Monmouthshire
Introduction
Monmouthshire is the easternmost county in Wales and located in the south, just below Powys with Torfaen and Newport to the west. It can be difficult to get around this county skirting the southern edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park with only a handful of larger roads but it is well worth it.
Towns
Abergavenny
The small town of Abergavenny is located in the north west of Monmouthshire. The centre of the town is the “Town and Market Hall” which has a good sized market on the ground floor and theatre above it.
The small Abergavenny Museum is set in the ruins of a Norman Castle and is free to visit with three floors showing the development of the area. Of particular interest is the lower floor with it's recreation of a World War 2 air raid shelter, a kitchen and the interior of an old small high street shop.
The small high street has a number of nice shops and is largely pedestrianised. Paid parking is available nearby in several lots but not in the town centre itself.
Chepstow
Located on the extreme south coast of the county on the river Wye, Chepstow is a small town clustered around the rather magnificent Chepstow Castle.
The “Chepstow Port Wall” is a narrow tunnel through one of the old town walls at the top of the high street. This area of the high is now closed off to road traffic making getting around the town centre quite tricky with it's maze of narrow, one way streets (we had to drive around several times until we found the unmarked road leading out to the busy A48).
There are a number of narrow streets lined with small shops that are well worth a visit. There are several large car parks including one at the top of the castle and the high street – Welsh Street Car Park – and one at the base, along the river – Castle Dell Car Park.
Monmouth
The town of Monmouth is located on the north-west side of Monmouthshire on the river Wye.
The main focal point of the centre of the town is the magnificent “Shire Hall” with the monument to Charles Rolls (co-founder of Rolls-Royce) out front.
The ancient “Monnow Bridge” spans the river Wye and is the last known bridge with a tower gateway on it. The bridge is pedestrian only.
The high street here is “Monnow Street” with a number of small shops and restaurants leading down the hill to the River Wye and “Monnow Bridge”. Parking is a bit tricky but there are a number of small side streets where parking is free after business hours.
Further Information
For further information, please see: