Things to see and do Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy)

A Visitor Center has been opened to provide information on walks along the canal. Maps and suggested walks are available. The center also organizes boat cruises and provides information on the flora and fauna through educational displays. For example, the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal Walk - a circular tour - takes you along the picturesque route of a former railroad line. Allow around 2 or 3 hours.

It is the most impressive Norman fortress ruin in the valley and the first stone castle built in the United Kingdom. Following the victory of Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, became King of England and organized the defence of his new territory. Hereford County was entrusted to William Fitz-Osbern, who had the first building of Chepstow Castle built to counter the Welsh attacks: the Great Tower, now at the centre of the overall structure. In 1189, the building passed into the hands of William Marshal. This knight, renowned for his military knowledge, had defensive walls added on either side of the Great Tower, which corresponded to the castle's current enclosure. The entrance was built under his reign, flanked by round towers, a revolutionary detail at a time when the towers were square. The impressive oak doors, also built by Marshal, are the oldest castle doors in Europe!

The Marten's Tower was added between 1285 and 1293, under the reign of Roger Bigod. The castle houses a museum that reconstructs the entire history of the building, particularly through its constant architectural improvements, from a defensive point of view. It is considered by specialists as exemplary in this respect, having always known how to adapt to new attack techniques and often in an innovative way. Aesthetically, it is a pleasure to walk through the impressive volumes of the fortress and contemplate the river.

One of the three Cistercian abbeys of the country and which has inspired many artists. William Wordsworth wrote in Lines Composed A Few Miles above Tintern Abbey: "Five years have passed; five summers as long / Only five endless winters! And again I hear / These waters that roll from the springs of the mountains / With a soft earthly murmur. - Again / I can admire these high escarpments / Which in this wild and almost deserted place give birth / The idea of greater solitude, and unite / The landscape to the peace of heaven. - The Day / It came for me to calm down again."

The abbey was built in 1131 by the Cistercian order and was, until 1536, the place of retreat for monks. The site, surrounded by wooded valleys and on the other by the river, proved to be favourable to their desire to return to the monastic precepts of Saint Benedict, isolating themselves to reject all forms of material temptation and seek spiritual peace.

Today, we drive under majestic arches in the open air, in a superb natural setting, to the delight of the eyes. Tintern is one of the few abbeys to have been preserved during the war led by Edward II. Today, the abbey still has the 72-metre-long Gothic church, the ruins of the domestic quarters and the novice hall. The abbots were often buried in the church, some tombstones still remain. Although in ruins, Tintern remains the best preserved medieval abbey in the country and is worth a visit.

At the bottom of Monnow Street is the old fortified bridge of the city and the door that marked the entrance to the th century.

It is undoubtedly the most popular market in the region and one of the best places to enjoy the atmosphere of the area. Tuesday is the most important day, the day when people come from all over the Brecon Beacons to buy vegetables, fish and meat. In addition to food, there is a little bit of everything: clothes and jewellery, craftsmen working with wood, leather or wool. A hundred stands animate the huge covered hall every day: you will probably not be disappointed by the atmosphere!

This beautiful ensemble consists of the monastic remains attached to St Mary's Priory Church. Built in 1070 by Benedictine monks, it is now used to organize private events. However, we can linger in front of its facade, and in particular the beautiful window, known as Geoffrey's window. Traditionally, the site has been linked to Bishop Geoffrey of Monmouth, author of The History of the Kings of Britain, which relates the arrival of Christianity with the Celts, the departure of the Romans and the legend of King Arthur. The three sculpted heads below are those of the Knight, the Angel and the Miller. This trinity represents that of the government of the city, the Church and the business world. The panel on the left represents the coronation of King Arthur and his queen, Guinevere, in Caerleon. The central panel depicts Geoffrey writing his book and wearing the Benedictine black habit. On the right panel is King Vortigern listening to Merlin tell him the legend of the red and white dragons, the origin of the Welsh flag.

