Abergavenny (; cy, Y Fenni , archaically ''Abergafenni'' meaning "mouth of the

River Gavenny The River Gavenny or sometimes the Gavenny River ( cy, Afon Gafenni) is a short river in Monmouthshire in south Wales. It rises southwest of the village of Llanvihangel Crucorney from springs near Penyclawdd Court, supplemented by springs in Bl ...

") is a market town and community in

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...

, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a ''Gateway to Wales''; it is approximately from the border with England and is located where the A40 trunk road and the A465 Heads of the Valleys road meet. Originally the site of a

Roman fort In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, the Latin word ''castrum'', plural ''castra'', was a military-related term. In Latin usage, the singular form ''castrum'' meant 'fort', while the plural form ''castra'' meant 'camp'. The singular and ...

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 Gob ...

, it became a medieval walled town within the

Welsh Marches The Welsh Marches ( cy, Y Mers) is an imprecisely defined area along the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods. The English term Welsh March (in Medieval Latin ...

. The town contains the remains of a medieval stone

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

built soon after the

Norman conquest 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 ...

. Abergavenny is situated at the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

of the

River Usk The River Usk (; cy, Afon Wysg) rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain (''y Mynydd Du''), Wales, in the westernmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially forming the boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys, it fl ...

and a tributary stream, the Gavenny. It is almost entirely surrounded by mountains and hills: the

Blorenge Blorenge, also called The Blorenge (; cy, Blorens), is a prominent hill overlooking the valley of the River Usk near Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, southeast Wales. It is situated in the southeastern corner of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The ...

(), the

Sugar Loaf A sugarloaf was the usual form in which refined sugar was produced and sold until the late 19th century, when granulated and cube sugars were introduced. A tall cone with a rounded top was the end product of a process in which dark molasses, a r ...

(),

Ysgyryd Fawr Ysgyryd Fawr ( en, Skirrid) is an easterly outlier of the Black Mountains in Wales, and forms the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The hill is often referred to locally as just The Skirrid. The smaller hill of Ysgyryd Fac ...

(Great Skirrid),

Ysgyryd Fach Ysgyryd Fach is a hill one mile east of Abergavenny in the county of Monmouthshire, south Wales. It is often referred to in English as 'Little Skirrid' or sometimes as 'Skirrid Fach'. Its summit height is just over 270m. A conifer plantation ext ...

(Little Skirrid), Deri, Rholben and Mynydd Llanwenarth, known locally as "

Llanwenarth Llanwenarth is a small village and parish in the Usk Valley of Monmouthshire, south-east Wales, United Kingdom. It is in the community of Llanfoist Fawr and covered by the electoral ward of Llanwenarth Ultra. Location Llanwenarth is located w ...

Breast". Abergavenny provides access to the nearby Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons National Park. The

Marches Way The Marches Way is a partially waymarked long-distance footpath in the United Kingdom. It runs for through the Welsh–English borderlands, traditionally known as the Welsh Marches, and links the cities of Chester in the north and Cardiff in th ...

and Beacons Way pass through Abergavenny whilst the Offa's Dyke Path passes through Pandy five miles to the north and the

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 The route follows some of the course of th ...

passes through nearby

Llanfoist Llanfoist ( cy, Llan-ffwyst) is both a village near Abergavenny, in Monmouthshire, Wales, and the community of Llanfoist Fawr. Llanfoist derives from ''Ffwyst'', an early Christian Welsh saint, although the anglicised version of the church ...

. In the UK 2011 census, the six relevant wards (Lansdown, Grofield,

Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

, Croesonen, Cantref and Priory) collectively listed Abergavenny's population as 12,515. The town hosted the 2016

National Eisteddfod of Wales The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh language, Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Eur ...

Etymology

The town derives its name from a

Brythonic Brittonic or Brythonic may refer to: *Common Brittonic, or Brythonic, the Celtic language anciently spoken in Great Britain *Brittonic languages, a branch of the Celtic languages descended from Common Brittonic *Britons (Celtic people) The Br ...

word ''Gobannia'' meaning "river of the blacksmiths", and relates to the town's pre-Roman importance in iron

smelt Smelt may refer to: * Smelting, chemical process * The common name of various fish: ** Smelt (fish), a family of small fish, Osmeridae ** Australian smelt in the family Retropinnidae and species ''Retropinna semoni'' ** Big-scale sand smelt ''At ...

