Abergavenny
Encyclopedia
Abergavenny meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town
in Monmouthshire
, Wales
. It is located 15 miles (24 km) west of Monmouth
on the A40
and A465
roads, 6 miles (10 km) from the English
border. Originally the site of a Roman fort
, Gobannium
, it became a medieval
walled town
within the Welsh Marches
. The town contains the remains of a medieval stone castle
built soon after the Norman conquest of Wales
.
Abergavenny is promoted as the "Gateway to Wales". Situated at the confluence
of a tributary
stream, the Gavenny, and the River Usk
, it is almost surrounded by two mountains – the Blorenge
(559 m) and the Sugar Loaf
(596 m) – and five hills: Ysgyryd Fawr
(The Skirrid), Ysgyryd Fach (Skirrid Fach), Deri, Rholben and Mynydd Llanwenarth, known locally as "Llanwenarth Breast". It provides access to the nearby Black Mountains
and the Brecon Beacons
National Park
. The Offa's Dyke Path
is close by and the Marches Way
, the Beacons Way and Usk Valley Walk
all pass through the town.
(Usk
) and later Isca Augusta
(Caerleon
) in the south with Y Gaer, Brecon
and Mid Wales
. It was also built to keep the peace among the local British Iron Age
tribe, the Silures
. Remains of the walls of this fort were discovered west of the castle when excavating the foundations for a new post office
and telephone exchange
building in the late 1960s.
The name
derives from a Brythonic
word Gobannia meaning "river of the blacksmiths", and relates to the town's pre-Roman importance in iron smelt
ing. The name is related to the modern Welsh
word gof (blacksmith
), and so is also associated with the Welsh smith Gofannon from folklore. The river later became, in Welsh, Gafenni, and the town's name became Abergavenny, meaning "mouth of (Welsh: Aber) the Gavenny (Gafenni)". In Welsh, the shortened form Y Fenni may have come into use for a very short period after about the 15th century, although pronounced similarly in English
or Welsh the English spelling Abergavenny is in general use.
times under the protection of the Lords of Abergavenny. The first Baron was Hamelin de Balun
, from Ballon
, a small town and castle in Maine-Anjou called "Gateway to Maine", near Le Mans
, today in the Sarthe
département of France
. He founded the Benedictine
priory
, now the Priory Church of St Mary
, in the late 11th century. The Priory belonged originally to the Benedictine
foundation of St. Vincent Abbaye at Le Mans. It was subsequently endowed by William de Braose
, with a tenth or "tithe
" of the profits of the castle and town. The church contains some unique alabaster
effigies
, church monument
s and unique medieval wood carving, such as the Tree of Jesse
.
Owing to its geographical location the town was frequently embroiled in the border warfare and power play of the 12th and 13th centuries in the Welsh Marches. In 1175, Abergavenny Castle
was the scene of a reputed massacre of local Welsh chieftains by the pious and ruthless William de Braose. So the story goes, after a period of discord and conflict he invited the local leaders to a Christmas banquet under the pretext of resolving differences and building relations but his plan was to eliminate them. Accepting his supposed hospitality, at a traditional time for settling differences, the influential Welsh leaders of the surrounding areas nearly all arrived, proffered their swords as tokens of peaceful intent to servants and, unarmed, were ushered further into the castle where de Braose's armed soldiers hacked them down in cold blood
. Giraldus Cambrensis relates how in 1182 the castle was seized back by the Welsh
.
attacked Abergavenny in 1404. According to popular legend, his raiders gained access to the walled town with the aid of a local woman who sympathised with the rebellion, letting a small party in via the Market Street gate at midnight. They were able to open the gate and allow a much larger party who set fire to the town and plundered its churches and homes leaving Abergavenny Castle intact. Market Street has been referred to as Traitors' Lane thereafter. In 1404 Abergavenny was declared its own nation by Ieuan ab Owain Glyndŵr
, illegitimate son of Owain Glyndŵr
. The arrangement lasted approximately two weeks.
At the Dissolution of the Monasteries
in 1541 the priory's endowment went towards the foundation of a free grammar school
, King Henry VIII Grammar School
, the site itself passing to the Gunter family.
During the Civil War
, prior to the siege of Raglan Castle
in 1645, King Charles I
visited Abergavenny and presided in person over the trial of Sir Trefor Williams, 1st Baronet
of Llangibby
, a Royalist
who changed sides, and other Parliamentarians
.
In 1639 Abergavenny received a charter
of incorporation under the title of bailiff
and burgesses. A charter with extended privileges was drafted in 1657, but appears never to have been enrolled or to have come into effect. Owing to the refusal of the chief officers of the corporation to take the oath of allegiance
to William III
in 1688, the charter was annulled, and the town subsequently declined in prosperity. Chapter 28 of the 1535 Act of Henry VIII, which provided that Monmouth, as county town
, should return one burgess to Parliament, further stated that other ancient Monmouthshire boroughs
were to contribute towards the payment of the member. In consequence of this clause Abergavenny on various occasions shared in the election, the last instance being in 1685.
Reference to a market at Abergavenny is found in a charter granted to the Prior by William de Braose (d. 1211). The right to hold two weekly markets and three yearly fair
s, as held ever since, was confirmed in 1657. Abergavenny was celebrated for the production of Welsh flannel
, and also for the manufacture, whilst the fashion prevailed, of goats' hair periwigs.
