103-628: Pwll Du (meaning a black or dark pool or pit) was a village in Monmouthshire , Wales. It was declared a slum in 1960 and demolished in 1963. The main employment was provided by nearby limestone quarries and by the iron works in Blaenavon . The Pwll Du Tunnel from Blaenavon, once the longest horse-powered tramway in Britain, ended near the village. A pub and the former Welfare Hall, now a school's outdoor pursuits centre, are all that are left standing. Pwll Du
206-568: 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
309-464: 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
412-615: 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
515-614: 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
618-800: 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 ,
721-422: 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,
824-551: 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
927-467: 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
1030-604: A humorous tale in which an incognito Gawain pushes his uncle King Arthur into the Usk, and is then forced to explain to his wife Gwendoloena ( Guinevere ) why he is so wet. Geoffrey of Monmouth writes of Caerleon in the mid 12th century: For it was located in a delightful spot in Glamorgan , on the River Usk, not far from the Severn Sea . Abounding in wealth more than other cities, it
1133-470: A legacy of Edwards from 1779. There are thirteen crossings within the boundaries of the city of Newport . The Twenty Ten Bridge is a recently constructed private bridge upstream of Caerleon giving access to one of the golf courses associated with Celtic Manor. In Caerleon itself the B4236 road crosses by means of Caerleon Bridge dating from 1806. Downstream are two rail crossings, upstream and downstream of
SECTION 10
#17331070453571236-711: 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
1339-468: 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
1442-409: 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
1545-491: 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,
1648-648: 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
1751-399: A ‘sawdust mill’. Forge Mill north of Bettws Newydd at SO 355974 was still in use at the end of the nineteenth century, using a 200m long weir stretching between islands on the river to draw its water. Gorrats Mill at Trostrey sits on the Usk's left bank at SO 359040. The possible 16th century Prioress Mill (SO 367022) at Rhadyr just north of the town of Usk was another which whilst close to
1854-581: 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
1957-482: 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
2060-458: 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
2163-636: Is crossed by two bridges at Usk , the former railway crossing and downstream, the Usk Bridge which carries the A472 road, and the Usk Valley Walk . Yet another Grade II* listed structure, it was built by William Edwards in the late 1740s. A long unbridged section follows until, just upstream from the normal tidal limit on the Usk, it is crossed by the Grade II* listed New Bridge at Newbridge-on-Usk , probably also
SECTION 20
#17331070453572266-467: Is now a privately owned outdoor pursuits centre. The Lamb and Fox pub also survived and is now a private residence. Alexander Cordell wrote several novels about families living and working in this area. One of the most important caves in Britain, the Ogof Draenen , lies under the area. The Pwll Du Tunnel , the longest horse-drawn tram tunnel in Britain, used to terminate near the village. It connected
2369-472: Is that of Pont ar Wysg (translates from Welsh as bridge on the Usk ) which carries the moorland road west from Trecastle to Twynllanan. There are a further couple of minor road crossings below the Usk Reservoir dam around Cwmwysg , then Pont Newydd (translates as new bridge ) immediately south of Trecastle. In the vicinity of Sennybridge are Pont Pantysgallog, Pont Ynysyrwyddfa, Pont Senni (after which
2472-465: 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
2575-616: 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
2678-536: 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 ,
2781-748: 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
2884-521: The Blaenavon Ironworks to limestone quarries at Pwll-Du and Tyla. The horse-drawn railway through the tunnel was in operation by 1817. Limestone was taken from the quarry up to the railway by a water-balance lift, using water from a reservoir above. Hill's Tramroad ran for 3 miles (4.8 km) north east from Pwll Du round the Blorenge hill to Llanfoist Incline, where the drams were sent down to
2987-633: The Cambriae Typus map of 1573. The whole river has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest . It contains estuary with mudflats and salt marsh , lagoons , bog and marsh, varied grassland and woodland habitats along its course. Its flora and fauna are diverse and include Atlantic salmon , European otters , twait shad , shad , lamprey , European perch , brown trout , chub , common dace and common roach as well as kingfishers , grey herons and other wildfowl and bird life. Dippers can be seen upriver along with red kites in
3090-579: 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
3193-686: 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
Pwll Du - Misplaced Pages Continue
3296-514: 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
3399-602: The M4 motorway crossing which comprises two independent structures carrying the east and westbound carriageways over the river together with two further structures carrying the A4042 slip roads forming a part of junction 25a of the motorway. Newport Bridge , often known as Town Bridge, carries the B4591 immediately downstream of the second railway crossing, the two bridges trapping Newport Castle between them. The innovative Newport City footbridge
3502-743: 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
3605-482: The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal over the river at Llanfrynach . There was another pair of bridges at Llansantffraed but since the dismantling of the railway bridge only the road bridge linking to Talybont-on-Usk remains. A couple of private footbridges span the next section of the river before its waters pass beneath the historic (grade I listed) Llangynidr Bridge . Tower Bridge is a grade II* listed structure providing private vehicular access into Glanusk Park ,