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 ''Abergafenni'', meaning "mouth of (Welsh: ''Aber'') the Gavenny (''Gafenni'')". In Welsh, the shortened form ''Y Fenni'' may have come into use after about the 15th century, and is now used as the Welsh name. Abergavenny, the English spelling, is in general use.

Geography

The town originally developed on the high ground to the north of the floodplain of the River Usk and to the west of the valley of the much smaller Gavenny River though has since extended to the east of the latter. It has merged with the originally separate settlement of Mardy to the north but remains separate from that of Llanfoist to the south due to the presence of the river and its floodplain; nevertheless Llanfoist is in many ways a suburb of the town. The ground rises gradually in the north of the town before steepening to form the Deri and Rholben spurs of Sugar Loaf. The A4143 crossing of the Usk by means of the historic Usk Bridge is sited at the narrowest point of the floodplain, a site also chosen for the former crossing of a tramroad and the later mainline railway. The high ground at either side is formed by a legacy of the last ice age, the recessional Llanfoist moraine which underlies both the village which gives it its name, the town centre and the Nevill Hall area. The older parts of the town north of its centre are built upon a relatively flat-lying alluvial fan extending west from the area of St Mary's Priory to Cantref and of similar age to the moraine. In the UK 2011 census, the six relevant wards (Lansdown, Grofield,

, Croesonen, Cantref and Priory) collectively listed Abergavenny's population as 12,515.

History

Roman period

Gobannium was a Roman fort guarding the road along the valley of the River Usk, which linked the legionary fortress of Burrium ( Usk) and later Isca Augusta or Isca Silurum ( Caerleon) in the south with

Y Gaer, Brecon Y Gaer () is a Roman fort situated near modern-day Brecon in Mid Wales, United Kingdom. Y Gaer is located at (Landranger 160). History Y Gaer was built around AD 75 and sits on a crossroads of Roman roads in the valley of the River Usk a ...

and

Mid Wales Mid Wales ( cy, Canolbarth Cymru or simply ''Y Canolbarth'', meaning "the midlands") or Central Wales refers to a region of Wales, encompassing its midlands, in-between North Wales and South Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the Senedd ...

. It was also built to keep the peace among the local

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 Ire ...

tribe, the

Silures The Silures ( , ) were a powerful and warlike tribe or tribal confederation of ancient Britain, occupying what is now south east Wales and perhaps some adjoining areas. They were bordered to the north by the Ordovices; to the east by the Dobunn ...

. 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 A telephone exchange, telephone switch, or central office is a telecommunications system used in the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or in large enterprises. It interconnects telephone subscriber lines or virtual circuits of digital syst ...

building in the late 1960s.

11th century

St Mary's Priory Church, Abergavenny - geograph

Abergavenny grew as a town in early

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

times under the protection of the Baron Bergavenny (or Abergavenny). The first Baron was Hamelin de Balun, from

Ballon Ballon may refer to: Places * Ballon, County Carlow (''Balana'' in Irish), a village in Ireland *Grand Ballon, the apex of the Vosges Mountains in France *Ballon, Charente-Maritime, France *Ballon, Sarthe, France Others * Ballon (ballet), the ap ...

, a small town with a castle in Maine-Anjou near

Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. 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 Man ...

. Today it is 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 tithe of the profits of the castle and town. The church contains some unique alabaster effigies,

church monument Funerary art is any work of art forming, or placed in, a repository for the remains of the dead. The term encompasses a wide variety of forms, including cenotaphs ("empty tombs"), tomb-like monuments which do not contain human remains, and comm ...

s and unique medieval wood carving, such as the Tree of Jesse.

12th and 13th centuries

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 site of a massacre of

Seisyll ap Dyfnwal Seisyll ap Dyfnwal was a 12th-century Welsh people, Welsh Lord of Gwent Uwchcoed (Upper Gwent). Family and estates Seisyll was the son of Dyfnwal ap Caradog ap Ynyr Fychan and his wife, said to have been Joyce daughter of Hamelin de Balun. He wa ...

and his associates by William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber. Reference to a market at Abergavenny is found in a charter granted to the Prior by William de Braose.

