2A00:23C7:C8BC:C501:507C:445E:62F7:256D: /* Gallery */Improved wording

2025-06-15T15:54:52Z

Gallery: Improved wording

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{{Short description|Castle in Monmouth, Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name = Monmouth Castle
| native_name = {{langx|cy|'''Castell Trefynwy'''}}
| partof = 
| location = [[Monmouth]]
| country = [[Wales]], [[United Kingdom]]
| image = Monmouth Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1373622.jpg
| caption = Ruins of the castle
| image2 = 
| alt2 =
| caption2 =
| coordinates = {{coord|51.8125|-2.7167|type:landmark|display=title,inline}}
| gridref = SO506128
| type = Fortified castle
| pushpin_map = Wales Monmouthshire#Wales#United Kingdom
| pushpin_relief = yes
| ownership = [[British Army]]
| operator = [[Territorial_Army_(United_Kingdom)|British Army Reserve]]
| controlledby = [[Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers]]
| open_to_public = Yes
| condition = Ruin
| website = [https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/monmouth-castle Official website]
| built = {{Start date and age|1067}}
| builder = [[William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford]]
| fate = [[Slighting|Slighted]] (ordered demolished)
| demolished = {{end date|1647|03|30|df=y}}
| events = [[English Civil War]]
| designations = {{Infobox designation list| embed = yes
| designation1 = Grade I
| designation1_offname = Monmouth Castle
| designation1_type = Defence
| designation1_date = {{start date|1974|08|15|df=y}}
| designation1_partof =
| designation1_number = 2216
| designation1_free1name =
}}
| footnotes = Designation information via [[Cadw]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Monmouth Castle |url=https://cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net/reports/listedbuilding/FullReport?lang=en&id=2216 |website=HeritageBill Cadw Assets |publisher=Cadw |access-date=16 May 2024}}</ref>
}}

'''Monmouth Castle''' ({{langx|cy|'''Castell Trefynwy'''}}) is a [[castle]] close to the centre of the town of [[Monmouth]], the [[county town]] of [[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]], on a hill above the [[River Monnow]] in south-east [[Wales]].

Once an important border castle, and birthplace of [[Henry V of England]], it stood until the [[English Civil War]] when it was damaged and changed hands three times before being [[slighting|slighted]] to prevent it being fortified again. After partial collapse in 1647, the site was reused and built over by [[Great Castle House]], which became the headquarters and regimental museum of the [[Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers]].

It is a Grade I [[listed building]] and [[scheduled monument]].

== Early Norman border castle ==
Immediately after the [[Norman conquest of England|Norman Conquest]], [[William the Conqueror]] installed three of his most trusted confidants, [[Hugh d'Avranches, Earl of Chester]], [[Roger de Montgomery|Roger of Montgomery]], and [[William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford|William FitzOsbern]], as the Earls of [[Earl of Chester|Chester]], [[Earl of Shrewsbury|Shrewsbury]] and [[Earl of Hereford|Hereford]] respectively.{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|p=110}} The earldoms served to guard the frontier and provided bases for the [[Norman invasion of Wales]].{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|p=110}} Over the next four centuries, Norman lords established mostly small [[Marcher Lord]]ships between the [[River Dee, Wales|Dee]] and [[River Severn|Severn]], and further west. Military adventurers came to Wales from [[Normandy]] and elsewhere, raided an area of Wales, and then fortified it and granted land to some of their supporters.{{sfn|Lieberman|2008|p=?}}

