Was awarded Fair Trade County status by The Fairtrade Foundation . Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( / ˈ m ɒ n m ə θ ʃ ər , ˈ m ʌ n -, - ʃ ɪər / MON -məth-shər, MUN -, -sheer ; Welsh : Sir Fynwy ) is a county in the south east of Wales . It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east;
8188-603: Was born at his father's castle at Monmouth in 1386, and his birth, and his most famous military victory , are commemorated in Agincourt Square in the town, and by a statue on the frontage of the Shire Hall which forms the square's centrepiece. In Henry V's wars in France, he received strong military support from the archers of Gwent, who were famed for their skill with the Welsh bow . Gerald recorded, "the men of Gwent are more skilled with
8280-496: Was firmly embedded in Wales, and in 1840 the Chartist leaders John Frost , Zephaniah Williams and William Jones were tried for sedition and treason at the Shire Hall, Monmouth , after a failed insurrection at Newport . Their death sentences were subsequently commuted to transportation to Australia. Industrialisation also drove improvements in transportation; in the 18th century, the poor state of Monmouthshire's roads approached
8372-517: Was formed from the Welsh Marches by the Laws in Wales Act 1535 . The Laws in Wales Act 1542 enumerated the counties of Wales and omitted Monmouthshire, implying that the county was no longer to be treated as part of Wales. Though for all purposes Wales had become part of the Kingdom of England , and the difference had little practical effect, it did begin a centuries-long dispute as to Monmouthshire's status as
8464-866: Was the site of the original 'White Court'. In 1987 the house was bought and much restored in Edwardian style by Sir Bernard Ashley , who subsequently opened it as the Llangoed Hall Hotel and fabric design centre. It is now a grade II* listed building. The romantic radical and poet John Thelwall built himself a "hermitage" at Llyswen Farm during his exile in Wales. His friends William and Dorothy Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge visited him there in August 1798. The figure of "The Solitary" from Wordsworth's later poem 'The Excursion' may have been based on Thelwall in Llyswen. A travel guide of 1847 referred to Llyswen as
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