Monmouthshire

This article is about the principal area. For the historic county, seeMonmouthshire (historic).For other uses, seeMonmouthshire (disambiguation).

Monmouthshire(/ˈmɒnməθʃər,ˈmʌn-,-ʃɪər/MON-məth-shər,MUN-, -⁠sheer;Welsh:Sir Fynwy) is acountyin thesouth eastofWales.It bordersPowysto the north; the English counties ofHerefordshireandGloucestershireto the north and east; theSevern Estuaryto the south, andTorfaen,NewportandBlaenau Gwentto the west. The largest town isAbergavenny,and the administrative centre isUsk.

Monmouthshire Sir Fynwy(Welsh)
County
Clockwise from top: View over Monmouthshire from The Kymin Severn Bridge Raglan Castle
Coat of arms
Motto(s): Latin:Utrique Fidelis,lit. 'faithful to both'
Monmouthshire shown withinWales
Coordinates:51°47′N2°52′W
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	Wales
Preserved county	Gwent
Incorporated	1 April 1996
AdministrativeHQ	Usk
Government
• Type	Principal council
• Body	Monmouthshire County Council
•Control	No overall control
•MPs	Catherine Fookes(L)
•MSs	Peter Fox(C) John Griffiths(L) +4regional members
Area
• Total	328 sq mi (849 km2)
• Rank	7th
Population (2022)
• Total	93,886
• Rank	17th
• Density	290/sq mi (111/km2)
Welsh language(2021)
• Speakers	8.7%
• Rank	22nd
Time zone	UTC+0(GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1(BST)
ISO 3166 code	GB-MON
GSS code	W06000021
Website	monmouthshire.gov.uk

The county is rural, although adjacent to the city of Newport and the urbanisedSouth Wales Valleys;it has an area of 330 square miles (850 km²) and a population of 93,000. After Abergavenny (12,515), the largest towns areChepstow(12,350),Monmouth(10,508), andCaldicot(9,813). The county has one of the lowest percentages ofWelsh speakersin Wales, at 8.2% of the population in 2021.

The lowlands in the centre of Monmouthshire are gently undulating, and shaped by theRiver Uskand its tributaries. The west of the county is hilly, and theBlack Mountainsin the northwest are part of theBrecon Beacons National Park(Bannau Brycheiniog). The border with England in the east largely follows the course of theRiver Wyeand its tributary, theRiver Monnow.In the southeast is theWye ValleyAONB,a hilly region which stretches into England. The county has a shoreline on theSevern Estuary,with crossings into England by theSevern BridgeandSecond Severn Crossing.

The name is identical to that of thehistoric county,of which the current local authority covers the eastern three-fifths. Between 1974 and 1996, the historic county was known asGwent,recallingthe medieval kingdomwhich covered a similar area. The present county was formed under theLocal Government (Wales) Act 1994,which came into effect in 1996. In his essay 'Changes in local government', in the fifth and final volume of theGwent County History,Robert McCloy writes, "the local government of no county in theUnited Kingdomin the twentieth century was so transformed as that of Monmouthshire ".

History

Pre-History

Hillforton the summit ofSkirrid Fawr

Main article:Prehistoric Wales

Evidence of human activity in theMesolithicperiod has been found across Monmouthshire; examples include important remains on theCaldicot and Wentloog Levelsand atMonmouth.An important hoard ofBronze Ageaxeswas discovered atSt Arvans.The county has a number ofhillfort sites,such as those atBulwarkandLlanmelin Wood.The latter has been suggested as the capital of theSilures,aCeltictribe who occupied south-east Wales in theIron Age.The Silures proved among the most intractable of Rome's opponents,Tacitusdescribed 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 the Silurian territories was achieved.

Roman period

Four Seasons mosaic from adomusatVenta Silurum

Main article:Wales in the Roman era

TheRoman conquest of Britainbegan 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 byCaratacus(Caradog), who had fled west after the defeat of his own tribe, theCatuvellauni.Hisfinal defeatin AD 50 saw his transportation to Rome, but stiff Silurian resistance continued, and 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 ofVenta Silurum( "Market of the Silures" ), present-dayCaerwentin the south of the county. The town was established in AD 75,laid out in the traditional rectangular Roman pattern of twentyinsulaewith abasilicaand a temple flanking aforum.Other Roman settlements in the area includedBlestium(Monmouth).TheRomanisation of Monmouthshirewas 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 aRespublica Civitatis Silurium(an early town council) in around 300 testifies to the longevity of the indigenous tribal culture.

