Monmouthshire

Last updated
County of Monmouthshire

Sir Fynwy
County
MONMOUTHSHIRE Shield.svg
Coat of arms
Wales Monmouthshire locator map.svg
Location within Wales
Coordinates: 51°47′N2°52′W / 51.783°N 2.867°W / 51.783; -2.867 Coordinates: 51°47′N2°52′W / 51.783°N 2.867°W / 51.783; -2.867
Admin HQ Usk
Largest town Abergavenny
Government
 •  MP David Davies
 •  MS Nick Ramsay
 • Leader of Monmouthshire Council Peter Fox
Area
 • Total850 km2 (330 sq mi)
Area rank Ranked 7th
Population
 (2017)
 • Total94,590
 • Rank Ranked 17th
 • Density111/km2 (290/sq mi)
 • Density rank Ranked 15th
Ethnicity
 • White97.5%
Welsh language
 •  Rank 22nd
 • Any skills12.9%
Time zone GMT
 • Summer (DST) UTC+1 (BST)
ISO 3166 code GB-MON
ONS code 00PP (ONS)
W06000021 (GSS)

Monmouthshire (Welsh : Sir Fynwy) is a principal area with the style of 'county' in South East Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire of which it covers the eastern 60%. The largest town is Abergavenny. Other towns and large villages are Caldicot, Chepstow, Monmouth, Magor and Usk. It borders Torfaen, Newport and Blaenau Gwent to the west; Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the east; and Powys to the north.

Contents

Historic county

The historic county of Monmouthshire was formed from the Welsh Marches by the Laws in Wales Act 1535 bordering Gloucestershire to the east, Herefordshire to the northeast, Brecknockshire to the north, and Glamorgan to the west. 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. However, for all purposes Wales had become part of the Kingdom of England, and the difference had little practical effect.

For several centuries, acts of the Parliament of England (in which Wales was represented) often referred to "Wales and Monmouthshire". However, the Local Government Act 1972, which came into effect in April 1974, confirmed the county as part of Wales, with the administrative county of Monmouthshire and its associated lieutenancy being abolished. Most of its area was transferred to a new local government and ceremonial county called Gwent, with the same eastern and southern boundaries as the historic county, the River Wye and the Severn Estuary. The western two-fifths are now administered by other principal areas: Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Caerphilly, and Newport.

Principal area

The current unitary authority of Monmouthshire was created on 1 April 1996 as a successor to the district of Monmouth along with the Llanelly community from Blaenau Gwent, both of which were districts of Gwent. The use of the name "Monmouthshire" rather than "Monmouth" for the area was controversial, being supported by the MP for Monmouth, Roger Evans, but being opposed by Paul Murphy, MP for Torfaen (inside the historic county of Monmouthshire but being reconstituted as a separate unitary authority). [1] By area it covers some 60% of the historic county, but only 20% of the population. A new council headquarters building at the site of Coleg Gwent, Usk was proposed and developed. [2] Planning permission was granted in September 2011. [3] The new county hall in Usk was opened in 2013. [4] [5]

In comparison to the pre-1974 areas it covers:

Places of interest

Raglan Castle Ragland castle t100.jpg
Raglan Castle

Scenic Railway Line:

Geography

Much of Monmouthshire is hilly, particularly the western area adjoining the industrial South Wales Valleys and the Black Mountains to the north. Two major river valleys dominate 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 Black Mountains are part of the Brecon Beacons National Park, whilst the Wye Valley is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) which straddles the England-Wales border.

The highest point (county top) of 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 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) northwest of Abergavenny, is probably the best known hill in the county. Although its height is only 596 metres (1,955 ft), its isolation and distinctive peak shape makes it a prominent landmark for many miles around.

Related Research Articles

Abercarn Human settlement in Wales

Abercarn is a small town and community in Caerphilly county borough, Wales. It is 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Newport on the A467 between Cwmcarn and Newbridge, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.

Monmouth Town in Monmouthshire, Wales

Monmouth is both the historic county town of Monmouthshire in Wales and a community. 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.

Chepstow Human settlement in Wales

Chepstow is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the tidal River Wye, about 2 miles (3.2 km) above its confluence with the River Severn, and adjoining the western end of the Severn Bridge. It is 16 miles (26 km) east of Newport, 28 miles (45 km) east-northeast of Cardiff, 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Bristol and 110 miles (180 km) west of London.