The title of Baron Abergavenny, in the Nevill family, dates from Edward Nevill, 3rd Baron Bergavenny
(d. 1476), who was the youngest son of Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland by his second wife Joan Beaufort
, daughter of John of Gaunt
, first Duke of Lancaster
. He married the heiress of Richard de Beauchamp, 1st Earl of Worcester, whose father had inherited the castle and estate of Abergavenny, and was summoned in 1392 to parliament as Lord Bergavenny. Edward Nevill was summoned to parliament with this title in 1450. His direct male descendants ended in 1387 in Henry Nevill, 6th Baron Bergavenny
, but a cousin, Edward Nevill, 8th Baron Bergavenny
(d. 1622), was confirmed in the Barony in 1604. From him it has descended continuously, through fifteen individuals, the title being increased to an Earl
dom in 1784; and in 1876 William Nevill
[sic] 5th Earl (b. 1826), (d.1915) an indefatigable and powerful supporter of the Tory Party
, was created 1st Marquess of Abergavenny
.
Abergavenny railway station
opened 2 January 1854 and is on the Welsh Marches Line
.
's deputy Rudolf Hess
was kept under escort at Maindiff Court during the Second World War
, after his flight to Britain.
, which was formed in 1927, and is currently a member of the Gwent County League Division 3. The club's current position comes within 15 years of their being one of the top sides in Welsh football, winning the old format Welsh Football League
in 1991 and 1992, but being relegated in 1993 after just one season in the newly formed League of Wales. The club suffered relegation from the Welsh Football League in 2001 and has since slipped down through the next two divisions into its current position, although the future is now looking brighter.
Abergavenny Cricket Club play at Pen-y-Pound
, Avenue Road, and Glamorgan CCC
play some of their games here. Abergavenny Cricket Club is one of the oldest in the country and celebrated the 175th anniversary of its foundation in 2009.
Abergavenny Tennis Club also play at Pen-y-Pound
and plays in the South Wales Doubles League and Aegon Team Tennis. The club engages the services of a head tennis professional to run a coaching programme for the town and was crowned Tennis Wales
' Club of the Year in 2010.
Abergavenny is also the home of Abergavenny RFC
, a rugby union
club founded in 1875 who play at Bailey Park. They play in the Welsh Rugby Union
Division Two East league.
Abergavenny hosted the British National Cycling Championships in 2007 and 2009.
market has been held in Abergavenny on its current site since 1863. During the period 1825–1863 a sheep
market was held at a site in Castle Street, to stop the sale of sheep on the streets of the town. Today the market is leased and operated by Abergavenny Market Auctioneers Ltd., who hold regular livestock auctions on the site. Market days are: Tuesday – The sale of finished sheep, cull ewe/store, a Fodder auction (sale of hay and straw). Some Fridays – The sale of cattle. A few other sales are held on the site on other days throughout the year.
Following the closure of Newport
Cattle Market to make way for a new development. Newport’s sale will be held at Abergavenny Cattle Market on every Wednesday.
Doubts about the future of Abergavenny Cattle Market have been raised following the granting of planning permission by Monmouthshire County Council for demolition of the cattle market, and its subsequent replacement by a supermarket, car park, and library.
The proposed loss of the cattle market from Abergavenny may depend upon repeal of the Abergavenny Improvement Acts of 1854 to 1871 which oblige the holding of a livestock market within the boundaries of Abergavenny town. Carl Sargeant
, Minister for Local Government and Communities, Welsh Government has the power in the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 to repeal Acts such as the Abergavenny Improvement Acts where it appears that they are ‘spent, obsolete or unnecessary’.
; Friday – retail market; Saturday – retail market (also in the town hall car park); 3rd Sunday of the month – antique fair; 2nd Saturday – craft fair.
During September the town holds the Abergavenny Food Festival.
Lunatic Asylum, later Pen-y-Fal Hospital, a psychiatric hospital
, http://www.countyasylums.com/mentalasylums/penyfal01.htm stood on the outskirts of Abergavenny. Between 1851 and 1950 over 3,000 patients died at the hospital. A memorial plaque for the deceased has now been placed at the site.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is located 15 miles (24 km) west of Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
on the A40
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
and A465
A465 road
The A465 is a major road in south Wales. It is more commonly known as the Heads of the Valleys Road because it joins together the north ends of the South Wales Valleys...
roads, 6 miles (10 km) from the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
border. Originally the site of a Roman fort
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
, Gobannium
Gobannium
Gobannium was a Roman fort and civil settlement or Castra established by the Roman legions invading what was to become Roman Wales and lies today under the market town of Abergavenny, Monmouthshire in south east Wales.- Documentary evidence :...
, it became a medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
walled town
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
within the Welsh Marches
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
. The town contains the remains of a medieval stone castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
built soon after the Norman conquest of Wales
Norman invasion of Wales
The Norman invasion of Wales began shortly after the Norman conquest of England under William the Conqueror, who believed England to be his birthright...
.