Sub-Roman period

Main article:Kingdom of Gwent

TheRoman abandonment of Britainfrom AD 383 saw the division of Wales into a number ofpetty kingdoms.In the southeast (the present county of Monmouthshire) theKingdom of Gwentwas established, traditionally byCaradoc,in the 5th or 6th centuries. Siting their capital at Caerwent, the settlement gave its name to the kingdom.The subsequent history of 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 theAnglo-Saxons,their common enemy. TheBook of Llandaffrecords such a victory over the Saxon invaders achieved byTewdrigat a battle nearTinternin the late 6th century.An example of the alliances formed by neighbouring petty kings was theKingdom of Morgannwg,a union between Gwent and its western neighbour, the kingdom ofGlywysing,which formed and reformed between the 8th and the 10th centuries.The common threat they faced is shown inOffa's Dyke,the physical delineation of a border with Wales created by theMercianking.For a brief period in the 11th century, Monmouthshire, as Gwent, became part of a united Wales underGruffydd ap Llywelyn,but his death in 1063 was soon followed by that of his opponentHarold Godwinsonat theBattle of Hastings,and the re-established unity of the country was to come from Norman dominance.

Norman period and Middle Ages

Chepstow Castle– stronghold of theLords of Striguiland "the glory of medieval south Wales"

Main article:Welsh Marches

TheNorman invasion of South Walesfrom the late 1060s saw the destruction of the Kingdom of Gwent,and its replacement by fiveMarcher lordshipsbased atStriguil(Chepstow), Monmouth, Abergavenny, Usk and Caerleon.The Marcher Lord of Abergavenny,Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Gloucester,described the rule of the lords assicut regale( "like unto a king" ).The lords established castles, first earth and woodmotte-and-baileyconstructions, and later substantial structures in stone, such asChepstow Castle,begun byWilliam FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Herefordas early as 1067,and that atTregrug,nearLlangybi,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 hisThe History of the Kings of Britain,with a focus onKing ArthurandCamelotwhich Geoffrey located atCaerleon(now inNewport), 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 lordWilliam de BraoseinvitedSeisyll ap Dyfnwal,lord of Upper Gwent, and an array of other Welsh notables to a feast atAbergavenny 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 atCastell Arnalltand 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 thePlantagenet nobility.Henry of Grosmont, Duke of Lancaster(c. 1310–1361), was reputedly born atGrosmont Castle,home of his fatherHenry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster,grandson ofHenry 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) was born at his father's castle atMonmouthin 1386, and his birth, and his most famousmilitary victory,are commemorated inAgincourt Squarein the town, and by a statue on the frontage of theShire Hallwhich 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 theWelsh bow.Gerald recorded, "the men of Gwent are more skilled with the bow and arrow than those who come from other parts of Wales".

There was a brief reassertion of Welsh autonomy in Monmouthshire during theGlyndŵr rebellionof 1400 to 1415. Seeking to re-establish Welsh independence, the revolt began in the north, but by 1403Owain Glyndŵr's army was in Monmouthshire, sackingUskand securing a victory over the English atCraig-y-dorth,nearCwmcarvan.According to theAnnals 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 theBattle of Grosmont,and at theBattle of Pwll Melyn,traditionally located nearUsk Castle,where Glyndŵr's brother was killed and his eldest son captured. The chroniclerAdam of Usk,a contemporary observer, noted that "from this time onward, Owain's fortunes began to wane in that region."

Monmouthshire 1535–1974

Hand-drawn map of Monmouthshire by Christopher Saxton from 1577

Main article:Monmouthshire (historic)

Tudor reforms

The firstTudorking,Henry VII,was born atPembroke Castlein the west of Wales, and spent some of his childhood in Monmouthshire, atRaglan Castleas a ward ofWilliam Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke.His son and heirHenry VIIIwas to bring the rule of theMarcher lordsto an end. The historic county of Monmouthshire was formed from theWelsh Marchesby theLaws 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 theKingdom of England,and the difference had little practical effect, it did begin a centuries-long dispute as to Monmouthshire's status as aWelshor as anEnglishcounty, a debate only finally brought to an end in 1972.

