The Beaufort Arms Hotel, Monmouth

Last updated

Beaufort Arms Hotel
Beaufort Arms 1.JPG
The Beaufort Arms Hotel
The Beaufort Arms Hotel, Monmouth
General information
AddressAgincourt Square
Town or city Monmouth
Country Wales
Coordinates 51°48′43.46″N2°42′54.12″W / 51.8120722°N 2.7150333°W / 51.8120722; -2.7150333 Coordinates: 51°48′43.46″N2°42′54.12″W / 51.8120722°N 2.7150333°W / 51.8120722; -2.7150333
Completed1830s
Design and construction
Architect George Vaughan Maddox (reputed)

The Beaufort Arms Hotel, Agincourt Square, Monmouth, Monmouthshire, south-east Wales is a former coaching inn dating from the early eighteenth century, though the frontage may have been modified by the prolific early Victorian architect George Vaughan Maddox in the 1830s. [1] A stone cornice on the central block still carries the inscription "The Beaufort Arms". [2] It is a Grade II* listed building as of 27 June 1952. [3] It is one of 24 buildings on the Monmouth Heritage Trail.

Contents

Description

The hotel, the "handsomest" in the square, [1] lies to the side of the Shire Hall. It is of three and one half storeys high, and five bays across. The rear has an extensive courtyard, with stables for coach horses. The building was converted into flats and shops in 1989. [1] The interior was subject to major alteration during the conversion and the only historically significant remaining features are the entrance lobby, with Ionic pilasters and the top-lit staircase. [2]

History

The Beaufort Arms was named after the Dukes of Beaufort, whose lands these once were. According to Charles Heath in 1804, this inn consisted originally of two small tenements, one a butcher's and the other a corn dealer's, and the inn yard was a fives court managed by a Mr Pye. [4] In the early 18th century after Pye's death Mr John Tibbs became the owner and developed the inn with the Beaufort portcullis as the sign. The Beaufort Arms became important after the building of the Shire Hall in 1724. Through the influence of the Duke of Beaufort it acquired, in 1760, a part of that new building which encroached on the inn's fives court. The balcony below, facing Agincourt Square, is reputed to have been used by the Dukes of Beaufort for making speeches during elections. [2]

As an added attraction, Mr Tibbs built a bridge across the River Monnow and laid out Pleasure Gardens on Vauxhall Fields. The modern bridge accessed from Castle Hill is still known as Tibbs' Bridge. John Wesley visited the gardens in 1784, and wrote of "a gently rising ground on the top of which the gentry of the town frequently spend the evening in dancing. From hence spread various walks, bordered with flowers, one of which leads down to the river".

22 Beaufort Arms Ct Beaufort Hotel HTsmall.jpg
The court behind which now has small shops Beaumont court.jpg
The court behind which now has small shops

Admiral Lord Nelson stayed here in July 1802 with Sir William and Lady Emma Hamilton, arriving by boat on the River Wye. Following his rapturous reception in the town, Lord Nelson promised to attend a Dinner in his honour on his return journey from Pembrokeshire. Thus, on 19 August, at 4pm, at the Beaufort Arms Inn, the company sat down to "a sumptuous entertainment ......for which a fine buck was presented by His Grace the Duke of Beaufort". The inn reached its peak during the early 19th century when the Wye Tour was popular and Nelson had given it publicity by staying there. The Beaufort Arms Hotel became the town's principal coaching inn with direct transport to London by famous coaches like 'The Mazeppa' which, in 1830, left the yard at 5am and reached Regent Street at 8pm. The fare was 15 shillings outside and 30 shillings inside. [5]

In more recent times the hotel was one of three hotels in the town owned by the Trust House Organisation. The Rolling Stones stayed here in September 1964 while touring the UK and a letter sent to a fan on headed Beaufort Arms Hotel notepaper written by bassist Bill Wyman, with another sheet of the whole band's signatures, was put up for auction in March 2020. [6] It became privately owned and was then sold to a developer who converted the buildings into apartments and shops in 1989 and renamed the site 'Beaufort Arms Court'. Through the coaching archway on Agincourt Square the inn yard is surrounded by shops and cafes.