Monmouthshire (historic)

Monmouthshire, also known as the County of Monmouth, is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales and a former administrative county. It corresponds approximately to the present principal areas of Monmouthshire, Blaenau Gwent, Newport and Torfaen, and those parts of Caerphilly and Cardiff east of the Rhymney River.

Goodrich, Herefordshire

Goodrich is a village in south Herefordshire, England close to Gloucestershire and the Forest of Dean, situated near the River Wye at grid reference SO574193. It is known for its Norman and mediaeval castle built with Old Red Sandstone.

Chepstow Castle

Chepstow Castle at Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain. Located above cliffs on the River Wye, construction began in 1067 under the instruction of the Norman Lord William FitzOsbern. Originally known as Striguil, it was the southernmost of a chain of castles built in the Welsh Marches, and with its attached lordship took the name of the adjoining market town in about the 14th century.

Stow Hill Human settlement in Wales

Stow Hill is both an electoral district (ward) and coterminous community parish of the City of Newport, South Wales.

Monmouth (UK Parliament constituency)

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Llanthony Priory

Llanthony Priory is a partly ruined former Augustinian priory in the secluded Vale of Ewyas, a steep-sided once-glaciated valley within the Black Mountains area of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It lies seven miles north of Abergavenny on an old road to Hay-on-Wye at Llanthony. The priory ruins lie to the west of the prominent Hatterrall Ridge, a limb of the Black mountains. The main ruins are under the care of Cadw and entrance is free.

Kingdom of Gwent kingdom in South Wales

Gwent was a medieval Welsh kingdom, lying between the Rivers Wye and Usk. It existed from the end of Roman rule in Britain in about the 5th century until the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century. Along with its neighbour Glywyssing, it seems to have had a great deal of cultural continuity with the earlier Silures, keeping their own courts and diocese separate from the rest of Wales until their conquest by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. Although it recovered its independence after his death in 1063, Gwent was the first of the Welsh kingdoms to be overrun following the Norman conquest.

Dorstone Human settlement in England

Dorstone is a village within the Golden Valley, Herefordshire, England. There is a thriving community with a church and public house with restaurant. The Golden Valley area offers excellent hillwalking and horseback riding countryside and is noted for its scenery. It is within the catchment area of the popular Fairfield secondary school.

Dingestow Human settlement in Wales

Dingestow is a small village in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-west of Monmouth and approximately the same distance north-east of Raglan in rural Monmouthshire. The River Trothy passes through the village.

Devauden Human settlement in Wales

Devauden is a village and community in Monmouthshire, southeast Wales. It is located between Chepstow and Monmouth near the top of the Trellech ridge on the B4293 road. The community covers an area of 3,790 hectares (14.6 sq mi). The community includes the villages of Itton and Wolvesnewton, Llanfihangel-tor-y-mynydd and Newchurch.

Llanwenarth

Llanwenarth is a small village and parish in the Usk Valley of Monmouthshire, south-east Wales, United Kingdom. It is in the community of Llanfoist Fawr and covered by the electoral ward of Llanwenarth Ultra.

Monmouth Castle

Monmouth Castle is a castle in the town of Monmouth, county town of Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It is a Grade I listed building and scheduled monument. Monmouth Castle is located close to the centre of Monmouth on a hill above the River Monnow, behind shops and the main square and streets. Once an important border castle, and birthplace of Henry V of England, it stood until the English Civil War when it was damaged and changed hands three times before being slighted to prevent it being fortified again. After partial collapse in 1647, the site was reused and built over by Great Castle House, which became the headquarters and regimental museum of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers.

Llanfihangel Tor-y-Mynydd Human settlement in Wales

Llanfihangel Tor-y-Mynydd is a small rural village in the community of Devauden, Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located within the Vale of Usk, about 9 miles south west of Monmouth and 6 miles east of the town of Usk, between the villages of Devauden and Llansoy.