The laws establishing the 13 counties (shires), thehistoric counties of Wales,assigned four for the five new counties created from the Marcher Lordships along the Welsh/English border,Brecknockshire,Denbighshire,MontgomeryshireandRadnorshire,to the legal system operated in Wales, administered by theCourt of Great Sessions.Monmouthshire was assigned to theOxford circuitof theEnglish 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 theLocal Government Act 1933.For several centuries, acts of theParliament of England(in which Wales was represented) often referred to "Wales and Monmouthshire", such as theWelsh Church Act 1914.

Civil war and religious strife

Monmouthshire in the 1600s experienced to a high degree the political and religious convulsions arising from theEnglish Reformationand culminating in theEnglish Civil War.FollowingHenry VII'sreligious reforms, the county had a reputation forrecusancy,with the strongly CatholicMarquesses of Worcester(later Dukes of Beaufort) at its apex, from their powerbase atRaglan Castle.The outbreak of war saw the county predominantlyRoyalistin its sympathies;Henry Somerset, 1st Marquess of Worcesterexpended a fortune in support ofCharles Iand twice entertained him at Raglan. His generosity was unavailing; the castle fell after a siege in 1646; the marquess died in captivity and hissonspent time in prison and in exile abroad.

John Arnoldwas a firm enemy of Catholics and pursued a policy of harassment throughout the 1670s.Monmouthshire’s onlydukedomwas created in 1663 forJames Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth,but became forfeit following Scott’s execution after the failedMonmouth Rebellionin 1685.In the 18th and much of the 19th centuries county politics was dominated by the Beauforts, and theMorgans,"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 theHanburys of Pontypool.

Industrialisation

John Frostwas sentenced to death at Monmouth after the failure of theNewport Rising

Industrialisation came early to Monmouthshire; the firstbrassin Britain was produced at afoundryatTinternin 1568,and the lower Wye Valley and theForest of Deanbecame important centres for metalworking and mining. But the most dramatic impact was in the west of the county during theIndustrial Revolution,in theSouth Wales Coalfield,where some of the largest pits in Wales were dug, and a majoriron industrydeveloped.The societal transformation was accompanied by great inequality and unrest.Chartismwas firmly embedded in Wales, and in 1840 the Chartist leadersJohn Frost,Zephaniah WilliamsandWilliam Joneswere tried for sedition and treason at theShire Hall, Monmouth,after afailed insurrection at Newport.Their death sentences were subsequently commuted totransportationto Australia.

Industrialisation also drove improvements in transportation; in the 18th century, the poor state of Monmouthshire's roads approached a national scandal. During a debate in parliament on the establishment of aturnpike trustfor the county, the local landownerValentine Morrisasserted that the inhabitants of the county travelled "in ditches".By the mid-century, commercial demands saw the first timetabledstagecoachbetween London and Monmouth arrive inAgincourt Squareon 4 November 1763, the journey having taken four days.By the end of the century, the need for access to exploit the South Wales coalfields saw the development of trams and canals.

Society, art and science

Tourism became prominent in Monmouthshire at the end of the 18th century, when theFrench Revolutionand the subsequentNapoleonic Warsprecluded travel toContinental Europe.The focus of activity was theWye Tour,first popularised by the Rev.William Gilpin,in hisObservations on 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 theRiver Wye,with visitors embarking atRoss-on-Wye,and sailing pastSymonds 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. Turnerpainted it;William Wordsworthcommitted it to verse;whileSamuel Taylor Coleridgealmost died there.Another object of interest to artists undertaking the Wye Tour was theMonnow Bridgeat Monmouth.A late 18th-century watercolour byMichael Angelo Rookeris now in theMonmouth Museum.The noted architectural watercolouristSamuel Proutpainted the bridge in a study dated "before 1814", now held at theYale Center for British Artin Connecticut.In 1795,J. M. W. Turnersketched the bridge and gatehouse during one of his annual summer sketching tours.

Alfred Russel Wallace,anaturalistwhose independent work onnatural selectionsawCharles Darwinbring forward the publication ofOn the Origin of Species,was born atLlanbadoc,outsideUsk,in 1823. He is commemorated in a statue raised in the town's Twyn Square in 2021.Bertrand Russell,the philosopher and the onlyNobel laureatefrom the county, was born atCleddon Hall,outsideTrellechin 1872.Charles Rollsgrew up at his family seat,The Hendre,just north of Monmouth and, in partnership withHenry Royce,co-foundedRolls-Royce Limited.He was also an aviation pioneer, and died in a plane crash in 1910.He is commemorated by a statue in Agincourt Square in Monmouth.