Abergavenny is promoted as the "Gateway to Wales". Situated at the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
stream, the Gavenny, and the River Usk
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
, it is almost surrounded by two mountains – the Blorenge
Blorenge
The Blorenge or simply Blorenge is a prominent hill which overlooks the valley of the River Usk in Monmouthshire, southeast Wales. It is situated in the southeastern corner of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The summit plateau reaches a height of ....
(559 m) and the Sugar Loaf
Sugar Loaf Mountain, Wales
Sugar Loaf, sometimes called The Sugar Loaf , is a mountain situated north-west of Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is the most southern and lowest of the summit peaks of the Black Mountains, with a height of 1,955 feet ....
(596 m) – and five hills: Ysgyryd Fawr
Ysgyryd Fawr
Ysgyryd Fawr is the most easterly of the Black Mountains in Wales, part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The name is often anglicised to The Skirrid or Skirrid Fawr, and the mountain is also known as Holy Mountain or Sacred Hill. The spelling Skyrrid is also encountered in older literature...
(The Skirrid), Ysgyryd Fach (Skirrid Fach), Deri, Rholben and Mynydd Llanwenarth, known locally as "Llanwenarth Breast". It provides access to the nearby Black Mountains
Black Mountains, Wales
The Black Mountains are a group of hills spread across parts of Powys and Monmouthshire in southeast Wales, and extending across the national border into Herefordshire, England. They are the easternmost of the four ranges of hills that comprise the Brecon Beacons National Park, and are frequently...
and the Brecon Beacons
Brecon Beacons
The Brecon Beacons is a mountain range in South Wales. In a narrow sense, the name refers to the range of popular peaks south of Brecon, including South Wales' highest mountain, Pen y Fan, and which together form the central section of the Brecon Beacons National Park...
National Park
National parks of England and Wales
The national parks of England and Wales are areas of relatively undeveloped and scenic landscape that are designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949...
. The Offa's Dyke Path
Offa's Dyke Path
Offa's Dyke Path is a long distance footpath along the Welsh-English border. Opened in 1971, it is one of Britain's premier National Trails and draws walkers from throughout the world...
is close by and the Marches Way
Marches Way
The Marches Way is a partially waymarked long distance footpath in the United Kingdom. It runs 351 kilometres / 218 miles through the Welsh–English borderlands, traditionally known as the Welsh Marches and links the cities of Chester in the north and Cardiff in the south.-The route:The route...
, the Beacons Way and Usk Valley Walk
Usk Valley Walk
The Usk Valley Walk is a waymarked long distance footpath in south east Wales, from Caerleon to Brecon.- Distance :The route runs some . The entire route can be walked in three to five days.- The route :...
all pass through the town.
Origins of the town and its name
Gobannium was a Roman fort guarding the road along the valley of the River Usk which linked the legionary fortress of BurriumBurrium
Burrium was a legionary fortress in the Roman province of Britannia Superior or Roman Britain.Its remains today lie beneath the town of Usk in Monmouthshire....
(Usk
Usk
Usk is a small town in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated 10 miles northeast of Newport.The River Usk flows through the town and is spanned by an ancient, arched stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. A castle above the town overlooks the ancient Anglo-Welsh border crossing - the river can...
) and later Isca Augusta
Isca Augusta
Isca Augusta was a Roman legionary fortress and settlement, the remains of which lie beneath parts of the present-day village of Caerleon on the northern outskirts of the city of Newport in South Wales.-Name:...
(Caerleon
Caerleon
Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
) in the south with Y Gaer, Brecon
Y Gaer, Brecon
Y Gaer, Brecon is a Roman fort situated near modern day Brecon in Mid Wales, United Kingdom.Y Gaer is located at .- History :...
and Mid Wales
Mid Wales
Mid Wales is the name given to the central region of Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the National Assembly for Wales covered the counties of Ceredigion and Powys and the area of Gwynedd that had previously been the district of Meirionydd. A similar definition is used by the BBC...
. It was also built to keep the peace among the local British Iron Age
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
tribe, the Silures
Silures
The Silures were a powerful and warlike tribe of ancient Britain, occupying approximately the counties of Monmouthshire, Breconshire and Glamorganshire of present day South Wales; and possibly Gloucestershire and Herefordshire of present day England...
. Remains of the walls of this fort were discovered west of the castle when excavating the foundations for a new post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
and telephone exchange
Telephone exchange
In the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls...
building in the late 1960s.
The name
Welsh placenames
The placenames of Wales derive in most cases from the Welsh language, but have also been influenced by linguistic contact with the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Anglo-Normans and modern English...
derives from a Brythonic
Brythonic languages
The Brythonic or Brittonic languages form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family, the other being Goidelic. The name Brythonic was derived by Welsh Celticist John Rhys from the Welsh word Brython, meaning an indigenous Briton as opposed to an Anglo-Saxon or Gael...
word Gobannia meaning "river of the blacksmiths", and relates to the town's pre-Roman importance in iron smelt
Smelting
Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
ing. The name is related to the modern Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
word gof (blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
), and so is also associated with the Welsh smith Gofannon from folklore. The river later became, in Welsh, Gafenni, and the town's name became Abergavenny, meaning "mouth of (Welsh: Aber) the Gavenny (Gafenni)". In Welsh, the shortened form Y Fenni may have come into use for a very short period after about the 15th century, although pronounced similarly in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
or Welsh the English spelling Abergavenny is in general use.