William FitzOsbern established Monmouth Castle between 1066 and 1069 as a counterpart to his other major castle at [[Chepstow Castle|Chepstow]].{{sfn|Carpenter|2004|p=110}}{{sfn|Prior|2006|p=123}} It occupied relatively high ground, overlooking the confluence of the Monnow with the [[River Wye]].{{sfn|Newman|2000|p=394}} It was originally an earth and timber ringwork fortress, which was listed in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086.<ref name=domesday>{{citation|title=Monmouth|url=http://www.domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SO5012/monmouth/|work=Open Domesday|publisher=King William I of England|access-date=2 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121223121125/http://www.domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SO5012/monmouth/|archive-date=23 December 2012}}</ref> Initially, Monmouth was a fairly typical border castle in the [[Welsh Marches]], presided over by a [[Marcher Lord]] and similar in style and status to its near neighbours [[Grosmont Castle]], [[Skenfrith Castle]], [[White Castle, Wales|White Castle]] and [[Abergavenny Castle]]. The wooden castle had stonework added before 1150.<ref name=castleswales/> Its tower shares some similarities with that of [[Chepstow Castle]], another stronghold built for FitzOsbern further south, at the lower end of the River Wye.<ref name=castleswales>{{cite web|title=Monmouth Castle|url=http://www.castlewales.com/monmouth.html|publisher=Castles Wales|access-date=31 December 2011}}</ref>

==Expansion and later use==
After briefly being held by [[Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester]], Monmouth Castle passed into the hands of [[Edmund Crouchback]], [[Earl of Lancaster]] and son of [[Henry III of England|Henry III]] in 1267.{{sfn|Salter|2002|pp=32-33}} He redeveloped the castle, building the Hall and took it as his main residence in the area. It was further improved in the early 14th century, probably by Crouchback's grandson, [[Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster]].{{sfn|Kenyon|2010|p=125}} During this period large decorated windows were installed in the upper part of the Great Tower which also had a new roof.<ref name=castleswales/> As a town developed around the castle, the castle's defences were augmented by a town wall and [[Monnow Bridge|fortified bridge]], built at the end of the 13th century.<ref>{{Structurae|id=20007217|title=Monnow Bridge}}</ref>

[[Edward II of England|Edward II]] briefly was held prisoner in the castle before he was transferred to [[Berkeley Castle]] where he died.<ref name=castleruins>{{cite web|title=Monmouth Castle Ruins|url=http://www.monmouthcastlemuseum.org.uk/castle/page11.html|publisher=The Castle and Regimental Museum|access-date=31 December 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414235733/http://www.monmouthcastlemuseum.org.uk/castle/page11.html|archive-date=14 April 2012}}</ref> The castle was a favourite residence of [[Henry IV of England|Henry Bolingbroke]], later King as [[Henry IV of England|Henry IV]]. It was here that in 1386 the future King [[Henry V of England]] was born, to Bolingbroke's first wife [[Mary de Bohun]].{{sfn|Allmand|2010|p=12952}}

The turmoil and conflict in Wales during the ten years of the [[Owain Glyndŵr]] rebellion did not directly affect Monmouth Castle as it was a stronghold of the region and lesser targets presented themselves more readily to essentially a guerilla army. However other local towns, settlements and castles were directly attacked with [[Grosmont Castle|Grosmont]] and [[Abergavenny Castle|Abergavenny]] being razed and [[Crickhowell]] Castle and [[Newport Castle]] successfully attacked.{{sfn|Matthews|1910|p=236}}

Over the centuries, as its defensive function diminished, the outer [[Motte-and-bailey castle|bailey]] of the castle became increasingly used as a market place, later (and now) known as Agincourt Square. During the sixteenth century, when Monmouth became the [[county town]] of the newly formed [[Monmouthshire (historic)|shire of Monmouth]], the county's [[Courts of Assize]] began to be held in the castle's Great Hall.{{sfn|Newman|2000|p=400}}