3708-647: 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
3811-458: 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)
3914-726: 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
4017-474: 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
4120-415: The 1930s and people began to move out. In 1960 the village was declared a slum. The mines had closed. The houses were dilapidated and had neither running water nor sewerage. The houses were demolished in 1963 after the remaining residents had been moved, most of them to Govilon, a village further down the hill. The Welfare Hall was built in the 1940s, funded by a levy on the villagers. It was not torn down and
4223-658: 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
Pwll Du - Misplaced Pages Continue
4326-595: 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
4429-726: 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
4532-644: 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
4635-482: The UK Top Ten. The normal tidal limit of the river is just below the bridge at Newbridge-on-Usk , some 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Newport. There are multiple bridge crossings of the river, variously for vehicles, pedestrians and rail traffic. A number are of historic interest, notably a series of largely eighteenth and nineteenth century listed structures between Abercamlais and Newport. The highest crossing
4738-611: The Usk drew its water from a tributary, in this case the Berthin Brook. In addition to these there is an enigmatic leat beside the uppermost section of the river's course which is presumed to have drawn water off it at SN 816263 and transferred it via a contouring route across the moors for over 2 km. Its northern end is lost within 20th century forestry south of Usk Reservoir. Archaeologists have postulated it as being of either mediaeval or even Roman origin but do not know its purpose. The River Usk has played an important role in
4841-468: The Usk for most of the length of the canal. The name of the river derives from a Common Brittonic word meaning "abounding in fish" (or possibly "water"); this root also appears in other British river names such as Exe , Axe , Esk and other variants. The name is cognate with pysg (plural of pysgod ), the Welsh word for fish, borrowed from Latin piscis . The name of the river appears as "Wÿsk" on
4944-719: 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 ,
5047-443: 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
5150-435: 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
5253-456: The banks of the Usk between here and Crickhowell though all draw their water from tributaries rather than the main river. Aberhoyw Mill takes water from the Nant Cleisfer , Knight's Cornmill at Tretower takes water via a 440m long leat from the Rhiangoll and Usk Vale Mill at Glangrwyney draws it water from the Grwyne Fawr . The first two are post-mediaeval corn-mills, the latter a nineteenth century paper mill which later converted to become
SECTION 50
#17331070453575356-420: 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
5459-415: The canal and railway. The tramroad carried cast iron brought through the tunnel from the Blaenavon Ironworks to the Garnddyrys Forge , and wrought iron from the Forge to Llanfoist. After about 1850 cast iron from Blaenavon was carried over the Dyne Steel Incline and then down Hill's Tramroad. In 1860 the Garnddyrys works were closed, the forge was relocated to Forgeside, Blaenavon, and the northern branch of
5562-498: 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
5665-405: 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
5768-408: 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
5871-518: 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
5974-438: 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 ,
6077-497: 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
6180-555: 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
6283-408: 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
SECTION 60
#17331070453576386-472: 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
6489-512: The county, approximately 10 per cent of the total working population. The county has neither a university nor any satellite campus. The former University of Wales, Newport operated a campus at Caerleon which closed in 2016, following the 2013 merger which created the University of South Wales . Higher education courses in the county are provided through the campus of Coleg Gwent at Rhadyr, near Usk . River Usk The River Usk ( / ʌ s k / ; Welsh : Afon Wysg ) rises on
6592-443: 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,
6695-422: 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
6798-453: The eponymous town of Usk , it passes the Roman legionary fortress of Caerleon to flow through the heart of the city of Newport and into the Severn Estuary at Uskmouth beyond Newport near the Newport Wetlands . The river is about 125 km (78 mi) long. According to the Encyclopaedia of Wales (which provides a figure of 137km), the river is the longest to flow wholly within Wales. The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal follows
6901-460: The form of the remains of the Newport Ship that were discovered in 2002. This ship, dated to around 1465, was most likely a trading vessel and may have sailed around Europe or even beyond in its lifetime. Its presence in the Usk has confirmed what an important trading route the Usk must have been to the many towns and villages along its course. The Usk has also played a role in many local legends. The Medieval Latin text De Ortu Waluuanii recounts
7004-402: 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
7107-428: The history of Wales and features in some local folk-tales. Historically, the tidal reaches of the Usk have been used as a major shipping port for much of the last millennium, mostly because of its wide and deep mouth, and good navigable access from the Severn Estuary and the Bristol Channel and thence access to home waters and further overseas. Evidence of the Usk's long-standing use in transport and trade came in
7210-449: 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
7313-432: 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 ,
7416-465: 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
7519-407: 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
7622-455: 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