The Norman period
Abergavenny grew as a town in early NormanNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
times under the protection of the Lords of Abergavenny. The first Baron was Hamelin de Balun
Hamelin de Balun
Hamelin de Ballon was an early Norman Baron and the first Baron Abergavenny and Lord of Over Gwent and Abergavenny, titles granted shortly after the Norman Conquest of England and Wales by William the Conqueror; he also served William Rufus.- Origin :He was from France, from the ancient manor of...
, from Ballon
Ballon, Sarthe
Ballon is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France....
, a small town and castle in Maine-Anjou called "Gateway to Maine", near Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
, today in the Sarthe
Sarthe
Sarthe is a French department, named after the Sarthe River.- History :The department was created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790, pursuant to the law of December 22, 1789, starting from a part of the province of Maine which was divided into two departments, Sarthe to the east and...
département of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He founded the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
, now the Priory Church of St Mary
Priory Church of St Mary, Abergavenny
The Priory Church of St Mary, Abergavenny is a church in the centre of Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, Wales.St. Marys has been called 'the Westminster Abbey of Wales' because of its large size and the number of high status church monument tombs and the rare medieval effigies surviving within it .-...
, in the late 11th century. The Priory belonged originally to the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
foundation of St. Vincent Abbaye at Le Mans. It was subsequently endowed by William de Braose
William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber
William de Braose, , 4th Lord of Bramber , court favourite of King John of England, at the peak of his power, was also Lord of Gower, Abergavenny, Brecknock, Builth, Radnor, Kington, Limerick, Glamorgan, Skenfrith, Briouze in Normandy, Grosmont, and White Castle.-Lineage:William was the most...
, with a tenth or "tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
" of the profits of the castle and town. The church contains some unique alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals, when used as a material: gypsum and calcite . The former is the alabaster of the present day; generally, the latter is the alabaster of the ancients...
effigies
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
, church monument
Church monument
A church monument is an architectural or sculptural memorial to a dead person or persons, located within a Christian church. It can take various forms, from a simple wall tablet to a large and elaborate structure which may include an effigy of the deceased person and other figures of familial or...
s and unique medieval wood carving, such as the Tree of Jesse
Tree of Jesse
The Tree of Jesse is a depiction in art of the Ancestors of Christ, shown in a tree which rises from Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David; the original use of the family tree as a schematic representation of a genealogy...
.
Owing to its geographical location the town was frequently embroiled in the border warfare and power play of the 12th and 13th centuries in the Welsh Marches. In 1175, Abergavenny Castle
Abergavenny Castle
Abergavenny Castle is a castle in the market town of Abergavenny, Monmouthshire in south east Wales.- A naturally fortified site :The castle was sited above the River Usk overlooking the river valley and the confluence of the rivers Gavenny and Usk. The site would have been naturally defensible in...
was the scene of a reputed massacre of local Welsh chieftains by the pious and ruthless William de Braose. So the story goes, after a period of discord and conflict he invited the local leaders to a Christmas banquet under the pretext of resolving differences and building relations but his plan was to eliminate them. Accepting his supposed hospitality, at a traditional time for settling differences, the influential Welsh leaders of the surrounding areas nearly all arrived, proffered their swords as tokens of peaceful intent to servants and, unarmed, were ushered further into the castle where de Braose's armed soldiers hacked them down in cold blood
Cold blood
Cold blood may refer to:* Cold Blood , an American rock/jazz/soul band formed in 1968* "Cold Blood" , an episode of the British TV series Doctor Who* Cold Blood , a UK crime drama series-See also:...
. Giraldus Cambrensis relates how in 1182 the castle was seized back by the Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
.
1300 to 1900
Owain GlyndŵrOwain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
attacked Abergavenny in 1404. According to popular legend, his raiders gained access to the walled town with the aid of a local woman who sympathised with the rebellion, letting a small party in via the Market Street gate at midnight. They were able to open the gate and allow a much larger party who set fire to the town and plundered its churches and homes leaving Abergavenny Castle intact. Market Street has been referred to as Traitors' Lane thereafter. In 1404 Abergavenny was declared its own nation by Ieuan ab Owain Glyndŵr
Ieuan ab Owain Glyndwr
Ieuan ab Owain Glyndŵr was reputedly the illegitimate son of the last native Welsh Prince of Wales; Owain Glyndŵr. The possibility of his existence was uncovered through the work of Peter Bartrum which is currently being edited by the University of Wales Aberystwyth...
, illegitimate son of Owain Glyndŵr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
. The arrangement lasted approximately two weeks.
At the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1541 the priory's endowment went towards the foundation of a free grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
, King Henry VIII Grammar School
King Henry VIII Grammar School
King Henry VIII Grammar School, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire was one of a series of schools founded during the Reformation in England and Wales in 1542 from property seized from monasteries and religious congregations...
, the site itself passing to the Gunter family.
