St James Square, Monmouth

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St James Square, Monmouth
St James' Square, Monmouth - geograph.org.uk - 308231.jpg
St James Square with Monmouth War Memorial, Indian Bean Tree, and Old Nag's Head
Location Monmouth, Wales
Coordinates 51°48′47″N2°42′40″W / 51.8130°N 2.7111°W / 51.8130; -2.7111 Coordinates: 51°48′47″N2°42′40″W / 51.8130°N 2.7111°W / 51.8130; -2.7111
East St James Street
Old Dixton Road
West Whitecross Street

St James Square is a historic square in the town centre of Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located at the eastern end of Whitecross Street, within the medieval town walls. The area features the Monmouth War Memorial and the controversial, historic Indian Bean Tree. In addition, in 2010, the square was the site of discovery of the first Mesolithic artefacts in Monmouth. St James Square is lined with numerous listed buildings. It is also home to the Monmouth Catalpa Tree.

Contents

History and location

1610 map of Monmouth by cartographer John Speed, showing Dixton (East) Gate (marked M) Old map of Monmouth, Wales.jpg
1610 map of Monmouth by cartographer John Speed, showing Dixton (East) Gate (marked M)

"There are some lovely spots in the town centre, none prettier than St James's Square, with its old war memorial in the shadow of a romantic-looking tree." This is the description of St James Square (pictured) in Monmouth, Wales that appeared in The Telegraph of 25 February 2006. [1] The Monmouth War Memorial, which commemorates the fallen of the First and Second World Wars, was the work of sculptor W. Clarke of Llandaff. [2] The monument was installed near the western tip of triangular St James Square in 1921, in front of a mature Catalpa, now known as the Monmouth Catalpa Tree. [2] [3]

While St James Square does not appear on the 1610 map of Monmouth drawn by cartographer John Speed, Dixton Gate (East Gate), just east of the square, is shown on the early 17th-century map (pictured). St James Square is located within the medieval walls of Monmouth. [2] Whitecross Street extends from Church Street eastward, terminating at the roundabout encircling St James Square. [2] St James Square continues to bring the community together. It serves as the site of ceremonies held on Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday. [4]

On some maps of Monmouth, the eastern segment of Whitecross Street, from its intersection with Monk Street to its termination on the roundabout, is also given the name St James Square. [5] As a consequence, some buildings along that stretch of street have both Whitecross and St James addresses. [6] In addition, St James Street and Old Dixton Road intersect with the roundabout at its eastern aspect. [7] In 2010, during the course of gas main replacement work at St James Square and Wyebridge Street, Mesolithic era artefacts, including flints, were excavated (link to photograph of flints below). [8] This represented the first discovery of Mesolithic human settlement in Monmouth. [8]

The Monmouth Catalpa Tree

The Catalpa or Indian Bean Tree, one of the oldest and largest specimens in the United Kingdom, was planted on the square about 1900. [3] [9] The grade II listed cenotaph and tree, with adjacent lawn and flowers, are enclosed by railings. [10] In 2005, the Catalpa was the focus of controversy when the Monmouthshire County Council condemned the tree. [11] Other groups in the community joined together to hire a professional to investigate the tree's condition. [3] Eventually, metal rods were installed to support a number of the tree's branches. [9]

The buildings

Red remembrance poppies next to Monmouth War Memorial in the square, with the Dispensary (to the left) and Ebberley House (behind Catalpa) War Memorial, St. James' Square, Monmouth - geograph.org.uk - 618242.jpg
Red remembrance poppies next to Monmouth War Memorial in the square, with the Dispensary (to the left) and Ebberley House (behind Catalpa)

St James House (pictured below) at 10 St James Square also has an address recorded at Whitecross Street. It is on the north side of the western end of the square. The 18th-century, grade II listed building has a red brick exterior. The three-storey, five-bay house features a tall, arched window above the entrance. The building was part of Monmouth School, used as a boarding house. [2] [12] [13] [14]

12 St James Square is a two-storey, listed building. While the facade is of the 18th century, the original house is believed to be older. The building has a slate roof and stucco exterior. [15]

19 St James Square, Burton House, is an early 19th-century, listed building. The three-storey building has a pebbledash (roughcast) exterior and operates as a guest house. [16] [17]