War

HMS Monmouth

TheRoyal Monmouthshire Royal Engineerswas founded in 1539, making it the second oldest regiment in theBritish Army.Originally a county militia, it was amalgamated into theRoyal Engineersin 1877. It is based atMonmouth Castle.

Fitzroy Somerset,a younger son of the5th Duke of Beaufort,enjoyed a long military career, serving on the staff of theDuke of Wellingtonat theBattle of Waterloo,and as commander-in-chief of the British forces during theCrimean War.CreatedBaron Raglanin 1852, he died in 1855. His son was giftedCefntilla Court,nearLlandennyin his memory.William Wilson Allen,who fought with theSouth Wales Borderersat theBattle of Rorke's Driftin 1879, is buried inMonmouth Cemetery,the only grave in the county of a holder of theVictoria Cross.

TheMonmouthshire Regimentwas established in 1907. Men from the regiment fought in both theFirstandSecond World Wars,until its disbandment in 1967.HMSMonmouthwas sunk at theBattle of Coronelin November 1914, with the loss of all 734 crew.

Gwent 1974–1996

Main article:Gwent (county)

TheLocal Government Act 1972,which came into effect in April 1974, created the county of Gwent, confirmed it as part of Wales, and abolished the historicadministrative countyof Monmouthshire and its associatedlieutenancy.It also subsumedNewport County Borough Council,creating a two-tier system of local government across the county. The entire county was administered byGwent County Council,based atCounty Hall, Cwmbran,with fivedistrict councilsbelow it:Blaenau Gwent,Islwyn,Monmouth,NewportandTorfaen.The largest five towns in the new county wereNewport,Cwmbran,Pontypool,Ebbw ValeandAbergavenny.

Late 20th and 21st centuries

TheLocal Government (Wales) Act 1994created the presentlocal governmentstructure inWalesof 22unitary authority areas,theprincipal areas,and abolished the previous two-tier structure ofcountiesanddistricts.It came into effect on 1 April 1996. It brought to an end the 22-year existence of Gwent, and re-created 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 ofNewbridge,Blackwood,New TredegarandRhymney;Blaenau Gwent County Borough,includingAbertillery,Brynmawr,Ebbw ValeandTredegar;Torfaen County Borough,includingBlaenavon,Abersychan,Pontypool,andCwmbran;and theCity of Newport,includingCaerleonas it had since 1974. The new Monmouthshire, covering the less populated eastern 60% of the historic county, included the towns ofAbergavenny,Caldicot,Chepstow,MonmouthandUsk.

In his essay on local government in the fifth and final volume of theGwent 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".The title of Gwent continues as apreserved county,one of eight such counties in Wales, which have mainly ceremonial functions such as theLords LieutenantandHigh 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 is also retained for a limited number of public service functions which operate across principal areas, for exampleGwent Police.

In the1997 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 aNational Assemblyfor 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.

Geography

Abergavenny

Monmouth

Chepstow

Usk

River Wye

River Usk

Caldicot

class=notpageimage|

Labelled relief map of the county

Monmouthshire is broadly rectangular in shape, and borders the county ofPowysto the north and the county boroughs ofNewport,TorfaenandBlaenau Gwentto the west, with its southern border on theSevern Estuarygiving the county its only coastline. To the east, it borders the English counties ofHerefordshireandGloucestershire.The centre of the county is the plain of Gwent, formed from the basin of theRiver Usk,while theRiver Wyeforms part of its eastern border, running through theWye Valley,one of the fiveAreas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Walesand the only one in the county.

The north and west of the county is mountainous, particularly the western area adjoining the industrialSouth Wales Valleysand theBlack Mountainswhich form part of theBrecon Beacons National Park.Two major river valleys dominate the lowlands: the scenic gorge of the Wye Valley along the border with Gloucestershire adjoining theForest of Dean,and the valley of the River Usk between Abergavenny and Newport. Both rivers flow south to theSevern Estuary.TheRiver Monnowis 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 the county isChwarel y Fanin the Black Mountains, with a height of 679 metres (2,228 ft). TheSugar 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 inNewport,is the remnant of a once much larger forest, but remains the largestancient woodlandin 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 thecantrefi(hundreds) ofGwent Uwchcoed(above the wood) andGwent Iscoed(below the wood).