During the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, prior to the siege of Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle located just north of the village of Raglan in the county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales. The modern castle dates from between the 15th and early 17th-centuries, when the successive ruling families of the Herberts and the Somersets created a luxurious,...
in 1645, King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
visited Abergavenny and presided in person over the trial of Sir Trefor Williams, 1st Baronet
Sir Trevor Williams, 1st Baronet
Sir Trevor Williams, 1st Baronet of Llangibby , Monmouthshire, was a Welsh politician, gentry landowner, military commander and rebel...
of Llangibby
Llangybi, Monmouthshire
Llangybi is a village in Monmouthshire, in south east Wales, United Kingdom. It is located 3 miles south of the town of Usk and 5 miles north of Caerleon, in the valley of the River Usk.- History and buildings :...
, a Royalist
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of government, but not necessarily a particular monarch...
who changed sides, and other Parliamentarians
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
.
In 1639 Abergavenny received a charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
of incorporation under the title of bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
and burgesses. A charter with extended privileges was drafted in 1657, but appears never to have been enrolled or to have come into effect. Owing to the refusal of the chief officers of the corporation to take the oath of allegiance
Oath of allegiance
An oath of allegiance is an oath whereby a subject or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance and swears loyalty to monarch or country. In republics, modern oaths specify allegiance to the country's constitution. For example, officials in the United States, a republic, take an oath of office that...
to William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
in 1688, the charter was annulled, and the town subsequently declined in prosperity. Chapter 28 of the 1535 Act of Henry VIII, which provided that Monmouth, as county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
, should return one burgess to Parliament, further stated that other ancient Monmouthshire boroughs
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
were to contribute towards the payment of the member. In consequence of this clause Abergavenny on various occasions shared in the election, the last instance being in 1685.
Reference to a market at Abergavenny is found in a charter granted to the Prior by William de Braose (d. 1211). The right to hold two weekly markets and three yearly fair
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
s, as held ever since, was confirmed in 1657. Abergavenny was celebrated for the production of Welsh flannel
Flannel
Flannel is a soft woven fabric, of various fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fibre. Flannel may be brushed to create extra softness or remain unbrushed. The brushing process is a mechanical process...
, and also for the manufacture, whilst the fashion prevailed, of goats' hair periwigs.
The title of Baron Abergavenny, in the Nevill family, dates from Edward Nevill, 3rd Baron Bergavenny
Edward Nevill, 3rd Baron Bergavenny
Edward Nevill, de facto 3rd Baron Bergavenny was an English peer.He was the son of Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland, daughter of John of Gaunt and Katherine de Roet...
(d. 1476), who was the youngest son of Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland by his second wife Joan Beaufort
Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland
Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland was the third or fourth child of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster and his mistress, later wife, Katherine Swynford; and, in her widowhood, a powerful landowner in the North of England.-Early life and marriages:She was likely born at the Swynford manor of...
, daughter of John of Gaunt
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster , KG was a member of the House of Plantagenet, the third surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault...
, first Duke of Lancaster
Duke of Lancaster
There were several Dukes of Lancaster in the 14th and early 15th Centuries. See also Duchy of Lancaster.There were three creations of the Dukedom of Lancaster....
. He married the heiress of Richard de Beauchamp, 1st Earl of Worcester, whose father had inherited the castle and estate of Abergavenny, and was summoned in 1392 to parliament as Lord Bergavenny. Edward Nevill was summoned to parliament with this title in 1450. His direct male descendants ended in 1387 in Henry Nevill, 6th Baron Bergavenny
Henry Nevill, 6th Baron Bergavenny
Henry Nevill, 6th and de jure 4th Baron Abergavenny K.B. was an English peer. Son of Sir George Nevill, 5th Baron Bergavenny and Mary Stafford daughter of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham...
, but a cousin, Edward Nevill, 8th Baron Bergavenny
Edward Nevill, 8th Baron Bergavenny
Edward Nevill, de facto 8th Baron Bergavenny was an English Peer.The son of Edward Nevill, 7th Baron Bergavenny, he succeeded to the Barony upon the death of his father....
(d. 1622), was confirmed in the Barony in 1604. From him it has descended continuously, through fifteen individuals, the title being increased to an Earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
dom in 1784; and in 1876 William Nevill
William Nevill, 1st Marquess of Abergavenny
William Nevill, 1st Marquess of Abergavenny KG, MVO , styled Viscount Neville between 1845 and 1868 and known as The Earl of Abergavenny between 1868 and 1876, was a British peer....
[sic] 5th Earl (b. 1826), (d.1915) an indefatigable and powerful supporter of the Tory Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, was created 1st Marquess of Abergavenny
Marquess of Abergavenny
Marquess of Abergavenny , in the County of Monmouth, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that was created on 14 January 1876, along with the title Earl of Lewes , in the County of Sussex, for the 5th Earl of Abergavenny, a member of the Nevill family.The 1st Marquess's ancestor, the de...
.
Abergavenny railway station
Abergavenny railway station
- Today :It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales. It lies on the Welsh Marches Line line from Newport to Hereford....
opened 2 January 1854 and is on the Welsh Marches Line
Welsh Marches Line
The Welsh Marches Line , known historically as the North and West Route, is the railway line running from Newport in south-east Wales to Shrewsbury in the West Midlands region of England by way of Abergavenny, Hereford and Craven Arms, and thence to Crewe via Whitchurch...
.
Later history
Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's deputy Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Walter Richard Hess was a prominent Nazi politician who was Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi Party during the 1930s and early 1940s...
was kept under escort at Maindiff Court during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, after his flight to Britain.
