Monmouth

Monmouth is a traditional market town situated on the South Wales border, by the banks of the River Wye where it meets the River Monnow, in the historic county of Monmouthshire. The history of a settlement here goes back to the Roman occupation of Britain and the conquest of Roman Wales. In the late 11^th century, an important castle was built for William Fitz Osbern who chose Monmouth in order to guard crossings at the rivers. Not much remains now, just the ruined Great Tower and Hall standing at the edge of a slope down to the river. Henry V was born in the tower in 1387.

Monmouth has a busy town centre with good shopping and amenities, pubs and eateries as well as historical sites and visitor attractions; including Nelson Garden, the Town Hall and a medieval 13^th century bridge over the river Monnow. The Council for British Archaeology has designated Monmouth as one of the top ten towns in Britain for archaeology. Monmouth celebrates with the annual Monmouth Show each August, as it has since 1919.