Scenes for a 2005 episode of the science fiction television series Doctor Who , "The Unquiet Dead", were filmed in the courtyard, which masqueraded as the exterior of a funeral parlour. [7]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Newman, p. 405.
  2. 1 2 3 "Beaufort Arms, Agincourt Square (300052)". Coflein. RCAHMW . Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  3. ↑ Cadw. "Beaufort Arms Court, Monmouth (Grade II*) (2227)". National Historic Assets of Wales . Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  4. ↑ Charles Heath (1804) Historical and Descriptive Accounts of the Ancient and Present State of the Town of Monmouth
  5. ↑ Heather Hurley (2007) The Pubs of Monmouth, Chepstow and the Wye Valley, p75 et seq ISBN   978-1-904396-87-1 Longaston Press
  6. ↑ "Rolling Stones rock fan's world with letter in 1964". hansonsauctioneers.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  7. ↑ Ainsworth, John, ed. (2016). Doctor Who: The Complete History. Vol. 48. Panini Magazines/Hachette Partworks Ltd. p. 138. ISSN   2057-6048.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monmouth</span> Town in Monmouthshire, Wales

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.

Blestium

Blestium was a small fort and iron working centre in the Roman province of Britannia Superior, part of Roman Britain. It has been identified with the site of the later town of Monmouth in south east Wales, located adjoining the confluence of the River Monnow with the River Wye. A plaque on the local bank records its position.

Monmouth Castle

Monmouth Castle is a castle close to the centre of the town of Monmouth, the county town of Monmouthshire, on a hill above the River Monnow in south east Wales.

Shire Hall, Monmouth Building in Monmouth, Wales

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kings Head Hotel, Monmouth</span> Posting inn in Monmouth, Wales

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.

Great Castle House

Great Castle House is a former town house built on the site of part of Monmouth Castle in Wales. Amongst the town's most significant buildings, it has a Grade I listing and is one of 24 sites on the Monmouth Heritage Trail. The house is located on Castle Hill, off Agincourt Square in Monmouth town centre.

The Monmouth Heritage Trail is a walking route which connects various sights in the town of Monmouth, Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The White Swan Inn, Monmouth</span>

The White Swan Inn, White Swan Court, Church Street, Monmouth, Monmouthshire, south-east Wales, is an eighteenth-century former coaching inn. The building is Grade II* listed as of 27 June 1952. It is one of 24 buildings on the Monmouth Heritage Trail.

The Angel Hotel, Monmouth

The Angel Hotel, Church Street, Monmouth, Monmouthshire, south-east Wales is a Grade II listed building. The building was in use as an inn in 1700 and closed in 1985, the longest period of continuous history of any public house in Monmouth. The building is of three storeys, with a roof of Welsh slate and a wooden Doric doorcase. During the late nineteenth century, the hotel was the headquarters of the Monmouth Branch of the Cyclists Touring Club. It is now a furniture shop, and one of 24 buildings on the Monmouth Heritage Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Heath (Monmouth)</span>

Charles Heath was a printer and writer who became a leading radical in Monmouth. He was twice elected Mayor of Monmouth.

Vauxhall Fields, Monmouth

Vauxhall Fields, also known as Vauxhall Meadows, are water meadows to the northwest of Monmouth town centre, Wales. The River Monnow borders the meadows on two sides. The meadows have generally remained free of development. The area has been prone to flooding on many occasions over the years.

Punch House, Monmouth Public House in Monmouth, Wales

The Punch House is a public house and hotel located at Agincourt Square, Monmouth, Wales.

Agincourt Square, Monmouth

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.

Monmouth Regimental Museum Military museum in Monmouth, Wales

The Monmouth Regimental Museum is located on Castle Hill in Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. The museum is in a wing of Great Castle House, a listed building on the Monmouth Heritage Trail. The focus of most of the museum's exhibits is the most senior regiment in the British Territorial Army, the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers. Great Castle House is home to the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers, and the museum maintains the records of the regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monnow Street</span>

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.

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.

Crown and Thistle Inn, Monmouth Public House in Monmouth, Wales

The Crown and Thistle Inn was a public house in Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. It was in the historic Agincourt Square neighbourhood. Prior to its conversion to a public house, the building served as the premises of an apothecary. During the early nineteenth century, the Crown and Thistle Inn briefly housed one of the earliest Masonic Lodges in Monmouthshire.

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.

1–6 Priory Street, Monmouth Shops / Houses in Monmouth, Monmouthshire

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."

9 Agincourt Street, Monmouth Commercial in Monmouth, Monmouthshire

9 Agincourt Street, Monmouth, Wales is a late 17th century townhouse which became the estate office of the agent of the Dukes of Beaufort in the mid 19th century. It is a Grade II* listed building. In commercial use since its construction, it now houses a firm of architects.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.