Geology

Main article:Geology of Monmouthshire

Coastline and landscape

Monmouth's coastline forms its southern border, running the length of theSevern Estuaryfrom Chepstow in the east to the shore south ofMagorin the west. The distance, roughly 15 miles (24 km), can be walked via theWales Coast Path.The coastline includes the eastern part of theCaldicot and Wentloog Levels,also known as the Monmouthshire or Gwent Levels, an almost entirely man-made environment that has seenland reclamationsinceRoman times.

Denny Island,a 0.24 hectares (0.6 acres) outcrop of rock in theSevern Estuary,the southern foreshore of which is the boundary between England and Wales, is Monmouthshire's only offshore island.

Biodiversity

Main article:List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Monmouthshire

The battle to saveMagor Marsh,the last remaining area of naturalfenlandon theGwent Levels,led to the foundation of theGwent Wildlife Trust.The county contains a range of nature reserves and areas of special scientific interest, includingGraig Wood14.3-hectare (35-acre) SSSI,Pentwyn Farm Grasslands7.6-hectare (19-acre) SSSI andLady Park Wood National Nature Reserve(45.0-hectare (111-acre)).TheWye Valley,the county's onlyNational Landscape,has its largest population ofdeerand the UK's largest population ofLesser horseshoe bats.The Wye itself was once one of the country's major centres ofsalmonfishing, but this has suffered very rapid decline in the 21st century due toriver pollution.

Climate

Climate data for Monmouthshire
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	8.4 (47.1)	8.9 (48.0)	11.40 (52.52)	14.5 (58.1)	17.9 (64.2)	20.5 (68.9)	22.5 (72.5)	22.1 (71.8)	19.5 (67.1)	15.2 (59.4)	11.5 (52.7)	8.7 (47.7)	15.16 (59.29)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	1.72 (35.10)	1.7 (35.1)	2.7 (36.9)	4.1 (39.4)	7.0 (44.6)	9.8 (49.6)	11.5 (52.7)	11.2 (52.2)	9.1 (48.4)	6.7 (44.1)	4.0 (39.2)	2.0 (35.6)	6.0 (42.8)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	127.3 (5.01)	93.9 (3.70)	74.8 (2.94)	67.6 (2.66)	73.9 (2.91)	69.1 (2.72)	66.2 (2.61)	82.8 (3.26)	75.8 (2.98)	125.6 (4.94)	120.9 (4.76)	132.2 (5.20)	1,110.7 (43.73)
Average rainy days(≥ 1 mm)	14.5	11.5	11.3	10.6	10.3	9.2	9.0	10.1	9.7	13.1	14.2	13.9	137.9
Mean monthlysunshine hours	51.3	75.0	110.6	158.1	187.1	176.7	185.3	178.9	133.3	95.4	59.3	47.0	1,458.4
Source: 1991–2020 averages forUskclimate station. Sources:Met Office

Governance, politics and public services

Main article:Monmouthshire County Council

Local governance

David TC Davies,MPforMonmouth2005–2024, is the county's only member of parliament to have served asSecretary of State for Wales

The currentunitary authorityof Monmouthshire was created on 1 April 1996 as a successor to thedistrict of Monmouthalong with theLlanellycommunity from Blaenau Gwent, both of which weredistrictsof Gwent. It is aprincipal areaof Wales.Monmouthshire is styled as a county, and includes: the former boroughs of Abergavenny and Monmouth; the former urban districts ofChepstowand Usk; the former rural districts of Abergavenny, Chepstow and Monmouth; the former rural district ofPontypool,except the community ofLlanfrechfa Lower;and the parish ofLlanellyfrom the formerCrickhowellRural District in Brecknockshire.

The county is administered byMonmouthshire County Council,with its head office at Rhadyr, outsideUsk,opened in 2013.In the2022 Monmouthshire County Council election,no party gained overall control, with theWelsh Labourparty forming a minority administration, its 22 councillors allying with fiveIndependentsand oneGreen Partycouncillor. The council leader is Mary Ann Brocklesby.

National representation

Monmouthshire elects onemembertothe UK parliament at Westminster,until 2024 representing theMonmouth constituency.Under the2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies,a new constituency,Monmouthshire,came into effect at the2024 general election,comprising 88.9% of the previous constituency.The seat was won by theLabour PartycandidateCatherine Fookeswho defeated the incumbent,David TC Davies,aConservative Partypolitician who had held the previous seat since 2005 and who served as theSecretary of State for Walesin the prior government.