15th to 17th centuries

Abergavenny and Holy Mountain, Wales, 1890-1900

Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wa ...

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 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 ...

, illegitimate son of

. 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 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. In this case, a school which ...

, the site itself passing to the Gunter family. During the Civil War, prior to the siege of

Raglan Castle Raglan Castle ( cy, Castell Rhaglan) 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 succ ...

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 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. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...

of incorporation under the title of

bailiff A bailiff (from Middle English baillif, Old French ''baillis'', ''bail'' "custody") is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. Bailiffs are of various kinds and their offi ...

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 An oath of allegiance is an oath whereby a subject or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance and swears loyalty to a monarch or a country. In modern republics, oaths are sworn to the country in general, or to the country's constitution. For ...

William III William III or William the Third may refer to: Kings * William III of Sicily (c. 1186–c. 1198) * William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702) * William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg ...

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 In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...

, 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. The right to hold two weekly markets and three yearly

fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Types Variations of fairs incl ...

s, beginning in the 13th century, was held ever since as 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.

19th and 20th centuries

Abergavenny boys national school (3374847)

Abergavenny railway station, situated south-east of the town centre, opened on 2 January 1854 as part of the

Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway The Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway was a railway company formed to connect the places in its name. When it sought Parliamentary authorisation, it was denied the southern section, and obliged to use the Monmouthshire Railway between Po ...

. The London North Western Railway sponsored the construction of the railway linking Newport station to Hereford station. The line was taken over by the West Midland Railway in 1860 before becoming part of the

Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...

in 1863. A railway line also ran up the valley towards

Brynmawr Brynmawr (; , ,) is a market town, community and electoral ward in Blaenau Gwent, Wales. The town, sometimes cited as the highest town in Wales, is situated at above sea level at the head of the South Wales Valleys. It grew with the devel ...

and to

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...

; this was closed during the Beeching cuts in the 1960s and the line to

Clydach Gorge The Clydach Gorge (also known as Cwm Clydach) is a steep-sided valley in south-east Wales down which the River Clydach flows to the River Usk. It runs for from the vicinity of Brynmawr in Blaenau Gwent eastwards and northeastwards to Gilwern ...

is now a cycle track and footpath. The Baker Street drill hall was completed in 1896. Adolf Hitler's deputy,

Rudolf Hess Rudolf Walter Richard Hess (Heß in German; 26 April 1894 – 17 August 1987) was a German politician and a leading member of the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. Appointed Deputy Führer to Adolf Hitler in 1933, Hess held that position unt ...

, was kept under escort at Maindiff Court Hospital during the Second World War, after his flight to Britain. In 1964, the Royal Observer Corps opened a small monitoring bunker to be used in the event of a nuclear attack. It was closed in 1968 but reopened in 1973 due to the closure of a bunker near

. It closed in 1991 on the stand down of the ROC. It remains mostly intact.

Baron of Abergavenny

The title of

Baron Abergavenny The title Baron Bergavenny (or Abergavenny) was created several times in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain, all but the first being baronies created by error. Abergavenny is a market town in South East Wales with a ...

, in the Nevill family, dates from the 15th century with

Edward Nevill, 3rd Baron Bergavenny Edward Neville, ''de facto'' 3rd (''de jure'' 1st) Baron Bergavenny (died 18 October 1476) was an England, English nobleman. Family He was the 7th son7th son as implied by the Difference (heraldry), difference of a rose imposed upon his pater ...

. From him it has descended continuously, the title being increased to an earldom in 1784; and in 1876 William Nevill 5th Earl, an indefatigable and powerful supporter of the Tory Party, was created 1st

Marquess of Abergavenny Marquess of Abergavenny (pronounced Aber''genn''y) in the County of Monmouth, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom created on 14 January 1876, along with the title Earl of Lewes (pronounced "Lewis"), in the County of Sussex, for the ...

. Coldbrook Park was a country house in an estate some southeast of the town. The house was originally built in the 14th century and belonged to the Herbert family for many generations until purchased by John Hanbury for his son, the diplomat Sir Charles Hanbury Williams. Sir Charles reconstructed the house in 1746 with the addition of a nine-

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

two-storey

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

façade with a

Doric Doric may refer to: * Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece ** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians * Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture * Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode * Doric dialect (Scotland) * Doric ...