Sporting traditions
Abergavenny is the home of Abergavenny Thursdays F.C.Abergavenny Thursdays F.C.
Abergavenny Thursdays Football Club is a Welsh football team, a founder member of the League of Wales, but now playing in the Gwent County League Division 3....
, which was formed in 1927, and is currently a member of the Gwent County League Division 3. The club's current position comes within 15 years of their being one of the top sides in Welsh football, winning the old format Welsh Football League
Welsh Football League
The Welsh Football League is a club football league in Wales. Division One of the Welsh Football League is at Level 2 of the Welsh football league system, immediately below the national Welsh Premier League.The Welsh Football League's history stretches back to 1904 when the competition was first...
in 1991 and 1992, but being relegated in 1993 after just one season in the newly formed League of Wales. The club suffered relegation from the Welsh Football League in 2001 and has since slipped down through the next two divisions into its current position, although the future is now looking brighter.
Abergavenny Cricket Club play at Pen-y-Pound
Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny
Pen-y-Pound is a cricket ground in Abergavenny, Wales. It is the home of Abergavenny Cricket Club, who play in the South Wales Cricket League. The ground was first used by the Glamorgan 1st XI in 1981 for limited over matches and in 1983 for County Championship matches. Between 1985 and 1997, the...
, Avenue Road, and Glamorgan CCC
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
play some of their games here. Abergavenny Cricket Club is one of the oldest in the country and celebrated the 175th anniversary of its foundation in 2009.
Abergavenny Tennis Club also play at Pen-y-Pound
Pen-y-Pound, Abergavenny
Pen-y-Pound is a cricket ground in Abergavenny, Wales. It is the home of Abergavenny Cricket Club, who play in the South Wales Cricket League. The ground was first used by the Glamorgan 1st XI in 1981 for limited over matches and in 1983 for County Championship matches. Between 1985 and 1997, the...
and plays in the South Wales Doubles League and Aegon Team Tennis. The club engages the services of a head tennis professional to run a coaching programme for the town and was crowned Tennis Wales
Tennis Wales
Tennis Wales is the national governing body for tennis in Wales. It is part of the British tennis governing body, the Lawn Tennis Association.Tennis Wales has 98 affiliated clubs, who have just under 12,000 members between them...
' Club of the Year in 2010.
Abergavenny is also the home of Abergavenny RFC
Abergavenny RFC
Abergavenny Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club team based in Abergavenny. Today, Abergavenny RFC plays in the Welsh Rugby Union Division Three East league and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons....
, a rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club founded in 1875 who play at Bailey Park. They play in the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
Division Two East league.
Abergavenny hosted the British National Cycling Championships in 2007 and 2009.
Cattle market
A cattleCattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
market has been held in Abergavenny on its current site since 1863. During the period 1825–1863 a sheep
Domestic sheep
Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...
market was held at a site in Castle Street, to stop the sale of sheep on the streets of the town. Today the market is leased and operated by Abergavenny Market Auctioneers Ltd., who hold regular livestock auctions on the site. Market days are: Tuesday – The sale of finished sheep, cull ewe/store, a Fodder auction (sale of hay and straw). Some Fridays – The sale of cattle. A few other sales are held on the site on other days throughout the year.
Following the closure of Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
Cattle Market to make way for a new development. Newport’s sale will be held at Abergavenny Cattle Market on every Wednesday.
Doubts about the future of Abergavenny Cattle Market have been raised following the granting of planning permission by Monmouthshire County Council for demolition of the cattle market, and its subsequent replacement by a supermarket, car park, and library.
The proposed loss of the cattle market from Abergavenny may depend upon repeal of the Abergavenny Improvement Acts of 1854 to 1871 which oblige the holding of a livestock market within the boundaries of Abergavenny town. Carl Sargeant
Carl Sargeant
Carl Sargeant AM is a Welsh Labour politician and the Minister for Social Justice & Local Government in the Welsh Assembly Government...
, Minister for Local Government and Communities, Welsh Government has the power in the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 to repeal Acts such as the Abergavenny Improvement Acts where it appears that they are ‘spent, obsolete or unnecessary’.
The Market Hall
Various markets are held in the Market Hall, for example: Tuesdays – retail market, which also stretches into the town hall car park and temporarily the Cattle Market, while Brewery Yard car park is regenerated; Wednesday – flea market; 4th Thursday of the month a farmers' marketFarmers' market
A farmers' market consists of individual vendors—mostly farmers—who set up booths, tables or stands, outdoors or indoors, to sell produce, meat products, fruits and sometimes prepared foods and beverages...
; Friday – retail market; Saturday – retail market (also in the town hall car park); 3rd Sunday of the month – antique fair; 2nd Saturday – craft fair.
Culture
- Abergavenny hosted the National Eisteddfod of WalesNational Eisteddfod of WalesThe National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
in 1838 and 1913. - Lord Abergavenny is a character in William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's play Henry VIIIHenry VIII (play)The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight is a history play by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher, based on the life of Henry VIII of England. An alternative title, All is True, is recorded in contemporary documents, the title Henry VIII not appearing until the play's publication...