Monmouthshire directly elects two members to theSenedd,the Welsh parliament. TheMonmouthconstituency covers most of the county and since May 2021 the directly elected member isPeter Fox,aConservative Partypolitician who previously served as the chair of Monmouthshire County Council.The western edge of the county, bordering Newport and including the settlements ofMagor,Undy,RogietandCaldicot,forms part of theNewport Eastconstituency which hasJohn GriffithsofLabouras its member.

Monmouth is also one of eight constituencies in theSouth Wales Eastelectoral region,which elects fouradditional members,under a partial proportional representation system.

Public services

Fire and rescue services are provided bySouth Wales Fire and Rescue Service,which has fire stations in the county at Abergavenny, Caldicot, Chepstow, Monmouth and Usk.Policing services are provided byGwent Police,whose officers cover Monmouthshire, as well asBlaenau Gwent,Caerphilly,NewportandTorfaen.Civilian oversight is provided by theGwent Police and Crime Commissioner.Monmouthshire's prisons areHM Prison Prescoed,aCategory D open prisonatCoed-y-paenandHM Prison Usk,a Category C prison, both in the west of the county.

Demography

Proportion of Welsh speakers (Wales 2011 census)

Population

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 the county's population is over the age of 65. It remains one of the least densely-populated of Wales'principal areas.

Language, ethnicity and identity

The 2021 census recorded thatWelshis 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 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%.

Religion

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 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).

Economy

Employment

Sheep shearingat theMonmouthshire Show:agriculture remains an important employer in the county

Monmouthshire is now primarily aservice 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 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, 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. Totalincome taxpayments 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, the second largest single sector after professional, scientific and technical enterprises. TheMonmouthshire Show,an annualagricultural show,is one of the largest such events in Wales and has operated since 1790.The third largest individual employment sector is construction.

Transport

Road

Second Severn Crossing– opened in 1996

The onlymotorwaysare in the south of the county: theM4which connects Wales with England via theSecond Severn Crossingwith its Welsh end nearSudbrook;and theM48,originally part of the M4,which links Wales with England via theSevern Bridgeat Chepstow.In the east of the county, theA449and theA40link with theM50nearGoodrich, Herefordshire,connecting Monmouthshire and South Wales with theEnglish Midlands.TheDepartment for Transportrecorded traffic in Monmouthshire at 0.9 billionvehicle milesin 2022. This represented a lower level of road usage than in 2016.

Rail

Monmouthshire is served by four railway stations: in the south are theSevern Tunnel Junction railway stationatRogieton theSouth Wales Main Line,which connects South Wales to London; andChepstow railway stationandCaldicot railway stationon theGloucester–Newport line;and in the north,Abergavenny railway stationon theWelsh Marches line.

Bus services

The county's main centres of population are served by 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.

Waterways

Tintern Abbey,the highlight of theWye Tour

In its industrial heyday in the 18th and 19th centuries, the western part of the county was served by theMonmouthshire and Brecon Canalwhich connected theSouth Wales Coalfieldwith the port atNewport.Today, the canal is a popular route for leisure cruising but most of its length lies within the principal areas ofTorfaen,Blaenau Gwentand Newport.The Monmouthshire villages ofGilwern,GovilonandGoetre,on the western extremity of the county, remain adjacent to the canal.

Tourism

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 the county,approximately 10 per cent of the total working population.

Education and health

See also:List of schools in Monmouthshire

Higher, further, secondary, primary and special education

King Henry VIII School, Abergavenny

The county has neither a university nor any satellite campus.The formerUniversity of Wales, Newportoperated a campus atCaerleonwhich closed in 2016, following the 2013 merger which created theUniversity of South Wales.Higher education courses in the county are provided through the campus ofColeg Gwentat Rhadyr, nearUsk.

There are fourmaintained secondary schoolsin the county,Caldicot School,serving the south of the county;Monmouth Comprehensive Schoolserving the east;Chepstow School,serving the town ofChepstowand the surrounding villages; andKing Henry VIII 3–19 SchoolinAbergavenny,serving the town and the north of the county. All havesixth-forms.There was one special school, Mounton House School, based atMounton Housenear Chepstow, but that was closed in 2020, and there is currently no specific special school provision.There are 30primary schoolsof which two areWelsh languagemedium. There are no full Welsh language medium secondary schools, although all offer the option of studying Welsh.The onlyindependent secondary provisionin the county are the two schools at Monmouth,Monmouth School for BoysandMonmouth School for Girls,both operated by theHaberdashers' Company.