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

. It subsequently passed down in the Hanbury Williams family until it was demolished in 1954.

Events

Held during the first week of August every year, the

National Eisteddfod The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competitors ...

is a celebration of the culture and language in Wales. The festival travels from place to place, alternating between north and south Wales, attracting around 150,000 visitors and over 250 tradestands and stalls. In 2016 it was held in Abergavenny for the first time since 1913. The Chair and Crown for 2016 were presented to the festival's Executive Committee at a ceremony held in Monmouth on 14 June 2016. The

Abergavenny Food Festival The Abergavenny Food Festival is an annual food festival which takes place in the town of Abergavenny in Wales each September. It was listed as 1 of 50 Best Summer Festivals by ''The Independent'' newspaper. History The festival was founde ...

is held in the second week of September each year. The Steam, Veteran and Vintage Rally takes place in May every year. The event expands year on year with the 2016 rally including a rock choir, shire horses, motorcycling stunts, vintage cars and steam engines. The Country and Western Music Festival is attended by enthusiasts of country music. It marked its third year in 2016 and was attended by acts including Ben Thompson, LA Country and many more. The event was last held in 2017. The Abergavenny Writing Festival began in April 2016 and is a celebration of writing and the written word. The Abergavenny Arts Festival, first held in 2018, celebrates arts in their broadest sense and showcases amateur and professional artists from the vibrant local arts scene together with some from further afield.

Welsh language

In recent decades the number of Welsh speakers in the town has increased dramatically. The 2001 census recorded 10% of the local population spoke the language, a five-fold increase over ten years from the figure of 2% recorded in 1991. The town has one of the two Welsh-medium primary schools in Monmouthshire, Ysgol Gymraeg y Fenni, which was founded in the early 1990s. It is also home to the Abergavenny Welsh society,

Cymreigyddion y Fenni Cymdeithas Cymreigyddion y Fenni, which translates as the Abergavenny Welsh Society, is a Welsh language society in Abergavenny. Early in its history it was very influential in the survival of the language in Monmouthshire, and in Welsh intellect ...

, and the local

Abergavenny Eisteddfod Abergavenny (; cy, Y Fenni , archaically ''Abergafenni'' meaning "mouth of the River Gavenny") is a market town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a ''Gateway to Wales''; it is approximately from the border with ...

Sport

Abergavenny was the home of

Abergavenny Thursdays F.C. Abergavenny Thursdays Football Club was a Welsh football team based in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire. The club was founded in 1927 though several defunct clubs had existed in the town since the mid 19th century. It won the Welsh Football League ti ...

, formed in 1927 and merged with Govilon, the local village side in 2013. The new club, Abergavenny Town FC, plays at the Pen-y-pound Stadium, maintained and run by Thursday’s football trust, as members of the Ardal South East league (tier 3) for the 2021–22 season. Abergavenny Cricket Club play at Pen-y-Pound, Avenue Road and

Glamorgan CCC Glamorgan County Cricket Club ( cy, Criced Morgannwg) is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Glamorgan ( cy, Morgannwg). Founded in 1888, ...

also play some of their games here. Abergavenny Cricket Club was founded in 1834 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 Tennis Wales ( cy, Tennis Cymru) is the national Governing bodies of sports in Wales, governing body for tennis in Wales. It is part of the United Kingdom, British tennis governing body, the Lawn Tennis Association. It was founded as the Welsh La ...

' Club of the Year in 2010. Abergavenny is also the home of

Abergavenny RFC Abergavenny Rugby Football Club is a Rugby union in Wales, Welsh rugby union club team based in Abergavenny. Today, Abergavenny RFC plays in the Welsh Rugby Union WRU Division Two East, Division Two East league and is a feeder club for the Dragons ...

, a rugby union club founded in 1875 who play at Bailey Park. In the 2018–19 season, they play in the

Welsh Rugby Union The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU; cy, Undeb Rygbi Cymru) is the Sports governing body, governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, recognised by the sport's international governing body, World Rugby. The WRU is responsible for the running ...