The Dispensary (pictured above and below) in St James Square is also referred to as Cartref. It is recorded as being at 23 St James Square in at least one document. Cartref is a mid-18th-century, Grade II listed building. It is one of 24 blue plaque buildings on the Monmouth Heritage Trail. The three-storey, five-bay building features a hipped roof of Welsh slate with spike finials and large brick chimneys. [2] [14] [18] [19] [20]

Ebberley House(pictured above and below) is also recorded at 23 St James Square in at least one document. It is a grade II listed building, just to the right of the Dispensary. The record held by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales indicates that a "mid 19th century painting shows a pair of double gabled, 17th century houses" at the location. The current exterior appears to be of the 19th century, with stucco over brick. The entrance to the left features a round headed doorway with fanlight and six-panelled door. To the right of the entrance, there is a large, tripartite window. Cast iron railings are present. The house now operates as a bed and breakfast. [21] [22] [23]

25 St James Square is an early 19th-century, listed building. It has a three-storey, two-bay elevation and a pedimented doorway. [24]

33 St James Square (pictured below) has an alternate address, 33 Whitecross Street. The grade II listed house is most probably of the 18th century. While the house is three storeys at the front elevation, the rear has a two-storey elevation. There is a circa 1900 canted bay to the right of the entrance, which has a six-panelled door. [6] [14] [25]

The Old Nag's Head (pictured above and below) at St James Square and Old Dixton Road is an early 19th-century building which incorporates the remnants of the East Gate, the Dixton Gate. The gate was otherwise demolished and replaced by the turnpike gate on Old Dixton Road. The medieval portion of the tower gate is red sandstone. The half-round tower of unpainted sandstone projects from the north gable of the building. The remaining portion of the inn is painted. The roof is of Welsh slate and there are red brick chimneys. [2] [14] [26] [27]

The Dixton Gate or East Gate (pictured below and in map above) at St James Square and Old Dixton Road represents the only standing remains of Monmouth's medieval town walls and gates other than the Monnow Bridge Gatehouse. Listed with Cadw, it is incorporated into The Old Nag's Head as described above. The red sandstone tower gate has a battered base. [2] [14] [26] [28] [29] [30]

The Old Toll House or Dixton Gate Turnpike at 16 Old Dixton Road and the square is a listed building. The toll house is positioned on the left side of the road, with its canted end facing toward the street. The early 19th-century turnpike toll house has a Welsh slate roof and is painted. This was replaced by the toll house on New Dixton Road after the new street was laid out in 1837. [2] [31] [32]

See also

Related Research Articles

Dixton Human settlement in Wales

Dixton is a small village located 1 mile (1.6 km) north east of Monmouth, on the banks of the River Wye, in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. The parish originally comprised the two manors of Dixton Newton and Dixton Hadnock, on either side of the river.

Old Nags Head, Monmouth

The Old Nag's Head, Old Dixton Road, Monmouth, Wales, is a nineteenth-century public house, with medieval origins, which incorporates a "stone drum tower of the town defences constructed between 1297 and c.1315." The tower is the only "upstanding remains of the town walls of Monmouth." The pub was designated a Grade II* listed building on 26 April 1955, its "*" rating being due to "its interest as an early C19 public house which retains its character as well as a significant portion of a medieval gate-tower."

Priory House, Monmouth

Priory House is a Grade II Listed building in Monmouth, Wales.

Monmouth War Memorial

The Monmouth War Memorial commemorates the Monmouth fallen of the First and Second World Wars.

Monmouth Alms Houses Charitable organisation

The Monmouth Alms Houses of Monmouth, Wales are funded by the charity established by the haberdasher William Jones before his death in 1615. That charity also established schools in Monmouth and a lectureship in London. The Haberdashers' Company served as trustee of the charity from 1613 until 2011, when the trusteeship was transferred to Bristol Charities. A second charity established through a separate bequest by Jones enabled the building of the Newland Alms Houses in the Forest of Dean. The original Monmouth Alms Houses were constructed in 1614; they were rebuilt in 1842 and 1961. The fourth version of the Monmouth Alms Houses was completed in 2013 and is named 'Cwrt William Jones Almshouses' and is owned and managed by Bristol Charities under the name of 'William Jones Almshouse Charity'. The original alms houses were located on what is now known as Almshouse Street. The most recent houses are located off St James' Square.

