Agincourt Square is an open space in the centre of Monmouth, Wales, in front of the Shire Hall. The area has been used for public functions and markets over the centuries.
Agincourt Square in the 1930s, looking towards the northeast
The mediaeval market place in Monmouth developed from the bailey of the castle, and originally covered a much larger area than the present square.[1] The square was the venue of the town's market, both before and after the Shire Hall was built in 1724. It was known as the Market Place in 1804, according to the local publisher Charles Heath.[2]
In the early part of the 19th century, the marketplace was given the name of Agincourt Square, to commemorate the victory in 1415 of Henry V, who had been born in the town, over the French.[3] It was also intended to help promote local tourism, which had prospered through the growth of the "Wye Tour". Sources differ as to whether the renaming took place in 1817[4] – that is, two years after the Battle of Waterloo and the defeat of Napoleon – or in 1830.[5]
During the 19th century, farmers drove their flocks of animals through the square on their way to the slaughter houses in Priory Street.[6] The square was used as the meeting venue for fox hunts for many years.[7][8] It has also been used to host open air public meetings.[9] Many of the buildings around the square were once public houses. There were 15 pubs in the square in 1835;[10] this gave rise to a rhyme "A gin court here, a gin court there, no wonder they call it Agincourt Square".[11] There are now just two pubs left: the Punch House and the Kings Head.[10]
In 1879 a young man advertised for a wife and received a photograph from an actress of the time and a letter making an appointment in Agincourt Square, Monmouth. The man turned up expecting to see his potential wife and stayed for three hours while being laughed at by a local crowd of people before returning home on the last train.[12]
On 29 October 1900, the then Duke and Duchess of York stopped in the square on their way to visit the Llangattock and Rolls family at the Hendre. The visit was a private one and as such the official welcome in the square was very brief. The couple were in mourning at the time for Prince Christian Victor. The Duke and Duchess later became King George V and Queen Mary.[6]
The unveiling of the Rolls Memorial and Statue, to commemorate Charles Rolls, took place on 19 October 1911.[6] On 18 July 1919 the square hosted a parade that was the start of two days of Peace celebrations following the end of the Great War.[6]
Recent activities
A market is held under the arches of the Shire Hall on Fridays and Saturdays, with a farmers market on the second Wednesday of each month and occasional craft markets during the year.[13]Monmouth Festival was held in the square from 1982 until 2008, when the venue was changed to the old cattle market at Blestium Street.[14]
Notable buildings and structures
The Shire Hall, built in 1724, dominates Agincourt Square
Monmouth is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is 30 miles (48 km) northeast of Cardiff, and 113 miles (182 km) west of London. It is within the Monmouthshire local authority, and the parliamentary constituency of Monmouth. The population in the 2011 census was 10,508, rising from 8,877 in 2001. Monmouth is the historic county town of Monmouthshire although Abergavenny is now the county town.
The Shire Hall in Agincourt Square, Monmouth, Wales, is a prominent Grade I listed building in the town centre. It was built in 1724, and was formerly the centre for the Assize Courts and Quarter Sessions for Monmouthshire. In 1839–40, the court was the location of the trial of the Chartist leader John Frost and others for high treason for their part in the Newport Rising. The building was also used as a market place. The Shire Hall is owned by Monmouthshire County Council and has audiovisual guides for visitors to Courtroom 1. It is currently used as a Tourist Information Centre and as the offices for Monmouth Town Council, and is open to the public in part.
A memorial statue to the aviation pioneer Charles Rolls stands in front of the Shire Hall in Agincourt Square, Monmouth, Wales. The 8 feet (2.4 m) high bronze statue was designed by Sir William Goscombe John, R.A. and Sir Aston Webb, R.A. designed the pink granite plinth. The statue is a Grade II* listed structure.