Division Three East A league. Abergavenny Hockey Club, formed in 1897, currently play at the Abergavenny Leisure Centre on Old Hereford Road. Abergavenny hosted the British National Cycling Championships in 2007, 2009 and 2014, as part of the town's Festival of Cycling.

Cattle market

A cattle market was held in Abergavenny from 1863 to December 2013. 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. At the time of its closure the market was leased and operated by Abergavenny Market Auctioneers Ltd, who held regular livestock auctions on the site. Market days were held on Tuesdays for the auction sale of finished sheep, cull ewe/store and fodder (hay and straw), and some Fridays for the auction sale of cattle. Following the closure of

Newport Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay Europe Ireland *Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...

's cattle market in 2009 for redevelopment, Newport’s sales were held at Abergavenny every Wednesday. In 2011, doubts about the future of Abergavenny Cattle Market were raised following the granting of planning permission by

Monmouthshire County Council Monmouthshire County Council (or simply Monmouthshire Council) ( cy, Cyngor Sir Fynwy) is the governing body for the Monmouthshire principal area – one of the unitary authorities of Wales. The current unitary authority was created in 1996 an ...

for its demolition and replacement with a supermarket, car park, and library. In January 2012, the Welsh Government announced the repeal the Abergavenny Improvement Acts of 1854 to 1871 which obliged the holding of a livestock market within the boundaries of Abergavenny town; that repeal being effective from 26 March 2012.

, which requested that the Abergavenny Improvement Acts be repealed, supported plans for a new cattle market to be established about from Abergavenny in countryside at Bryngwyn, some from

Raglan Raglan may refer to: People *FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855), British Army officer, commander of British troops during the Crimean War *Raglan (surname) *Raglan Squire (1912–2004), British architect Places Australia *Count ...

. There was extensive local opposition to this site, which is situated on a notoriously dangerous B road. The new Monmouthshire Livestock Centre, a 27-acre site at Bryngwyn, opened in November 2013.

Culture

Cultural history

* Abergavenny hosted the

in 1838, 1913 and most recently in 2016. * In 1996 a film, '' Intimate Relations'' starring Julie Walters, Rupert Graves, Les Dennis and Amanda Holden, was filmed at many locations in and around Abergavenny. * The town's local radio stations are currently

Sunshine Radio Sunshine Radio may refer to: * Sunshine Radio (Ludlow), a radio station covering South Shropshire, North Herefordshire and North Worcestershire * Sunshine Radio (Herefordshire and Monmouthshire), a radio station based in Hereford * Sunshine 1530 ...

107.8 FM and NH Sound 1287 AM. * Abergavenny is twinned with Östringen in Germany, Beaupréau in France and Sarno in Italy. * 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 joint National Welsh League Champions in 2011. The band also operate a Junior Band training local young musicians. * During September, the town holds the

. * Abergavenny was named one of the best places to live in Wales in 2017. * The Borough Theatre in the town centre hosts live events covering drama, opera, ballet, music, children's events, dance, comedy, storytelling, tribute bands and talks. *The town held its first Abergavenny Arts Festival in 2018. *The Melville Centre is close to the town centre and includes the Melville Theatre that hosts a range of live events.

In popular culture

* Lord Abergavenny is a character in William Shakespeare's play ''

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

''. * In 1968 "Abergavenny" was the title of a UK single by Marty Wilde. In 1969, it was also released in the US, under a Marty Wilde pseudonym ''Shannon'', where it was also a minor hit. *

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

refers, in The Adventure of the Priory School, to a case he's working on in Abergavenny. *In the book '' Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'', Abergavenny is mentioned by Stan Shunpike, the conductor of the Knight Bus when the bus takes a detour there to drop off a passenger. * In the classic 70s period drama ''

Upstairs, Downstairs Upstairs Downstairs may refer to: Television *Upstairs, Downstairs (1971 TV series), ''Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1971 TV series), a British TV series broadcast on ITV from 1971 to 1975 *Upstairs Downstairs (2010 TV series), ''Upstairs Downstairs'' ...

'', a major character in the second season, which is set circa 1909–10, is Thomas Watkins, the devious Bellamy family

chauffeur A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine. Originally, such drivers were often personal employees of the vehicle owner, but this has changed to speciali ...