Monmouth town walls and defences

The Monmouth town walls and defences comprise the defensive system of town walls and gates built in Monmouth, Wales between 1297 and the early part of the following century. Wye Bridge Gate, East Gate, Monk's Gate, and Monnow Bridge Gate were access points to the town. West Gate, across Monnow Street, also provided access. Only the Monnow Bridge Gatehouse survives intact, albeit in a substantially modified version from the original.

Whitecross Street, Monmouth

Whitecross Street is a historic street in the town centre of Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. It was in existence by the 15th century, and appears as Whit crose on the 1610 map of the town by cartographer John Speed. It runs in an east-west direction, between Church Street and St James Square. It has been suggested that the street takes its name from a plague cross. Whitecross Street is lined with numerous listed buildings.

33 Whitecross Street, Monmouth

33 Whitecross Street is a grade II listed building in Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. It is in the historic St James Square neighbourhood. The property was the site of archaeological excavation in 2009, which demonstrated evidence of Neolithic (prehistoric), Roman, and Medieval activity. The following year, archaeological excavation in the square discovered the first evidence of Mesolithic human settlement in Monmouth.

Monk Street, Monmouth

Monk Street is an historic street in the town of Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. A portion of it was in existence by the 14th century, and appears on the 1610 map of the town by cartographer John Speed. It runs in a north-south direction, extending northward from its intersection with Whitecross Street. The name of the street relates to the nearby Priory, as well as the gate which was originally on this road and provided part of the town's defences, Monk's Gate. Monk Street is lined with numerous listed buildings.

Masonic Hall, Monmouth

The Masonic Hall is a grade II listed building on Monk Street in Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. It was designed by architect George Vaughan Maddox. The building is believed to mark the site of Monk's Gate, part of the original defences of the town of Monmouth. Before its 1846 conversion to the Masonic Hall, the building served as the Monk Street Theatre. After more than 150 years of housing the Loyal Monmouth Lodge No. 457, the Masonic Hall sustained fire and smoke damage from suspected arson. The Lodge of Freemasons housed in the building is the oldest surviving Masonic Lodge in Monmouthshire.

Kingsley House and Hendre House, Monmouth

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.

St James Street, Monmouth

St James Street is a historic street in the town centre of Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. It appears as a segment of Whitecross Street on the 1610 map of the town by cartographer John Speed and is within the medieval town walls. On more recent maps, it extends from St James Square southwest to Almshouse Street. In 2010, the street was the site of discovery of Mesolithic era artefacts. St James Street is lined with numerous listed buildings.

St James House, Monmouth

St James House is a grade II listed building in Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. It is in the historic St James Square neighbourhood, within the Medieval town walls. While the house currently has an attractive, 18th-century facade, it originated as a burgage tenement. In addition, behind the house, evidence of a kiln has been unearthed, with both Medieval and Post-medieval pottery. In 2010, archaeological excavation in the square revealed the first evidence of Mesolithic human settlement in Monmouth. Recent residents of St James House have included boarding students from Monmouth School.

Glendower Street, Monmouth

Glendower Street is a historic street in the town centre of Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. It extends to the southeast from the intersection of Agincourt Street and St John's Street, within the medieval town walls. Glendower Street is lined with numerous listed buildings, including one of the 24 blue plaque buildings on the Monmouth Heritage Trail.

The Nelson Rooms, Monmouth

The Nelson Rooms is a grade II listed building in Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. It is in the historic Glendower Street and Agincourt Street neighbourhood, within the medieval town walls. The building initially served as a gymnasium and was a gift from Lady Llangattock to the town of Monmouth. In 1924, after the benefactor's death, it reopened as the Nelson Museum, and showcased the collection of memorabilia related to Admiral Horatio Nelson that had been amassed by the baroness. The Nelson Museum moved to new quarters at the Market Hall in 1969. The former gymnasium and museum is now an apartment building.

Monmouth Police Station

The Monmouth Police Station is a Grade II listed building in the town centre of Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located in the historic Glendower Street neighbourhood, within the medieval town walls. In March 2012, it was announced that the Monmouth Police Station was one of seventeen police stations in South East Wales that would no longer be open to the public.

St Johns, Monmouth

St John's is a grade II listed building in the town centre of Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located in the historic Glendower Street neighbourhood, within the medieval town walls. The eight bedroom home is most remarkable for the rear of the property which features a Coalbrookdale verandah and formal walled garden that have been separately grade II listed with the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. The villa's garden is also registered with the Welsh Historic Gardens Trust.