== Civil War ==
[[File:Plan of Monmouth Castle.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Plan of the castle, published in 1904{{sfn|Armitage|1904|loc=facing page 168}}]]
In the tumult of the [[English Civil War]], Monmouth Castle changed hands three times, finally falling to the [[Roundhead|Parliamentarians]] in 1645.<ref name=ggat>{{cite web|title=Monmouth|url=http://www.ggat.org.uk/cadw/historic_landscape/wye_valley/english/wyevalley_011.htm|work=Historic Landscape Characterisation|publisher=Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust|access-date=31 December 2011}}</ref> [[Oliver Cromwell]] visited Monmouth in 1646, and according to tradition ordered the [[slighting]] (demolition) of the castle.{{sfn|Evans|1953|p=416}} On 1 March 1647, the House of Commons resolved "That the Town and Castle of Monmouth be disgarisoned, and the Works slighted".<ref>{{cite web|title="House of Commons Journal Volume 5: 1 March 1647," in Journal of the House of Commons: Volume 5, 1646-1648|location=London|publisher=His Majesty's Stationery Office|year=1802|pages=101–102|work=British History Online|access-date=12 July 2021|url= http://www.british-history.ac.uk/commons-jrnl/vol5/pp101-102}}</ref>{{sfn|Rakoczy|2007|p=392}} The demolition process began with the round tower on 30 March 1647.<ref name=castleswales/> The events were recorded in the diary, now lost, of More Pye, then usher at [[Monmouth School]]. The demolition took months, and Pye's diary also recorded the collapse on 22 December 1647; "about twelve o'clock, the Tower in the Castle of Monmouth fell down, upon one side, whilst we were at sermon".{{sfn|Whittle|1992|pp=104-105}} [[William Gilpin (priest)|William Gilpin]], visiting Monmouth on his [[Wye Tour]], described the castle's decline by the end of the 18th century; "The transmutations of time are often ludicrous... formerly the palace of a king, and birth-place of a mighty prince: it is now converted into a yard for fatting ducks".{{sfn|Gilpin|2005|p=38}}

[[Great Castle House]] was built in 1673, on the site of the old round tower, by [[Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort]].<ref name=castleswales/> It is a Grade I [[listed building]],<ref>{{National Historic Assets of Wales|num=2217|desc=Great Castle House|grade=I|access-date=24 August 2020}}</ref> and has been described as "a house of splendid swagger outside and in".{{sfn|Newman|2000|pp=400-401}} It later became used for the [[Assizes|Assize Courts]], until they relocated to the new [[Shire Hall, Monmouth|Shire Hall]] in 1725.{{sfn|Bly|2012|p=9}}

== Modern history ==
Only fragments of the castle, including the Great Tower and Hall and parts of the walls, remain above ground, and on the site Castle House and Great House have been built. In 1875, the [[Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers]] [[Militia]], the senior [[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Army Reserve]] regiment today, made it their Headquarters building and so it remains. It is one of the few British castles in continuous military occupancy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ggat.org.uk/cadw/historic_landscape/wye_valley/english/wyevalley_011.htm|title=Lower Wye Valley|publisher=Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust|access-date=15 June 2018}}</ref> The Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers museum is located in the stable block attached to Great Castle House. It includes exhibits relating to the history of the regiment from 1539 to the present day.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Castle and Regimental Museum|url=http://www.monmouthcastlemuseum.org.uk/|publisher=Monmouth Castle Museum|access-date=31 December 2011}}</ref>

