Historic Buildings of Monmouthshire, Wales

Historic County

Image right - Ragland Castle

See Historic Buildings of Britain and Ireland - Main Page

See Table of Welsh Place names (Table listing where places are in Current [Post 1974/1996] Welsh Counties/Historic Counties

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If you have information about any of the Buildings mentioned below please share it here. If you have ancestors linked to any of the places please add them to the project.

The object of this project is to provide information about historic buildings in the county of Monmouthshire, with links to sub-projects for specific buildings as appropriate. GENi profiles of people associated with those establishments can be linked to this project and/or to individual projects where they have been set up.

Castles, Baronial and Historic houses

... in alphabetical order

❊ Indicates an available image in Gallery attached to the project

Including Castles, Abbeys, Manor Houses, Mansions, Stately Homes, Country houses, Estate houses, Courts, Halls, Parks and other listed buildings of historic interest

Bold links are to GENi projects and profiles; others are to external websites

A

• Abergavenny Castle

B

• Berrington Hall - Ashton - National Trust
• Brockhampton All Saint's Church

C

• Caldicot Castle
• Chepstow Castle - Cadw
• Croft Castle - Yarpole - National Trust
• Cwmmau Farmhouse - Whitney-on-Wye - National Trust

G

• Goodrich Castle - Near Ross on Wye - English Heritage
• Grosmont Castle - Near Pontrilas - Cadw

H

• Hartpury Historic Buildings
• Hellens - Much Marcle
• Hen Gwrt Moated Site - Llantilio Crossenny - Cadw

I

• Isca Silurum (Isca Augusta), Caerleon

L

• The Kymin - Monmouth - National Trust

L

• Llanthony Priory ❊ - partly ruined former Augustinian priory in the Vale of Ewyas, a steep sided once glaciated valley within the Black Mountains area of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The main ruins are under the care of Cadw and entrance is free. The priory is a Grade I listed building as of 1 September 1956. Within the precincts of the Priory are two other buildings with Grade I listed status: the Abbey Hotel and the Church of St David, both listed on 1 September 1956. The priory dates back to around 1100, when Norman nobleman Walter de Lacy reputedly came upon a ruined chapel of St. David in this location, and was inspired to devote himself to solitary prayer and study. He was joined by Ersinius, a former Chaplain to Queen Matilda, the wife of King Henry I, and then a band of followers. A church was built on the site, dedicated to St John the Baptist, and consecrated in 1108. By 1118, a group of around 40 monks from England founded there a priory of Canons Regular, the first in Wales. In 1135, after persistent attacks from the local Welsh population, the monks retreated to Gloucester where they founded a daughter cell, Llanthony Secunda. Around 1186 Hugh de Lacy, 1st Eaerl of Ulster 5th Baron, endowed the estate with funds from his Irish estates to rebuild the priory church, which was completed by 1217. There are also letters from Pope Clement III (CSM,i,p. 157-159), between 1185 and 1188, confirming further grants and gifts to the priory from Adam de Feypo and Geoffrey de Cusack in Ireland. The Priory became one of the great medieval buildings in Wales, in a mixture of Norman and Gothic architectural styles. Renewed building took place around 1325, with a new gatehouse. On Palm Sunday, April 4, 1327, the deposed Edward II of England stayed at the Priory on his way from Kenilworth Castle to Berkeley Castle, where he is alleged to have been murdered. Following Owain Glyndŵr's rebellion in the early 15th century, the Priory seems to have been barely functioning. In 1481 it was formally merged with its daughter cell in Gloucester, and after 1538 both houses were suppressed by Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries after which the buildings gradually were reduced to a ruin. In the early eighteenth century the medieval infirmary was converted to the Church of St David. In 1799 the estate was bought by Colonel Sir Mark Wood, the owner of Piercefield House near Chepstow, who converted some of the buildings into a domestic house and shooting box. He then sold the estate in 1807 to the poet Walter Savage Landor. An Act of Parliament passed in 1809 allowed Landor to pull down some of Wood's buildings and construct a house, which was never finished. He wanted to become a model country gentleman, planting trees, importing sheep from Spain, and improving the roads. There is still an avenue of trees in the area known as "Landor's Larches" and many old chestnuts have been dated back to his time. Landor described the idylls of country life, including the nightingales and glow-worms in the valley to his friend Robert Southey. However the idyll was not to last long as for the next three years Landor was worried by the combined vexation of neighbours and tenants, lawyers and lords-lieutenant and even the Bishop of St David's. Many of his troubles stemmed from petty squabbles, arising from his headstrong and impetuous nature. He wasted money trying to improve the land, and the condition of the poorer inhabitants. The final straw was when he let his farmland to one Charles Betham whom Landor viewed as incompetent and extravagant and paid no rent. After an expensive action to recover the debts from Betham he had had enough, and decided to leave the country, abandoning Llanthony to his creditors - principally his mother Elizabeth Savage. The estate was administered in his absence by his mother and cousin, but many of the buildings continued to disintegrate afterwards. The ruins have attracted artists over the years, including Joseph (J.M.W.) Turner who painted them from the opposite hillside. The priory was acquired by the Knight family in the 20th century. Wood’s house later became the Abbey Hotel. The remaining ruins are protected by Cadw.
• Longtown Castle - English Heritage

