Earlswood (

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

: ''Coed-yr-iarll'') is a rural area of scattered settlement in Monmouthshire, south east

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, United Kingdom. It is located five miles northwest of

Chepstow Chepstow ( cy, Cas-gwent) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the tidal River Wye, about above its confluence with the River Severn, and adjoining the wester ...

, within the parish of

Shirenewton Shirenewton ( cy, Drenewydd Gelli-farch) is a village and community in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It is located 3 miles due west of Chepstow, 5 miles (8 km) by road. The village stands around 500 feet (154 m) above sea level, and has ...

and immediately east of the forested area of

Wentwood Wentwood ( cy, Coed Gwent), in Monmouthshire, South Wales, is a forested area of hills, rising to above sea level. It is located to the northeast of, and partly within the boundaries of, the city of Newport. Geology Wentwood is underlain b ...

History

Before the

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. Initially (1067–1081), the invasion of Wales was not undertaken with the fervour and purpose ...

, the area was largely forested. At the time of the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manus ...

it formed part of the estates of Durand, the Sheriff of

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...

. He and his successors began the process of woodland clearance, and established the village of "Sheriff's Newton", now Shirenewton. Later, in the 12th century, the post of Sheriff was held by Milo Fitzwalter (Miles de Gloucester), who became

Earl of Hereford The title of Earl of Hereford was created six times in the Peerage of England. Dates indicate the years the person held the title for. Earls of Hereford, First Creation (1043) * Swegen Godwinson (1043–1051) ''earldom forfeit 1051–1052'' Earl ...

and

Lord High Constable of England The Lord High Constable of England is the seventh of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Great Chamberlain and above the Earl Marshal. This office is now called out of abeyance only for coronations. The Lord High Constable was ...

, and the hilly area north west of Shirenewton became known as the Earl's Wood. History of Shirenewton Church
/ref> The small Earlswood

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

Chapel was established in 1754, and is one of the earliest purpose-built chapels to survive in Monmouthshire. The chapel, claimed to be the oldest Methodist chapel in Wales, was founded largely due to the efforts of Ann Lewis, born in Earlswood in 1747. Inspired by John Wesley who preached at Devauden Green, Lewis founded a branch of the Methodist Missionary Society and travelled widely on foot to raise funds, including many visits to

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

via the ferry from Black Rock at

Portskewett Portskewett ( cy, Porthsgiwed or ''Porthysgewin'') is a village and community (parish) in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It is located four miles south west of Chepstow and one mile east of Caldicot, in an archaeologically sensitive part of the ...

. The chapel was built largely by local labour and tradition maintains that much of the stone was carried from the nearby quarry, by the local women, in their aprons. The Chapel opened in 1791. The small kitchen at the side of the chapel was originally a stable for the preacher's horse. The chapel was extended in 1908.John Newman, ''The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire'', 2000, A school was built in the area in 1861 for a maximum of 80 students. It has since been closed down.

The village today

Today the village has a large community building built with publicly donated money, as a memorial to members of the parish who were killed in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. The building hosts many events for the parish.

References

External links

Map of the locality

Geograph: photos of the Earlswood area
{{authority control Villages in Monmouthshire