Monmouth Castle and Regimental Museum

09/08/2024

15/07/2024

We're so lucky to have the support of Will Davies, Cadw inspector of scheduled monuments, at the Monmouth Medieval Festival again on 10-11 August. He'll be providing his fascinating tours of Monmouth Castle, famed as the birthplace of Henry V, which we're sure will be a hit again! Cadw The Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Visit Monmouthshire Monmouth Town Council

29/06/2024

26/05/2024

14/12/2023

Chepstow Castle, Monmouthshire is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain. Located above cliffs on the River Wye, construction began in 1067 under the instruction of the Norman Lord William FitzOsbern. Originally known as Striguil, it was the southernmost of a chain of castles built in the Welsh Marches, and with its attached lordship took the name of the adjoining market town in about the 14th century.

15/10/2023

The situation in Wales following the Norman Invasion;

The Welsh were probably delighted to hear of the death of Harold Godwinson at The Battle of Hastings in 1066, but any celebrations would prove to be premature, as the victorious Normans under William the Conquerer would turn out to be every bit as bad as the Anglo-Saxons had been in their ambitions of expansion into Welsh territory.

Wales in 1066 was in dynastic disarray, following the death of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn three years earlier. Gruffudd had united all of Wales and it was now divided back into its traditional kingdoms. However, it has been argued that this actually made Wales harder to conquer as the Normans were confronted by a number of smaller kingdoms rather than one single kingdom. Also, it appears that William the Conquerer did not initially plan to conquer Wales by raising a large force and invading, instead he operated a policy of establishing the Marcher Lordships, which were borderland earldoms, whose barons ruled with little recourse to the king. These barons were then encouraged to push gradually westward into Welsh territory and build motte and bailey castles to secure the taken land, which were later replaced by larger stone castles.

The most notable earldoms created by William were those at;

* Chester, under Hugh d'Avranches (Hugh the Fat), who struck deeply into Gwynedd and captured Gruffudd ap Cynan, keeping him in prison for 12 years. Much of Gruffudd's lands, were given to Hugh's cousin Robert.

* Shrewsbury, under Roger de Montgomerie, who pushed deep into Powys. Around 1086 he built a castle at the ford of Rhydwhiman across the Severn, naming the place Montgomery.

* Hereford, under William Fitzosbern, who overran the kingdom of Gwent, establishing castles and garrisons at Monmouth, Clifford, Wigmore and the magnificent castle at Chepstow.

In 1081, William visited St David's himself, ostensibly to show his respects but in reality as a demonstration of his power to the native rulers. However, he did recognise Rhys ap Tewdwr's rule in Deheubarth and Iestyn ap Gwrgant's in Morgannwg.

William died in 1087 and the invasion gathered pace under the control of William's eldest son, King William II. The lowlands of Morgannwg fell to Robert Fitzhammon. Rhys ap Tewdwr was killed and Brycheiniog was seized. The Earls of Shrewsbury drove through Powys and Ceredigion to southern Dyfed where they established a castle at Pembroke.

The Normans also set about reforming and trying to take control of the Welsh church. Urban of Llandaff was the first bishop to swear allegiance to Canterbury in 1107 and was followed by all the other Welsh bishops by the middle of the century. The Normans also introduced Benedictine monasteries from the continent. For example, Chepstow was the site of the first Norman castle in Wales, built in 1067, which was closely followed by Wales' first Benedictine monastery built in 1071.

06/08/2023

🏰 Step into the past and unlock the secrets of our shared history! 📜✨ Dive into captivating stories, that bring the past to life. Experience the thrill of discovery and connect with our rich cultural heritage. ❤️🌍

For further information or to see similar projects we've created...

https://go.fliplink.me/view/Heritage

www.platform-one.co.uk

25/07/2023

12/07/2023

Henry Jones (1812 – 12 July 1891) was the Monmouth born baker who in 1845 invented self-raising flour.

Its immediate success led to him supplying flour and biscuits to Queen Victoria and later to both the British Admiralty to replace the hard biscuits given to sailors at the time and to soldiers during the Crimean War.

29/05/2023

Born on this day 1354 (according to Thomas Pennant, the 18th century writer and antiquarian),

Owain Glyndŵr, who in the 15th Century led a popular uprising against the English which lasted more than a decade.

Owain was a member of the Welsh gentry who studied law at the Inns of Court in London and who was descended from the ancient royal houses of Wales. In 1400, after a century of subjugation to the English crown, the Welsh were ready for rebellion. Henry IV had seized power from Richard II, and the new king refused to support Glyndŵr's legitimate grievance against Reginald de Grey, Lord of Ruthin. This initially local dispute quickly became a national uprising. Rallying other Welsh nobles, Glyndŵr proclaimed himself Prince of Wales. Support for his cause was widespread, with Welshmen from Oxford and London returning home to join Glyndŵr's uprising. Henry responded by marching his army into Wales. Glyndŵr remained elusive, harrying Henry's army and ravaging his strongholds. By the end of 1403, Owain Glyndŵr controlled much of Wales.

Glyndŵr sought to establish alliances, notably with the French. His 'Pennal' letter to Charles VI of France survives today and resulted in some financial and military support. French troops landed at Milford Haven in 1405 but remained fighting alongside Glyndŵr for under a year. Owain's defeat at Pwllmelyn in Monmouthshire was a turning point, after which his power ebbed. Glyndwr retreated into the heartland of central Wales, where he died, probably in around 1416, still a free man, having secured a legendary place in Welsh history.

24/12/2022

Wishing all our followers A Merry Christmas and a Happy New

Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda

🎄🎉🥂

25/10/2022

On 24th October 1055, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn allied with Aelfgar of Mercia, defeated a force led by the Earl of Hereford, Ralph the Timid and then sacked the city of Hereford and destroyed its castle.

Gruffydd at this time was asserting himself in his ambition to become the Ruler of the whole of Wales, he had just recaptured Deheubarth and was about to seize Morgannwg and Gwent. In 1056, he won another victory over an English army near Glasbury and the following year, he claimed sovereignty over the whole of Wales - a claim which was recognised by the English.

17/09/2022

As a mark of respect for HM The Queen the Regimental Museum will not be open on Monday 19th September 2022

09/09/2022

We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your dedicated service to the United Kingdom & to the Military. Good night & God Bless Your Majesty

03/09/2022

Today is National Welsh Rarebit Day.

Welsh Rarebit is described by some as 'posh cheese on toast'. It is made with a melted cheese, mustard and ale or milk sauce poured over slices of toasted bread.

The origin of the name is uncertain, but it’s generally believed that the word rarebit is a corruption of rabbit. 'Welsh rabbit' first appeared as a dish in 1725 and later in many "Eighteenth-century cookbooks. It is thought that the dish was attributed to the Welsh because of their historic fondness for cheese, which was used as a substitute for meat as a source of protein by poor peasants.

Variations of the dish include;

Buck Rabbit - Welsh Rarebit served with an egg on top.

Blushing Bunny - Welsh Rarebit blended with tomato.

The Hot Brown - Turkey and bacon layed on slices of toasted bread, covered in Welsh Rarebit sauce.

12/05/2022

A recent commission: new signage and historical figures outside the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers Militia Regimental Museum, tucked away up Castle Hill. This is a lovely museum, well worth a visit if you’re visiting Monmouth. You can also follow the panels and walk the Poppy Trail.

12/05/2022