. Watkins came from Abergavenny. In the 1979 spinoff of ''Upstairs, Downstairs'' titled ''

Thomas & Sarah ''Thomas & Sarah'' is a British drama series that aired on ITV in 1979. A spin-off from the BAFTA Award-winning series '' Upstairs, Downstairs'', it stars John Alderton and Pauline Collins reprising their ''Upstairs, Downstairs'' roles. Back ...

'', Watkins and

Sarah Moffat Sarah Moffat (born Clémence Moffat; July 1882 –Unknown), also known as Sarah Delice and Clémence Dumas, is a fictional character in the ITV drama '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' and its spin-off '' Thomas & Sarah''. She was portrayed by Pau ...

, another major character, marry and return briefly to Abergavenny. * In ''Exit Wounds'', the season two finale of Torchwood, when the weevils all retreat, Rhys asks PC Andy where they've all gone. Andy replies, "Abergavenny?"

Transport

Railway

Abergavenny railway station lies on the Welsh Marches Line from

Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a population ...

. The weekday daytime service pattern typically sees one train per hour in each direction between

Manchester Piccadilly Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. Opened as Store Street in 1842, it was renamed Manchester London Road in 1847 and became Manchester Piccadilly in 1960. Located to the south-east of Manchester city ...

and Cardiff Central, with most trains continuing beyond Cardiff to

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

and west Wales. There is also a two-hourly service between Cardiff and the

North Wales Coast Line The North Wales Coast Line ( cy, Llinell Arfordir Gogledd Cymru), also known as the North Wales Main Line ( cy, Prif Linell Gogledd Cymru or cy, label=none, Prif Linell y Gogledd), is a major railway line in the north of Wales and Cheshire, ...

to , via . These services are all operated by Transport for Wales.

Roads

The town is located where the A40 trunk road and the A465 ''Heads of the Valleys'' road meet.

Buildings of note

Grade II listed Church of the Holy Trinity, Abergavenny - geograph

Abergavenny Castle is located strategically just south of the town centre overlooking the

. It was built in about 1067 by the Norman baron Hamelin de Ballon to guard against incursions by the Welsh from the hills to the north and west. All that remains is defensive ditches and the ruins of the stone keep, towers, and part of the curtain wall. It is a Grade I listed building. Abergavenny Butter Market - geograph

Various markets are held in the Market Hall, for example: Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays – retail market; Wednesdays – flea market; fourth Thursday of each month – farmers' market; third Sunday of each month – antique fair; second Saturday of each month – craft fair. The Church in Wales church of the Holy Trinity is in the Diocese of Monmouth. Holy Trinity Church was consecrated by the Bishop of Llandaff on 6 November 1840. It was originally built as a chapel to serve the adjacent almshouses and the nearby school. It has been Grade II listed since January 1974. Other listed buildings in the town include the parish Priory Church of St Mary, a medieval and Victorian building that was originally the church of the Benedictine priory founded in Abergavenny before 1100; the sixteenth century Tithe Barn near St Mary's; the Victorian Church of the Holy Trinity; the Grade II* listed St John's Masonic Lodge;

Abergavenny Museum Abergavenny 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 Ma ...

; the Public Library; the

Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

; and the remains of

Abergavenny town walls Abergavenny's town walls are a sequence of defensive walls 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 relat ...

behind Neville Street. From 1851, the Monmouthshire lunatic asylum, later

Pen-y-Fal Hospital Pen-y-Fal Hospital ( cy, Ysbyty Pen-y-Fal) was a psychiatric hospital in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire. The main building is Grade II listed. History The hospital was designed by Thomas Fulljames using a corridor plan layout. It was built in the ...

, a psychiatric hospital, 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. After closure in the 1990s, its buildings and grounds were redeveloped as a luxury housing development comprising houses as well as apartments. Some psychiatric services are now administered from Maindiff Court Hospital on the outskirts of the town, close to the foot of the

Skirrid Ysgyryd Fawr ( en, Skirrid) is an easterly outlier of the Black Mountains in Wales, and forms the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The hill is often referred to locally as just The Skirrid. The smaller hill of Ysgyryd Fa ...

mountain. The hospital is housed in historic buildings, and is known for

who was incarcerated here during WW2. Abergavenny panorama

Twinning

* Östringen, Germany * Beaupréau, France * Sarno, Italy

Military

One of the eleven Victoria Cross medals won at

Rorke's Drift The Battle of Rorke's Drift (1879), also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was an engagement in the Anglo-Zulu War. The successful British defence of the mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenants John Chard of the ...

was awarded to John Fielding from Abergavenny. He had enlisted under the false name of Williams. One was also awarded for the same action to Robert Jones, born at Clytha between Abergavenny and

. Another Abergavenny-born soldier, Thomas Monaghan received his VC for defending his colonel during the

Indian Rebellion The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...