. - In 1968 Abergavenny was the title of a UK single by Marty WildeMarty WildeMarty Wilde is an English singer and songwriter. He was among the first generation of British pop stars to emulate American rock and roll, and is the father of pop singers Ricky Wilde, Kim Wilde and Roxanne Wilde.-Career:Wilde was performing under the name Reg Patterson at London's Condor Club in...
. In 1969 it was also released in the US, under the pseudonym "Shannon", where it was a also a minor hit. - In 1996 a film, Intimate Relations starring Julie WaltersJulie WaltersJulie Walters, CBE is an English actress and novelist. She came to international prominence in 1983 for Educating Rita, performing in the title role opposite Michael Caine. It was a role she had created on the West End stage and it won her BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for Best Actress...
, Rupert GravesRupert GravesRupert Graves is an English film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as DI Lestrade in the critically acclaimed television series Sherlock.-Early life:...
, Les DennisLes DennisLes Dennis is an English comedian, television presenter and actor best known as the host of Family Fortunes for 15 years.-Early life:...
and Amanda HoldenAmanda HoldenAmanda Louise Holden is an English actress and presenter. Among her roles are Mia Bevan in Cutting It, Sarah Trevanion in Wild at Heart, and the title role in Thoroughly Modern Millie, for which she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award...
was filmed at many locations in and around Abergavenny. - The town's local radio station is currently Sunshine RadioSunshine RadioSunshine Radio may refer to:* Sunshine 855, a radio station station covering South Shropshire, North Herefordshire and North Worcestershire* Sunshine Radio , a radio station based in Hereford...
, broadcasting on 107.8 FM, although an application to provide a new service was made by a competing broadcaster Xfm South Wales. - Abergavenny is twinnedTown twinningTwin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with ÖstringenÖstringenÖstringen is a town in Northern Karlsruhe district in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Östringen is a sister city with Abergavenny, South Wales.-References:...
in GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, BeaupréauBeaupréauBeaupréau is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France....
in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and SarnoSarnoSarno is a town and comune of Campania, Italy, in the province of Salerno, 20 km northeast from the city of Salerno and 60 km east of Naples by the main railway.-Overview:...
in ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. - The pop-rock band Ruby Cruiser came from Abergavenny, releasing an album on One Little Indian records in 1999.
- Abergavenny is home to an award winning brass band. Formed in Abergavenny prior to 1884 the band became joint National Welsh League Champions in 2006 and SEWBBA Champions in 2011. The band also operate a Junior Band training local young musicians
- Sherlock HolmesSherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
refers, in The Adventure of the Priory SchoolThe Adventure of the Priory School"The Adventure of the Priory School", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 13 stories in the cycle collected as The Return of Sherlock Holmes...
, to a case he's working on in Abergavenny. - In the book Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanHarry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling. The book was published on 8 July 1999. The novel won the 1999 Whitbread Book Award, the Bram Stoker Award, the 2000 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, and was short-listed for other...
, Abergavenny is mentioned by Stan Shunpike, the conductor of the Knight Bus when the bus takes a detour there to drop off a passenger.
During September the town holds the Abergavenny Food Festival.
Notable people
- See also :Category:People from Abergavenny
- One of the eleven Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
gallantry medals awarded at Rorke's DriftRorke's DriftThe Battle of Rorke's Drift, also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was a battle in the Anglo-Zulu War. The defence of the mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenant John Chard of the Royal Engineers, immediately followed the British Army's defeat at the Battle of...
was awarded to John Fielding from Abergavenny. He had enlisted under the false name of John Williams (VC)John Williams (VC)John Williams VC , was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
. One was also awarded for the same action to Robert Jones (VC)Robert Jones (VC)Robert Jones VC was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions at the Battle of Rorke's Drift in January 1879, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.He was born at Penrhos near Clytha...
, born at Clytha between Abergavenny and RaglanRaglan, MonmouthshireRaglan is a village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, United Kingdom. It is located some 9 miles south-west of Monmouth, midway between Monmouth and Abergavenny on the A40 road very near to the junction with the A449 road...
. Another Abergavenny born soldier, Thomas MonaghanThomas MonaghanThomas Monaghan VC was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces, during the Indian Mutiny...
received his VC for defending his colonel during the Indian Rebellion of 1857Indian Rebellion of 1857The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
. - Matthew JayMatthew JayMatthew Jay was an English singer-songwriter, who was often likened to artists such as Nick Drake, Badly Drawn Boy, and Jeff Buckley.The son of two folk musicians,...
, the late singer-songwriter, also spent much of his life in the town. - Saint David LewisDavid Lewis (martyr)David Lewis was a Catholic priest and martyr. Lewis was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales and is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church.- Early life :...
, Catholic priestPriesthood (Catholic Church)The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
and martyrMartyrA martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
, was born in Abergavenny. - Marina and the Diamonds, singer-songwriter who was born and brought up in Abergavenny until she moved to LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the age of eighteen. - Malcolm NashMalcolm NashMalcolm Nash, is a Welsh cricket coach and former first-class cricketer.- Glamorgan Cricketer :Born in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Nash was a left arm medium pace bowler who played largely for Glamorgan....
the cricketer famous for bowling to Gary SobersGarfield SobersSir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers AO, OCC is a former cricketer who captained West Indies. His first name of Garfield is variously abbreviated as Gary or Garry. He is widely regarded as one of cricket's greatest ever all-rounders, having excelled at all the essential skills of batting, bowling and...
who hit six sixes off one Nash over (36 runs) is from Abergavenny. - Owen SheersOwen SheersOwen Sheers is a Welsh poet, author, playwright, actor and TV presenter.-Biography:Owen Sheers was born in Suva, Fiji in 1974 and brought up in Abergavenny, South Wales...