The castle is a [[Listed building|Grade I listed building]]<ref name="ReferenceA">{{National Historic Assets of Wales|num=2216|desc=Monmouth Castle|grade=I|access-date=24 August 2020}}</ref> and a [[scheduled monument]] in the care of [[Cadw]].<ref>{{National Historic Assets of Wales|uid=2393|class=SM|num=MM159|desc=Monmouth Castle|access-date=24 August 2020}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Monmouth Castle - architectural details.jpeg|Architectural drawing of Monmouth Castle, black and white print, from engraving, 1801
Monmouth Castle, Henry 5th. Born here Aug.9th. 1587. (3375352).jpg|Early lithograph by [[George Rowe (printmaker)|George Rowe]]
File:Monmouth Castle.jpg|Ruins of the Great Tower
File:Window detail, Great Tower, Monmouth Castle - geograph.org.uk - 867912.jpg|Medieval window in the ruins of the Great Tower
File:Monmouth Castle, Church, &c - Bridge over the Wye at Monmouth.jpeg|Monmouth Castle and [[St Mary's Priory Church, Monmouth|St Mary's Priory Church]], black and white print on engraving, 1800
File:Monmouth Castle from above.jpg|Aerial photo of Monmouth Castle and surrounding areas from the west.
</gallery>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite ODNB
|last=Allmand|first=Christopher
|author-link=Christopher Allmand
|date=September 2010
|title=10.1093/ref:odnb/12952
|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/12952
}}
* {{cite journal
| last=Armitage | first=Ella S.
| author-link=Ella Sophia Armitage
| year=1904
| title=The Early Norman Castles of England. Part I
| journal=The English Historical Review
| volume=19
| issue=74
| pages=209–245
| doi=10.1093/ehr/XIX.LXXIV.209
| url=https://archive.org/details/earlynormancastl00armiuoft/page/n230/mode/1up?view=theater}}
* {{cite book
|last=Bly |first=Phil
|year=2012
|title=Guide to the complete Monmouth Heritage Blue Plaque Trail
|publisher=Monmouth Civic Society
|location=Monmouth
|oclc=797974800
}}
* {{cite book
| last=Carpenter | first=David
| year=2004
| title=The Struggle for Mastery: Britain 1066-1284
| publisher=Penguin Books
|location=London
| isbn=0-14-014824-8
| url=https://archive.org/details/struggleformaste00davi/page/110
}}
* {{Cite book
| last=Evans|first=C. J. O.
| year=1953
| title=Monmouthshire: Its History and Topography
| publisher=William Lewis Ltd
}}
* {{Cite book
|last=Gilpin|first=William
|author-link = William Gilpin (priest)
|title=Observations on the River Wye
|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1118261174
|year=2005
|orig-date=1782
|publisher=Pallas Athene
|location=London
|isbn=978-1843-68197-7
|oclc=1118261174
}}
* {{cite book
|last1=Kenyon |first1=John R.
|year=2010
|title=The Medieval Castles of Wales
|publisher=[[University of Wales Press]]
|location=Cardiff
|isbn=978-0-7083-2180-5
|oclc=693942235
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Lieberman|first=Max
|title=The March of Wales, 1067-1300: a borderland of medieval Britain
|year=2008
|publisher=University of Wales Press
|location=Cardiff
|isbn=978-0-7083-2115-7
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Matthews|first=James
|title=Historic Newport
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hHM1AQAAIAAJ&pg=PA236
|year=1910
|publisher=The William Press Limited
|location=Newport-on-Usk
}}
* {{Cite book
|last=Newman|first=John
|author-link = John Newman (architectural historian)
|series=The Buildings of Wales
|title=Gwent/Monmouthshire
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=knRf4U60QjcC&q=The+Buildings+of+Wales:+Gwent/Monmouthshire&pg=PA2
|year=2000
|publisher=Penguin
|location=London
|isbn=0-14-071053-1
}}
* {{Cite book
| last=Prior | first=Stuart
| year=2006
| title=A Few Well Positioned Castles: The Norman Art of War
| publisher=Tempus
| isbn=0-7524-3651-1
}}
* {{cite thesis
| last=Rakoczy | first=Lila
| title=Archaeology of Destruction: A Reinterpretation of Castle Slightings in the English Civil War
| publisher=University of York
| degree=PhD
| year=2007
| url=http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/11092/
| oclc=931130655
}}
* {{Cite book
| last = Salter
| first = Mike
| title = Castles of Gwent, Glamorgan and Gower
| year = 2002
| publisher = Folly Publications
| location = Malvern, UK
| isbn = 9781871731613
| oclc = 54947157
}}
* {{Cite book
|last=Whittle
|first=Elisabeth
|title=Glamorgan and Gwent
|series = A Guide to Ancient and Historic Wales
|year=1992
|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/473187732
|location=London
|publisher=[[HMSO]]
|isbn=9780117012219
|oclc=473187732
}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Monmouth Castle}}
*[http://www.castlewales.com/monmouth.html Monmouth Castle at castlewales.com]
*[http://www.monmouthcastlemuseum.org.uk/ Monmouth Castle Museum website]

{{Buildings in Monmouth}}

[[Category:History of Monmouthshire]]
[[Category:Towers in Wales]]
[[Category:Castle ruins in Wales]]
[[Category:Grade I listed castles in Monmouthshire]]
[[Category:Scheduled monuments in Monmouthshire]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Monmouth, Wales]]

Monmouth Castle - Revision history

2A00:23C7:C8BC:C501:507C:445E:62F7:256D: /* Gallery */Improved wording