7725-464: The mainline railway crosses it at The Bryn , a small village otherwise known as Llangattock Nigh Usk. The B4598 road is carried over the river by another Upton legacy, the Grade II* listed Pant-y-Goitre Bridge near Llanvihangel Gobion and again by the 'Chain Bridge' near Kemeys Commander (the name of this iron arch structure is a hangover from the previous bridge which was supported by chains). The river
7828-404: 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
7931-473: 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
8034-508: The north and east; 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
8137-477: The northern slopes of the Black Mountain ( y Mynydd Du ), Wales , in the westernmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park . Initially forming the boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys , it flows north into Usk Reservoir , then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk , Crickhowell and Abergavenny , after which it takes a more southerly course. Beyond
8240-435: 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
8343-428: The river then remaining unbridged downstream until the historic (grade I listed) Crickhowell Bridge . At Glangrwyney is a bailey bridge installed after the earlier stone bridge was washed away. Though there was once a chain ferry crossing of the river near Llanwenarth as the nearby Boat Farm testifies. The next bridge is that at Abergavenny connecting the town with Llanfoist . This grade II* listed structure
8446-488: The river's valley upstream from around the town of Usk . The Usk has long been a noted salmon and trout fishing river. Salmon of over 30 pounds (14 kg) may still be caught. In 1999 the river had the highest estimated salmon egg deposition of any river south of Cumbria and the Scottish rivers , and exceeded its spawning target. The river has recently been rated as the best fly fishing water in Wales for salmon and inside
8549-522: 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
8652-520: 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
8755-403: 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;
8858-429: 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
8961-400: 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,
9064-474: The tunnel at Pwll Du was closed. The limestone quarries closed after the General Strike of 1926. 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
9167-608: 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
9270-458: 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
9373-621: The village is named) and Pont Llwyncyntefin. Pont y Commin is of interest insofar as a former railway bridge carried the Neath and Brecon Railway at a high level diagonally over the road bridge itself. Three historic bridges span the river in quick succession; a pedestrian suspension bridge at Abercamlais and stone arch bridges at Abercamlais and Penpont (both grade II* listed) with Aberbrân bridge another 1.5 miles (2.4 km) downstream. The Grade I listed Usk Bridge in Brecon dates back to 1563 but it
9476-436: 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
9579-402: The world and, at just short of 200 metres (660 ft), is the longest of these. There are a number of former watermills along the banks of the river, the majority of which were engaged in milling corn for flour production. The uppermost mill on the Usk was that at Cwm-wysg, a corn mill of mediaeval origin at Ordnance Survey grid reference SN 849285. Watergate Mill at Brecon (SO 435285)
9682-504: Was accompanied on its upstream side by a railway bridge from the 1860s until the railway's closure in the late 1950s. Abergavenny is bypassed to the south by the A465 dual carriageway which crosses the river west of the Hardwicke roundabout. The bridge which carries the A4042 road over the river at Llanellen was built by John Upton in 1821. A private footbridge spans the river at Llanover and
9785-634: 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
9888-404: Was another cornmill making use of water from the Usk, though post-mediaeval in date. A couple of miles downstream was Millbrook Mill at Llanhamlach (SO 084268). This drew water via a 42m long leat from an 85m long weir spanning the width of the river. Buckland Old Mill, upstream of Llangynidr (at SO 134201) is thought to have been another post-mediaeval cornmill. Three further mills sit close to
9991-556: 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
10094-543: Was established in the 1820s. There were two rows of terrace houses, one with 14 houses and the other with 28. At one time Pwll Du had two pubs, two chapels, a school and a shop. The Prince of Wales pub spanned the border between Monmouthshire and Brecknockshire . The two counties had different alcohol licensing laws, and it is said that patrons of the pub would move from one county to the other so they could continue to drink legally. The 300 residents were miners, quarrymen, ironworkers and their families. Employment declined from
10197-496: 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
10300-517: 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
10403-541: Was opened in 2006 to carry both pedestrians and cyclists over the river as part of an urban regeneration project . Just down river is George Street Bridge carrying the B4237 road across and downstream again is City Bridge carrying the A48 dual carriageway across. Newport Transporter Bridge is the furthest downstream of the many crossings of the Usk. Completed in 1906, it is one of fewer than 10 such structures remaining in use across
10506-500: Was significantly altered in the 1950s to accommodate increased road traffic. It is supplemented by a modern concrete span bridge carrying the A40 Brecon bypass dual carriageway over the river to the east of the town. Another 1.5 miles (2.4 km) miles downstream is Lock Bridge which carries the B4558 over the river and immediately downstream again is the substantial Brynich Aqueduct bringing
10609-503: Was suited for such a ceremony. For the noble river I have named flows along it on one side, upon which the kings and princes who would be coming from overseas could be carried by ship. "It is not until the 13th century French prose romances that Camelot began to supersede Caerleon, and even then, many descriptive details applied to Camelot derive from Geoffrey's earlier grand depiction of the Welsh town." The Usk valley contains many sites of prehistorical archaeological significance and
#356643