, the poet, grew up in Abergavenny. - Abergavenny produced a world famous strongwoman, VulcanaVulcanaKate Williams , sometimes called Kate Roberts, better known by her stage name Vulcana, was a Welsh strongwoman born of Irish parents in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire....
. - Raymond WilliamsRaymond WilliamsRaymond Henry Williams was a Welsh academic, novelist and critic. He was an influential figure within the New Left and in wider culture. His writings on politics, culture, the mass media and literature are a significant contribution to the Marxist critique of culture and the arts...
(1921–1988) academic, critic and writer was born and brought up locally. - Oliver ThorntonOliver ThorntonOliver Thornton is an stage actor and singer who is best known for his contributions to musical theatre in London's West End. He currently stars in Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Palace Theatre.- Early life :...
, West End actor - currently starring in Priscilla Queen of the Desert (musical), was born and grew up in Abergavenny.
Buildings of note
From 1851 the MonmouthshireMonmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
Lunatic Asylum, later Pen-y-Fal Hospital, a psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
, http://www.countyasylums.com/mentalasylums/penyfal01.htm stood on the outskirts of Abergavenny. Between 1851 and 1950 over 3,000 patients died at the hospital. A memorial plaque for the deceased has now been placed at the site.
External links
- Abergavenny Borough Band
- Abergavenny and District Round Table
- Abergavenny Food Festival
- Abergavenny Museum
- BBC, South East Wales – Feature on Abergavenny
See also
- Abergavenny Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society
- Abergavenny CastleAbergavenny CastleAbergavenny Castle is a castle in the market town of Abergavenny, Monmouthshire in south east Wales.- A naturally fortified site :The castle was sited above the River Usk overlooking the river valley and the confluence of the rivers Gavenny and Usk. The site would have been naturally defensible in...
- Abergavenny town wallsAbergavenny town wallsAbergavenny's town walls are a sequence of defensive structures built around the town of Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, Wales.-History:After the Norman invasion of Wales in the 11th century, a castle was built at Abergavenny; this included a relatively small, walled town...
- The hundred of AbergavennyAbergavenny (hundred)Abergavenny was an ancient hundred of Monmouthshire.It was situated in the northern part of the county, bounded on the north by Herefordshire; on the east by the hundreds of Skenfrith, Raglan, and Usk; on the south by Wentloog hundred; and on the west by Wentloog and Brecknockshire.It contained the...
- Abergavenny MuseumAbergavenny MuseumAbergavenny Museum is a museum situated in the grounds of Abergavenny Castle, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, south east Wales.The museum is housed in the square 'keep' on the high point of the castle motte, in the hunting lodge built for the Marquess of Abergavenny in 1819 on the site...
- Black Mountains, WalesBlack Mountains, WalesThe Black Mountains are a group of hills spread across parts of Powys and Monmouthshire in southeast Wales, and extending across the national border into Herefordshire, England. They are the easternmost of the four ranges of hills that comprise the Brecon Beacons National Park, and are frequently...
- Brecon Beacons National Park
- Geograph British Isles – Photos of Abergavenny and surrounding areas
- HMS AbergavennyHMS Abergavenny (1795)HMS Abergavenny was originally the Earl of Abergavenny, an East Indiaman. As an East Indiaman she made two trips to China between 1791 and 1794. The Royal Navy bought her in 1795, converted her to a 56-gun fourth-rate ship of the line, and renamed her...
, a fourth-rate ship acquired by the Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1795. - Llanthony PrioryLlanthony PrioryLlanthony Priory is a partly ruined former Augustinian priory in the secluded Vale of Ewyas, a steep sided once glaciated valley within the Black Mountains area of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It lies seven miles north of Abergavenny on an old road to Hay...
- Monmouthshire & Brecon CanalMonmouthshire & Brecon CanalThe Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal is a small network of canals in South Wales. For most of its length it runs through the Brecon Beacons National Park, and its present rural character and tranquillity belies its original purpose as an industrial corridor for coal and iron, which were brought to...
- Nevill Hall HospitalNevill Hall HospitalNevill Hall Hospital is a district general hospital in Abergavenny, north Monmouthshire, Wales, United Kingdom.It was officially opened in April 1970, the new buildings replacing the older Victorian built converted mansion, which has since been used as office accommodation and still remains at the...
- The Skirrid Mountain InnThe Skirrid Mountain InnThe Skirrid Mountain Inn is a public house in the small village of Llanfihangel Crucorney, just a few miles north of Abergavenny, Monmouthshire. Perhaps the oldest pub in Wales, listed in chronicles from 1100...
at Llanvihangel Crucorney, maybe Wales' oldest pubPublic houseA public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller... - Tourism in WalesTourism in WalesWales is an emerging tourist destination, with 8,078,900 visitors to National Trust and Welsh Tourist Board destinations in 2002. The industry has been estimated to have an annual turnover of £3.5 billion....