The King's Head Hotel is a hotel standing opposite the Shire Hall in Glyndŵr Street, Agincourt Square, Monmouth, Wales. It dates from the mid-17th century, and as one of the major inns in Monmouth was reputedly visited by Charles I of England in 1645. It has a fine black-and-white painted stone façade and became an important posting inn in the late 17th century, with a yard through an archway where visitors' horses could be stabled and where regular coach services called. In the 18th and 19th centuries, stagecoaches for London left from the inn. The range of buildings along Agincourt Street now includes the former Monmouth Bank and the County Club, while the inn itself is now part of the J D Wetherspoon pub chain. It is one of 24 buildings on the town's Heritage Trail and is a Grade II* listed building.
The Rolls Hall, Whitecross Street, Monmouth, Monmouthshire is a Victorian hall, now public library, donated to the town in celebration of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee by John Rolls, the future Lord Llangattock. It is a Grade II listed building as of 8 October 2005, and is one of 24 buildings on the Monmouth Heritage Trail.
The Mayor of Monmouth is an elected position given to a town councillor in Monmouth in Wales. The position dates back about 750 years.
The Cross is situated in St Thomas' Square, Overmonnow, Monmouth, Wales, in the middle of a roundabout opposite the Church of St Thomas the Martyr and the western end of the Monnow Bridge. Originally mediaeval, and also known as Overmonnow Cross, the cross was reconstructed in 1888 and has been classed as a Grade II listed structure since 15 August 1974.
The Gatehouse, also known as The Gate House, is a public house located next to Monnow Bridge in Monmouth, Wales. The pub was known as the Barley Mow until it changed its name in 1993. It is the only public house in Monmouth located beside a river. The pub has a restaurant area, seated balcony and a function room.
The Queens Head is a public house located at 1, St James Street, Monmouth, Wales. It has also known as The Queens Head Hotel and formerly Queens Head Inn.
The Punch House is a public house and hotel located at Agincourt Square, Monmouth, Wales.
Parade House, is a Grade II listed building in Monk Street, Monmouth, Wales. The building is 18th-century in origin and has three storeys, gothicised windows, an ornate staircase and a hipped roof.
The Griffin is a former public house in Whitecross Street, Monmouth, Wales. The building dates from the 18th century and has been grade II listed since 2005. Its name and sign refer to the legendary creature, the griffin.
The Cottage Hospital was a community hospital on the Hereford Road in Monmouth, Wales.
The Mayhill Hotel is a public house and hotel located Wyesham Road, Monmouth, Wales. The pub is situated between the roads leading to Wyesham and the Forest of Dean and as such claims it is the Last Pub in Wales.
The Riverside Hotel is a public house and hotel located in Cinderhill Street, Monmouth, Wales. The hotel has a bar and a function room and has 17 bedrooms.
Monnow Street is the main shopping street of Monmouth, south east Wales. It runs for about 500 yards in a south-westerly direction from Agincourt Square to the Monnow Bridge, which crosses the River Monnow.
The Green Dragon is a public house and inn located in St Thomas Square Monmouth, Wales. The pub provides live music on weekend evenings and during the annual Monmouth Festival the pub is used as a venue for entertainment.
Kingsley House and Hendre House are a pair of 19th-century, semi-detached houses on the North Parade section of Monk Street in Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. The grade II listed houses were designed by noted Monmouth architect and builder George Vaughan Maddox, who also designed at least two of the twenty-four blue plaque buildings on the Monmouth Heritage Trail, including the Market Hall and the Monmouth Methodist Church. Hendre House should be distinguished from The Hendre, the estate of the Rolls family.
1–6 Priory Street in Monmouth, Wales, is a row of six shop houses designed by the architect George Vaughan Maddox and constructed c. 1837. They form part of Maddox's redevelopment of the centre of Monmouth and stand opposite his Market Hall. The architectural historian John Newman has written that Maddox's work "gives Monmouth its particular architectural flavour," and considers Priory Street to be "his greatest work."
12–16 Church Street in Monmouth, Wales, is a row of three shop houses designed by the architect George Vaughan Maddox and constructed c. 1837. They form part of Maddox's redevelopment of the centre of Monmouth and stand on Church Street, to the rear of Maddox's Priory Street. The architectural historian John Newman has written that Maddox's work "gives Monmouth its particular architectural flavour" and Cadw describes the grouping of 12–16 Church Street as "the best preserved early 19th century shopfront in Monmouth."
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