River Gavenny A river in Monmouthshire, Wales

The River Gavenny or sometimes the Gavenny River is a short river in Monmouthshire in south Wales. It rises 1 mile (1.6 km) southwest of the village of Llanvihangel Crucorney from springs near Penyclawdd Court, supplemented by springs in Blaen-Gavenny Wood and tributary streams there and within the Woodland Trust-owned Great Triley Wood. It flows south for about 4 miles (6.4 km) to its confluence with the River Usk towards the eastern end of Castle Meadows at Abergavenny. The town derives its English-language name from the Gavenny's confluence with the River Usk. Of the buildings on the banks of the river, the Gothic Decorated style church of St Teilo at Llantilio Pertholey is especially notable. Parts of the church date from the thirteenth century with multiple additions since. Blaengavenny Farm, the name of which signifies the 'head of the Gavenny', is a sixteenth century farmhouse near the river's source.

The geology of Monmouthshire in southeast Wales largely consists of a thick series of sedimentary rocks of different types originating in the Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, Triassic and Jurassic periods.

Grade I listed buildings in Monmouthshire

Monmouthshire is a county and principal area of Wales. It borders Torfaen and Newport to the west; Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the east; and Powys to the north. The largest town is Abergavenny, with other large towns comprising Chepstow, Monmouth, and Usk. The present county was formed under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, and comprises some sixty percent of the historic county. Between 1974 and 1996, the county was known by the ancient title of Gwent, recalling the medieval Welsh kingdom. The county is 850 km2 in extent, with a population of 93,600.

Grade II* listed buildings in Monmouthshire List of buildings in principal area of Wales

Monmouthshire is a county and principal area of Wales. It borders Torfaen and Newport to the west; Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the east; and Powys to the north. The largest town is Abergavenny, with the other major towns being Chepstow, Monmouth, and Usk. The county is 850 km2 in extent, with a population of 93,600 as of 2019. The present county was formed under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, and comprises some sixty percent of the historic county. Between 1974 and 1996, the county was known by the ancient title of Gwent, recalling the medieval Welsh kingdom. 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 the twentieth century was so transformed as that of Monmouthshire".

References

  1. ↑ Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster. "Hansard, House of Commons, March 15, 1994, Column 782". Parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk. Archived from the original on February 10, 2012. Retrieved 2011-05-21.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ "Monmouthshire County Council press release, "This council is coming home", 12 January 2010". Monmouthshire.gov.uk. 2010-01-12. Archived from the original on 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  3. ↑ Free Press, Plans for new Monmouthshire council HQ in Usk are approved, 29 September 2011
  4. ↑ "Monmouthshire move into new HQ". Willmott Dixon.
  5. ↑ Gabriel, Clare (18 April 2013). "'Agile working' office savings aim" . Retrieved 21 March 2018– via www.bbc.co.uk.
  6. ↑ "Chepstow Castle from the 1816 Bridge:: OS grid ST5394 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  7. ↑ "Raglan Castle:: OS grid SO4108 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  8. ↑ "Monnow Bridge, Monmouth:: OS grid SO5012 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  9. ↑ "Harold's Stones, Trellech:: OS grid SO4905 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  10. ↑ "Abergavenny Castle:: OS grid SO2913 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  11. ↑ "Wye Valley View from Eagle's Nest on Wynd Cliff:: OS grid ST5296 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  12. ↑ "The Sugar Loaf, near Abergavenny:: OS grid SO2718 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  13. ↑ "Looking NNE from the Sugar Loaf:: OS grid SO2620 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  14. ↑ "White Castle:: OS grid SO3716 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  15. ↑ "Skenfrith Castle:: OS grid SO4520 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  16. ↑ "Grosmont Castle:: OS grid SO4024 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  17. ↑ "The Three Castles Walk:: OS grid SO4421 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  18. ↑ "Devil's Pulpit:: OS grid ST5499 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  19. ↑ "Llanthony Priory:: OS grid SO2827 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  20. ↑ "Tintern Abbey:: OS grid SO5300 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. 2005-03-30. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  21. ↑ "View from Usk Castle:: OS grid SO3700 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  22. ↑ "Clytha Castle:: OS grid SO3608 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  23. ↑ "Market Hall clock tower, Abergavenny:: OS grid SO2914 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  24. ↑ "Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal, Govilon:: OS grid SO2713 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  25. ↑ "Stream at Dolydd y Castell, Abergavenny:: OS grid SO3013 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. 2007-04-01. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  26. ↑ "The Monnow Valley:: OS grid SO4323 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  27. ↑ "Caldicot Castle:: OS grid ST4888 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  28. ↑ "The Round House, The Kymin, Monmouth:: OS grid SO5212 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!". Geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  29. ↑ "Sugar Loaf and Usk Valley". National Trust.
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