Monmouthshire was the most border of all counties, straddling England and Wales throughout its 400 years' history. In pre-Roman times, the area was part of the territory of the Silures. It was rapidly brought under Roman control, the remains at Caerleon and Caerwent being among the most impressive in the country. It stayed British after the Romans left, for some time formed an independent kingdom of Gwent, and at others was part of the kingdom of Deheubarth.
The Normans began systematic colonization after 1066, constructing castles at Chepstow, Raglan, Usk, Monmouth, White Castle, Skenfrith, Grosmont, and Abergavenny, as well as protected boroughs like Newport. The remote region was known mainly for the excellence of its archers and for the woollen Monmouth caps which were popular. Henry V was born in Monmouth, where his statue adorns the town hall. The advent of the Tudors, a Welsh dynasty, changed the status of the area. By the Act of Union of 1536, the territory was incorporated into England, joining with land to the west of the Usk to form the new county of Monmouthshire. Its peculiar position was reflected by the fact that, like English counties, it was given two knights of the shire, but Monmouth had only one member and shared the representation with six contributory boroughs on the Welsh pattern.
The western parts of the county were little developed, though Camden noted in 1586 that they were ‘not unserviceable to the industrious husbandman’. The large-scale exploitation of the coal and iron resources of Monmouthshire began in the early 19th cent., transforming the economic and political balance. Monmouth, the largest town in 1801 with 3, 300 inhabitants, was by 1871 outstripped by Abergavenny, Pontypool, Blaenavon, Tredegar, and Newport. Politically the county became first a Liberal, then a Labour stronghold. By the mid-20th cent. the Welsh language had retreated and the opening of the Severn bridge in 1966 suggested that Monmouth was being pulled back into the English economic orbit. The Local Government Act of 1972 moved the county back into Wales, restoring the name of Gwent, and Monmouth lost its position to Cwmbran, a new town just north of Newport. Even this was not the last throw, for in 1996 a further reorganization of local government divided Gwent into four unitary authorities, one of which was to be called Monmouthshire.
Monmouthshire
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| Geography | |
| Area - Total - % Water |
Ranked 7th 850 km2 ? % |
|---|---|
| Admin HQ | Cwmbran |
| ISO 3166-2 | GB-MON |
| ONS code | 00PP |
| Demographics | |
| Population: - Total (2007 est.) - Density |
Ranked 18th 88,200 Ranked 15th 104 / km2 |
| Ethnicity | 97.5% White |
| Welsh language - Any skills |
Ranked 22nd 12.9% |
| MP | |
| AM | |
Monmouthshire (Welsh: Sir Fynwy) is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a larger area.
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Historic county
The historic county of Monmouthshire was formed from the Welsh Marches by the Laws in Wales Act 1535. It bordered Gloucestershire to the east, Herefordshire to the northeast, Brecknockshire to the north, and Glamorgan to the west. Between the 16th and 20th centuries there was some ambiguity as to whether the county was part of Wales or England, but since 1974 the area has been placed definitively in Wales. The eastern and southern boundaries of the historic county and the current principal area are the same, along the River Wye and Severn estuary; however, the western two-fifths of the historic county are now administered by the other unitary authorities of Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Caerphilly and Newport. The administrative county of Monmouthshire, and associated Lieutenancy were abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The area largely became part of the new local government and ceremonial county of Gwent.
Modern county
The current unitary authority was created on April 1, 1996 as a successor to the district of Monmouth along with the Llanelly community from Blaenau Gwent, both of which were districts of Gwent. The use of the name "Monmouthshire" rather than "Monmouth" for the area was mildly controversial, being supported by the MP for Monmouth, Roger Evans, but being opposed by Paul Murphy, MP for Torfaen (inside the historic county of Monmouthshire but being reconstituted as a separate unitary authority). [1] By area it covers some 60% of the historic county, but only 20% of the population. The council's administrative headquarters are at the former Gwent County Hall at Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran — outside of its own jurisdiction in the neighbouring borough of Torfaen. It is the only principal area in Wales administered from outside its boundaries. In comparison to the pre-1974 areas it covers:
- the former boroughs of Abergavenny and Monmouth
- the former urban districts of Chepstow and Usk
- the former rural districts of Abergavenny, Chepstow and Monmouth
- the former rural district of Pontypool, except the community of Llanfrechfa Lower
- the parish of Llanelly from the former Crickhowell Rural District in Brecknockshire
Places of interest
- See List of places in Monmouthshire for a list of settlements in the principal area.
- Chepstow Castle [1]
- Raglan Castle [2]
- Monmouth [3]
- Trellech [4]
- Abergavenny Castle [5]
- Wye Valley [6]
- Black Mountains [7]
- Brecon Beacons National Park [8]
- White Castle [9]
- Skenfrith Castle [10]
- Grosmont Castle [11]
- Three Castles Walk [12]
- Offa's Dyke [13]
- Llanthony Priory [14]
- Tintern Abbey [15]
- Usk [16]
- Usk Valley Walk [17]
- Abergavenny [18]
- Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal [19]
- Marches Way [20]
- Monnow Valley Walk [21]
- Caldicot Castle [22]
- The Kymin [23]
References
External links
- Monmouthshire County Council
- Monmouthshire at the Open Directory Project
- The Original Monmouthshire website Monmouthshire.org.uk
- BBC Wales on Monmouthshire
- Genuki National Gazetteer of 1868
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
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 | British History. A Dictionary of British History. Copyright © 2001, 2004 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Read more |
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Mentioned in
- Seff (family name)
- Gwent (former county, Wales)
- gwarwyn a throt
- Kemmis (family name)
- South Glamorgan (former county, Wales)
- Tintern Abbey (structure, England)
- West Glamorgan (former county, Wales)
- Mid Glamorgan (former county, Wales)
- Cecil (family name)
- Monmouth (town, Wales)
- Wye (river, Wales/England)
- Madrun
- Glasscock (family name)
- monty
