Monmouth (Wales)
Monmouth (Welsh: Trefynwy) is the county town of Monmouthshire in Wales.
Understand
Monmouth is a delightful, bustling, market town situated near where the three rivers Wye, Monnow and Trothy meet on the border with England. On a sunny day it can be packed with tourists strolling up and down the narrow pavements of Monnow Street, Agincourt Square and Church Street. It has an iconic 1 fortified bridge only recently relieved of motor traffic by the building of a long-awaited second bridge over the Monnow now that the cattle market has closed. Little is left of the Norman castle around which the town grew.
Monmouth museum displays artefacts associated with Admiral Lord Nelson and Charles Rolls of Rolls Royce fame.
The whole town has free Wi-Fi, as a result of Monmouthpedia - a project to use QRpedia QR codes "to provide multilingual smart phone access to Wikipedia articles covering notable subjects in Monmouth, such as places, people, artefacts, flora and fauna." according to Wikipedia itself. This 2012 project led to Monmouth being described as the "world's first Wikipedia town".
- 1 Tourist Information Centre (Canolfan Croeso), Shire Hall, Agincourt Square, NP25 3DY, ☏ +44 1600 775257.
Get in
By bus - Buses go to and from Newport, Abergavenny, Chepstow and Hereford, as well as many towns in the Forest of Dean. For detailed timetables.
By coach - National Express coach 323 calls daily at Monmouth - in the morning on its route via Ross-on-Wye, Worcester and Birmingham towards Liverpool, and in the evening on its return run towards Newport and Cardiff.
By Train - Since there is no train station, Chepstow and Abergavenny are the best options. Both stations are about 30 minutes drive away. Faster trains call at Newport and Bristol Parkway
Get around
The closest railway station is Abergavenny which is on the Cardiff to Manchester line.
Monmouth Taxis provide a local taxi service and can provide luggage transfers for walkers, canoe transfers for those canoeing down the river Wye to Monmouth and also cycle transfers. They can also provide transport to the local train stations of: Hereford, Abergavenny, Newport and Chepstow.
See
- 2 Kymin. Impressive view of Monmouth and the surrounding countryside. Free.
- 3 Skenfrith Castle, Skenfrith, near Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 8UH (7 miles north west of Monmouth), ☏ +44 1874 625515, skenfrithcastle@nationaltrust.org.uk. Free.
Do
Buy
- 1 Marks & Spencer. High quality clothing, especially underwear, at reasonable prices with a liberal exchange policy.
Eat
Drink
Sleep
- The Bell at Skenfrith, Where the B4521 crosses the Monnow River, Monmouthshire, ☏ +44 1600 750235, fax: +44 1600 750525, enquiries@skenfrith.co.uk. Originally a 17th century coaching inn, The Bell has been completely restored and has established itself as one of Wales's finest inns..
- 1 Bistro Prego With Rooms, 7 Church St, NP25 3BX, ☏ +44 1600 712600, enquiries@pregomonmouth.co.uk. Eight comfortable en suite letting rooms available at competitive rates. Attached to contemporary restaurant selling rustic Italian cuisine. Centre of town location close to Wye Valley, Offa's Dyke path and golf courses.
- The Lancaster Arms Guest House, Old Hereford Road, ☏ +44 1873 890699, lancaster-arms@supanet.com. Located on the A465 approx. 6 miles north-east of Abergavenny. This is a country guest house, situated just off the Offa's Dyke Path. £150-200 per room.
- Bechers Cottage, The Farr Farm, Newcastle NP25 5NF, ☏ +44 1600 750677, farrfarm@waitrose.com. A 5 star cottage £360-595.
- Kings Orchard Caravan Park, Withy Lane, ☏ +44 1600 714186, mhoaten@aol.com. Holiday caravan park, approximately one mile from the town centre.