Health services

TheAneurin Bevan University Health Boardis theLocal health boardfor Gwent withinNHS Walesand has responsibility for health care within the county.The largest hospital in the county is theNevill Hall Hospitalat Abergavenny. Its range of services has reduced following the opening of the specialist critical care centre at theGrange University HospitalinTorfaenin 2020. The Grange is also the designated trauma centre for Gwent, which covers Monmouthshire.TheWell-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015established Public Services Boards throughout Wales to oversee health and well-being, and following reorganisation in 2021 a Gwent public services board was created to have oversight for Monmouthshire, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Newport and Torfaen.

Culture

Monmouthshire's flag, adopted in 2011

Flag

Theflag of Monmouthshirewas officially adopted in 2011.It features three goldfleur-de-lison a black/blue background.

Built and landscape heritage

Main articles:Grade I listed buildings in Monmouthshire,Grade II* listed buildings in Monmouthshire,andRegistered historic parks and gardens in Monmouthshire

Monmouthshire has 2,428listed buildings,including 54 at Grade I,the highest grade, and 246 at Grade II*, the next highest grade.These include churches, a priory and an abbey and a number of castles. The journalistSimon Jenkinsnotes the county's "fine collection" of these,mostly dating from theNorman invasion of Wales,and describesChepstowas "the glory of medieval south Wales".The castle atRaglanis later, dating from the mid-fifteenth century.The fortifiedbridgeover theRiver MonnowatMonmouthis the only remaining fortified river bridge in the country with its gate tower standing on the bridge, and has been described as "arguably the finest surviving medieval bridge in Britain".Monmouthshire has a more "modest"range of churches, although that atBettws Newyddhas "perhaps the most completeroodarrangement remaining in any church inEnglandandWales".The county's Grade I listed abbey, atTintern,became a focal point of theWye Tourin the late-eighteenth century.

Sport and leisure

Monmouth Rowing Clubboathouse on theRiver Wye

Monmouthshire hasrugby unionclubs atAbergavennyandMonmouth,and an invitational county team,Monmouthshire County RFC.It hasfootballclubs atAbergavenny,Caldicot,ChepstowandMonmouth.The football clubs play in theArdal Leaguesand theGwent County League.Monmouthshire County Cricket Clubwas established in the 19th century and achieved a notable victory in 1858 when a Monmouthshire XXII beat anAll-England XIat a match on Newport Marshes. The club suffered financial difficulties in the 1930s and merged withGlamorgan County Cricket Clubin 1934.Monmouthshire has a rowing tradition on the River Wye, with theMonmouth Rowing Club,founded in 1928,and all three of the town's secondary schools having their own rowing clubs.

Chepstow Racecoursehosts theCoral Welsh Grand National,the richestthoroughbred horse racingevent in Wales.The Rolls of Monmouth Golf ClubatRockfieldis ranked in the 50 top courses in Wales,while theSt Pierre coursein the south of the county hosted theEpson Grand Prix of Europeand theBritish Mastersin the late 20th century.

A number oflong-distance footpathspass through the county, including theMarches Way,theThree Castles Walk,Offa's Dyke Path,theUsk Valley Walk,theMonnow Valley Walkand theWye Valley Walk.Chepstow is a terminus for two long-distance cycle routes which form part of theNational Cycle Network:National Cycle Route 8which runs from either Chepstow of Cardiff in the south toHolyheadin the north, and theCeltic Trail cycle routewhich runs east to west, from Chepstow toFishguard.

Cuisine

Lady Llanover

Main article:Cuisine of Monmouthshire

The cuisine of Monmouthshire traditionally focused on its local produce, includinglamb and muttonfromsheep farmingin the hillier north of the county,poultry andgame.Lady Llanover(bardic nameGwenynen Gwent— "the bee of Gwent" ), was an early champion of Welsh culture and cuisine; herFirst Principles of Good Cookery,published in 1867, was one of the first Welsh cookery books.The contemporary writer, Gilli Davies, in her study of Welsh food,Tastes of Wales,writes of the "rare and appealing quality to the food in Monmouthshire".The county has a smallvinicultureindustry, with vineyards atAncre Hill Estates,north of Monmouth;White Castlevineyard near Abergavenny,and theTintern Parvavineyard in theWye Valley.There are twoMichelin starredrestaurants in Monmouthshire,The Walnut TreeatLlanddewi Skirrid,in the north of the county andThe WhitebrookatWhitebrookin the east.Abergavenny Food Festivalis held annually each September. Established in 1991, it has been described as one of Britain's best food and produce events.

