A dragon’s eye view of a Welsh border town - Welcome to Monmouth
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- Опубліковано 24 сер 2022
- Sit back and listen to the history of this pretty market town which is the birthplace of Henry V and has links to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton, the Chartists trial and Charles Rolls. It is also home to Rockfield Studios and Great Castle House is the headquarters of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers(M). Much of its heritage is related through a Poppy Trail, a series of blue plaques, and numerous information panels and banners.
Monmouth is the ideal base for walkers, cyclists, canoeists and paddleboarders to explore its beautiful countryside and hidden gems. It also has an interesting mix of high street names and independent shops.
The charter that founded Monmouth Priory had three witnesses: Wihenoc and Baderon, who were brothers from Brittany, and Alan Rufus who was the renowned leader of the Bretons in England. Geoffrey of Monmouth based King Arthur’s family closely on Alan’s.
The large cedar at the front of Drybridge House, must have had a danger issue, as it was dismantled during 2022/23. The base 20-30ft. we’re left and carved into a nice culture.
Proud to live here
I had the pleasure of wandering Monmouth one quiet Sunday evening last May and I loved it. Perhaps someone here can answer a question I have. Down along the River Monnow, just upstream of the castle and under Priory Street, there was a row of large rooms in the stone, all with entrances facing the river. Some had what seemed like remains of ovens or fireplaces, others had block and tackle remains in the ceilings. They seemed to high off the river to be warehouses for goods being brought up by barge, but that was my best guess. Or maybe market stall or stables. Anybody know what those were originally for and when they were built?
Just a quick update here: I figured out that what I'd found was "The Shambles" or slaughterhouses, built as part of the new Marketplace building above and the creation of Priory Street in 1830s. So, animals were slaughtered below and the waste went into the river keeping the marketplace less fouled.
Some of the slaughterhouses were repurposed for the use as air raid shelters during world war two and you can still see the brick blast walls that were inserted into them. Boys from Birmingham that were being taught at the Priory, part of the Boys School had a lucky escape during one air raid. Following the sirens going off they ran down the slope towards the air raid shelters only to be confronted by a German bomber level pegging with them, flying low over the river looking for bridges to bomb, before heading back to Nazi occupied Europe. The rear gunner turned his gun and had a point blank aim at the boys but decided not to fire, if he had all the boys were certainly have been killed. The bomber flew on and dropped four bombs on Monnow bridge, but missed, with two bombs each dropping either side.