M

• Monmouth Castle

N

• Newport Cathedral
• Newport Castle Cadw Web Site

P

• Penhow Castle - Newport. Currently, not open to the public

R

• Raglan Ca
• Runston Chapel - Crick - Cadwstle - Cadw

S

• St Andrews Church & the Presteigne Tapestry - Presteign
• Skirrid Mountain Inn - Llanvihangel Crucorney, Abergavenny - Reputedly, the oldest pub in Wales
• Skenfrith Castle Cadw Web Site- Abergavenny - Cadw & National Trust

T

• Tintern Abbey - Cadw
• Tredegar House

S

• Skenfrith Castle

U

• Usk Castle

V

• Venta Silurum, Caerwent

W

• Wigmore Castle - English Heritage
• White Castle - Llantilio - Cadw

Ancient Monuments - Neolithic & Roman

• Arthur's Stone - Dorstone, Hay on Wye
• Caerleon Roman Fortress & Baths - Cadw
• Caerwent Roman Town - Cadw
• Gaer Llwyd Dolmen - Llangwm
• Harold's Stones - Standing Stones - Trellech
• Llanmelin Wood Hill Fort - Newchurch, Near Chepstow - Cadw
• National Roman Legion Museum - Caerleon

Industrial Heritage

• Llancayo Windmill - No public access
• Tintern Ironworks
• Transporter Bridge - More Information - Newport
• Water Mill - Mortimers Cross - English Heritage

References and Sources

Monmouthshire Specific

General

• http://www.welsh-cottages.co.uk/wales/historicbuildingsandmonuments...
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_monastic_houses_in_Wales
• http://www.castlewales.com/listings.html
• http://www.scottishcastlesassociation.com/
• http://www.stravaiging.com/history/castles
• http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Main/HomePage
• http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk
• http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/
• http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/
• http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_country_houses_in_the_United_K...
• http://www.britainsfinest.co.uk/historichouses/
• http://www.britainexpress.com/Where_to_go_in_Britain/historic_house...
• http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/
• Historic Houses Association - represents 1,500 houses in the UK
• Hudson's Historic Houses and Gardens - UK - guidebook of over 2,000 houses open to the public
• The DiCamillo Companion to British & Irish Country Houses - database of over 7,000 houses
• Lost Heritage - A Memorial to the Lost Country Houses of England - list of over 1,700 houses
• National Trust for Historic Preservation - online database of historic houses in the United State
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic_Houses_Association - http://www.hha.org.uk/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Houses_of_England

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