Media, the arts and local history

TheSavoy Theatre, Monmouthclaims to be Wales' oldest

Monmouthshire has three local newspapers, theAbergavenny Chronicle,theForest of Dean and Wye Valley Reviewand theMonmouthshire Beacon.All are published byTindle,a regional media group.Digital reporting is provided by the Monmouthshire Free Press Series.Sunshine Radio (Herefordshire and Monmouthshire)is the only local radio station, although it is based in Hereford.Rockfield Studiosis a major residentialrecording studiowhich has seen bands and artists such asColdplay,Oasisand theManic Street Preachersrecord material.Queenrecorded most of "Bohemian Rhapsody"at Rockfield in 1975.

There are two theatres in Monmouthshire, theBorough Theatrein Abergavenny,and theSavoy Theatre, Monmouth.Operated by a charitable trust, the Savoy claims to be the oldest theatre in Wales.Museums of local life are located atAbergavenny,Chepstow,UskandMonmouth.During the closure of the Monmouth museum in 2020-2021 in theCOVID-19 pandemic,the council announced that the museum would not re-open and that its collections, including an important assemblage of memorabilia related toHoratio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelsondonated to the town byGeorgiana, Lady Llangattock,would be relocated to theShire Hall.The museum'sMarket Hallsite would be redeveloped for commercial use. The council intends to complete the transfer by 2027.TheMonmouth Regimental Museum,located atGreat Castle Housein Monmouth, contains material related to theRoyal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers,the second-oldest regiment in theBritish Army.

Historiography

"The lovely white church ofDixton"–Fred Handochronicled many such "little places of a shy county".

The development of tourism in the late 18th century saw the writing of a number of histories of the area, which frequently combined the features of a guidebook with a more formal historical approach. Among the first wasWilliam Gilpin'sObservations on the River Wye and several parts of South Wales, etc. relative chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; made in the summer of the year 1770,published in 1782.Among the most notable wasWilliam Coxe'stwo-volumeAn Historical Tour in Monmouthshire,published in 1801. Coxe's preface explains the Tour's genesis: "The present work owes its origin to an accidental excursion in Monmouthshire, in company with my friendSir Richard Hoare,during the autumn of 1798. "A detailed county history was undertaken bySir Joseph Bradney,in hisA History of Monmouthshire from the Coming of the Normans into Wales down to the Present Time,published over a period of 30 years in the early 20th century.

Studies of the architecture of the county includeJohn Newman's,Gwent/Monmouthshirevolume of thePevsner Buildings of Wales series;and, most exhaustively,Sir Cyril FoxandLord Raglan's,three-volume study,Monmouthshire Houses.This was described by the architectural historianPeter Smith,author of the magisterialHouses of the Welsh Countryside,as "one of the most remarkable studies of vernacular architecture yet made in the British Isles,a landmark, in its own field, as significant asDarwin'sOrigin of Species".

The 20th century saw the publication of two lesser histories:Hugo Tyermanand Sydney Warner'sMonmouthshirevolume ofArthur Mee'sThe King's Englandseries in 1951;and Arthur Clark's two-volumeThe Story of Monmouthshire,published in 1979–1980.The history of the county was covered in more anecdotal form by the Monmouthshire writer and artistFred Hando,who chronicled the highways and byways of the county in some 800 newspaper articles written from the 1920s until his death in 1970 and published in theSouth Wales Argus,focusing on "the little places of a shy county".The 21st century saw the publication of the county's most important history, the five-volumeGwent County History.The series, modelled on theVictoria County History,hadRalph A. Griffithsas editor-in-chief, and was published by theUniversity of Wales Pressbetween 2004 and 2013. It covered the history of the county from prehistoric times to the 21st century.

See also

• Monmouthshire (historic)
• Gwent (county)
• Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire
• Lord Lieutenant of Gwent
• Sheriff of Monmouthshire
• High Sheriff of Gwent

Notes, references and sources

Sources

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• Bradney, Joseph(1991).A History of Monmouthshire: The Hundred of Skenfrith, Volume 1 Part 1.London: Academy Books.ISBN978-1-873-36109-2.
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• Smith, Peter(1975).Houses of the Welsh Countryside.London:Her Majesty's Stationery Office.ISBN978-0-117-00475-7.
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External links

• Genuki National Gazetteer of 1868