One of the oldest monasteries in Great Britain. Its secluded location at the foot of the Black Mountains in the picturesque Ewyas Valley makes it particularly romantic. The Augustinian priory was founded in the 12th century by Father Ignatius, a knight converted into a hermit. We discover the moving ruins in the open air, with the eight elegant arches of the nave, in both Norman and Gothic style. Parts of the transept and the massive cross-shaped tower are remarkably well preserved. A real pleasure for the eyes, far from the hustle and bustle of the world..

This museum is dedicated to the history of the town. A series of watercolors depicts Chepstow's major architectural and technical developments. It also tells the story of transport, the construction of the bridge and the railroad. The history of the house, which was used as a hospital during the war, is also told, followed by that of the inhabitants, through an exhibition of everyday objects and accessories relating to work, leisure and fashion. Upstairs, paintings, engravings and drawings of the town from the ^18th and ^19th centuries.

This volunteer-managed museum is located next to the ruins of the castle built in the 11th century. It tells the story of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers, from the first militia established in 1539 to the creation of the regiment within the British regular army (of which it is now the main reserve regiment). This regiment acquired its first Royal and 1804 title and the second in 1877. Photos, illustrations, medals, weapons and military uniforms relating to various historical battles form the main part of the exhibition. Archaeological finds illustrate the early defences of Monmouth and a small section deals with Henry V, the winner of Azincourt (Agincourt in English), born in Monmouth Castle in 1387.

Monmouth's Tourist Information Centre, located in the Shire Hall, is a point of reference for visitors to this charming Welsh town. Whether you're looking for information on local attractions, upcoming events, accommodation or restaurants, the friendly and knowledgeable staff at the tourist office are on hand to answer all your questions.

The name comes from a legend that the devil tried to seduce monks from the top of this promontory inviting them to join him! It is a limestone pillar at the top of which we have a magnificent view of the abbey of Tintern, delimited by the hills and the river. We stand above the vacuum as on a base: impressive!

Distance: 5 km.

Average duration: 1 hour 30.

A friendly gallery that sells local crafts, jewellery, ashtrays and other pottery, watercolours of Chepstow views by artist David Jones and other local painters, miniatures and natural soaps reproducing the Welsh flag in relief, with its dragon ! The opportunity to find some original souvenirs to bring back and to discover and/or support both the local economy and local crafts and artists.

The Kymin is a 4-hour wooded park estate located on the hill of the same name, about 1 mile east of Monmouth, overlooking the Wye River. It includes a neo-classical round house and a naval temple, both built in the late 18th century by the Monmouth Picnic Club (or Kymin Club). The site was used to organize social events and banquets. The positioning of the Round House meets the criteria of the Summer Houses, very popular at the time, which were built on a site intended to offer guests a sublime view of nature.

A tapestry was created in 2007 to celebrate the city's millennium. The six-meter-long work, which required the combined talents of forty people and 20,000 hours of labor, is impressive for its attention to detail. The central figure represents the sleeping Jesse. He is recognizable by the tree trunk protruding from his body. According to the Bible, he is the father of King David and one of Christ's ancestors. The figure is a reproduction of the wooden sculpture on display in the church.

This Norman fortress overlooking the city was one of the most important of the Abergavenny seigneury and was also used as a residence by the passing kings. In the 12th century, the castle had terrible stories of murder and treason. The castle, as we see it today, was essentially built between the 13th and 14th centuries, when it became the property of the Hastings. A museum is located inside the castle, where you can see a beautiful collection of objects.

A bridge leads to the imposing fortress surrounded by water. Built between the 12th and 13th centuries, it impresses by its volume, its thick walls, its massive towers. This masterpiece of masonry has all the characteristics that can be expected of a medieval fortress. Built on a superb natural site, from the heights of the castle you can contemplate the surrounding landscape. It is probably the most spectacular and best preserved of the "Three Castles" (White, Skenfrith and Grosmont), whose threatening profile can be seen from the outset on the horizon.

Despite the assaults of the civil war against which the castle had to resist, its ruins remain impressive. And yet, he had to manage to endure a ten-week siege! The main entrance is imposing, with its semi-hexagonal towers with projecting edges, set like crowns of stones at their top.

To the left of the entrance, the Great Tower, a building by William ap Thomas, is considered a masterpiece of defensive innovation. It was Thomas, Earl of Pembroke, who began to give the castle its palace character.