Monmouth Castle

The crumbling ruins of this Norman fortress do little justice to its noble past. Today, the Great Tower, perched on the edge of a precipitous cliff careering down to the river Monnow, is nearly all that remains of the birthplace of Henry V and the stronghold of the Civil War.

William Fitz Osbern initially identified the strategic importance of the crossings of the Wye and Monnow rivers. He founded the castle sometime before his death in 1071, and by the year 1150, an imposing stone fortress stood guarding both the town of Monmouth and the entrance to Welsh territories. Two centuries later the castle passed to Lancastrian control and so to John of Gaunt, who carried out extensive modernisation work to ensure that it was grand enough for the birth of his grandson; Henry V.

Sadly, this historic building failed to weather the ravages of the civil war and in 1647 was slighted by the Parliamentarians. The diary of a local man records that on the 22nd December, "About 12 o clock, the Tower in the castle of Monmouth fell down, upon its side, whilst we were at sermon."

However, this was not the end of Monmouth's military career. In 1875 the Castle House became the headquarters of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers and it remains, to this day, one of the few British castles still occupied by military ranks.

The Monmouth Castle Museum explores the rich history of the town's defensive strategies as well as telling the story of Henry V, Agincourt and the mustering of the Militia regiment. Plants from the period of Henry V's birth and reign grow in a pretty medieval-style herb garden, commemorating the life of this heroic British king.

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