Wye Bridge Ward, Monmouth

Wye Bridge Ward was one of four wards in the town of Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. Streets in the ward included St Mary's Street, Almshouse Street, St James Street, St James Square, Whitecross Street and Monk Street. The ward existed as a division of the town by the early seventeenth century, and continued into the twentieth century.

Newton Court

Newton Court is a neoclassical house, completed in 1802, situated on the hillside above Dixton, 1 mi (1.6 km) north-east of the town on Monmouth, in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is a Grade II* listed building. The stable block is listed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), noted for as a breeding site for lesser horseshoe bats.

Great Manson Farm, Monmouth

Great Manson Farm is a property on the northern outskirts of Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales, in the Buckholt area. It is in the Manson Lane neighbourhood, within the electoral division of Dixton with Osbaston. During the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, members of the Clarke, Goode, Clark, Dampier, and Morgan families resided at Great Manson Farm, at which time the reported size of the farm varied from 170 to 200 acres. The property is remarkable for the presence of three grade II listed buildings, including a barn with medieval origins.

References

  1. ↑ Max Davidson (25 February 2006). "City spotlight: Monmouth". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 John Newman (11 March 2000). Gwent/Monmouthshire (illustrated ed.). Yale University Press. p. 408. ISBN   9780300096309 . Retrieved 18 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  3. 1 2 3 "Council v Council in Catalpa Tree Clash!". hackersons.co.uk. Monmouth Community. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  4. ↑ "Letter to Parents – December 2011". monmouthschool.org. Monmouth School. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  5. ↑ "Sanroyd House, Monmouth". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 18 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  6. 1 2 "St. James Square, 33, W. Side; Apna Gir, Whitecross St., 33". coflein.gov.uk. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  7. ↑ "Virtual Map of Monmouth". monmouth.org.uk. The Monmouth Website. Retrieved 18 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  8. 1 2 "Items found in Monmouth shed light on Mesolithic man". BBC News. 8 November 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  9. 1 2 "War Memorial, St. James' Square, Monmouth". geolocation.ws. Geolocation. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  10. ↑ "War Memorial, Monmouth". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  11. ↑ "Monmouth residents fight to preserve two historic landmarks". Western Mail. Cardiff, Wales. 19 November 2005. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  12. ↑ "St. James Square, 10, Monmouth; St. James House". coflein.gov.uk. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  13. ↑ "St. James's House, Monmouth". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 12 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "Walking in Monmouth, Monmouthshire and The Wye Valley". monmouth.org.uk. The Monmouth Website. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  15. ↑ "St. James Square, 12, Monmouth". coflein.gov.uk. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  16. ↑ "St. James Street, 19, Monmouth; Burton House". coflein.gov.uk. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  17. ↑ "Burton Guest House". iwales.co.uk. iWales. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  18. ↑ Monmouth town (1875). Illustrated handbook to Monmouth. R. Waugh. p. 39.
  19. ↑ "St. James Square, 23, Monmouth; Cartref". coflein.gov.uk. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  20. ↑ "The Old Dispensary, Monmouth". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 12 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  21. ↑ "Erberley House; No 23 St James Square, Monmouth". coflein.gov.uk. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  22. ↑ "Ebberley House, Monmouth". britishlistedbuildings. British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 12 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  23. ↑ "Ebberley House". ebberleyhousemonmouth.co.uk. Ebberley House. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  24. ↑ "St. James Square, 25, Monmouth". coflein.gov.uk. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  25. ↑ "Apria Gir, Monmouth". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 21 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  26. 1 2 "The Old Nag's Head Public House". coflein.gov.uk. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  27. ↑ "The Old Nag's Head P H, Monmouth". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  28. ↑ "Eastern Gate; Dixton Gate, Monmouth Town Walls". coflein.gov.uk. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  29. ↑ "Monmouth Town Defences". cofiadurcahcymru.org.uk. The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust Historic Environment Record. Retrieved 21 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  30. ↑ "Monmouth Town Walls and Defences". gatehouse-gazetteer.info. Gatehouse Gazetteer. Retrieved 21 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  31. ↑ "Old Toll House, Old Dixton Rd.; Dixton Gate Turnpike". coflein.gov.uk. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  32. ↑ "Old Toll House (Dixton Gate Turnpike), Monmouth". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 17 May 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
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