. In 1908 following the formation of the Territorial Force the Abergavenny Cadet Corps was formed and affiliated with the 3rd Battalion,

The Monmouthshire Regiment The Monmouthshire Regiment was a Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Territorial infantry regiment of the British Army. Originating in units of Volunteer Force (Great Britain), rifle volunteers formed in Monmouthshire (historic), Monmouthshire in 1859, ...

. In 1912 the regiment was affiliated with the new formed 1st Cadet Battalion,

Notable people

''See also :People from Abergavenny'' * Augustine Baker (1575–1641), well-known Benedictine mystic and an ascetic writer. He was one of the earliest members of the English Benedictine Congregation which was newly restored to England after the Reformation. * John Williams VC (1857-1932) soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross for actions at Rorke’s Drift. *

Scott Ellaway Scott Tereance Ellaway (born 8 August 1981) is a Welsh conductor and advocate for broadening access to classical music. In an article published by ''BBC Music Magazine'' in 2009, Ellaway became known for his entrepreneurial spirit as the founder ...

(born 1981), conductor, was born and brought up locally. *

Becky James Rebecca Angharad James (born 29 November 1991) is a Welsh former professional racing cyclist specialising in track cycling. James was the 2013 world sprint and keirin champion. She is a 2016 Rio Olympics double silver medalist. James rode for ...

(born 1991), racing cyclist, double gold medallist at the

2013 UCI Track Cycling World Championships The 2013 UCI Track Cycling World Championships took place in Minsk, Belarus from 20 to 24 February 2013 in the Minsk-Arena. The Championships featured 19 events, the same as 2012. Great Britain, with five gold medals (four in Olympic events), an ...

and double silver medallist at the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...

, was born and grew up in Abergavenny. * Matthew Jay (1978–2003), singer-songwriter, spent much of his life in the town. * Peter Law (1948–2006), politician and Independent MP, notable for defeating the Labour candidate in the safest Welsh seat during the 2005 general election was born in Abergavenny. * Saint David Lewis (1616–1679), Catholic priest and martyr, was born in Abergavenny and prayed in the local

Gunter Mansion Gunter Mansion, 37–39 Cross Street, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire is a house of the early 17th century. It was built around 1600 and mentioned in 1678 in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom as a place of public Catholic worship. It was th ...

. *

Malcolm Nash Malcolm, Malcom, Máel Coluim, or Maol Choluim may refer to: People * Malcolm (given name), includes a list of people and fictional characters * Clan Malcolm * Maol Choluim de Innerpeffray, 14th-century bishop-elect of Dunkeld Nobility * Máel ...

(1945–2019), cricketer, famous for bowling to Gary Sobers who hit six sixes in one Nash over, was born in Abergavenny. * Mary Penry (1735–1804), Moravian sister in 18th-century Pennsylvania was born in Abergavenny. *

Owen Sheers Owen Sheers (born 20 September 1974) is a Welsh poet, author, playwright and television presenter. He was the first writer in residence to be appointed by any national rugby union team. Early life Owen Sheers was born in Suva, Fiji in 1974, and b ...

(born 1974), poet, grew up in Abergavenny. *

Oliver Thornton Oliver Rhoe Thornton (born 10 September 1979) is a stage actor and singer who is best known for his contributions to musical theatre in London's West End theatre, West End. Life and career Early life Thornton was born on 10 September 1979 ...

(born 1979), West End actor, starred of ''

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert ''The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'' is a 1994 Australian road comedy film written and directed by Stephan Elliott. The plot follows two drag queens, played by Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, and a transgender woman, played by Tere ...

'', was born and grew up in Abergavenny. * Vulcana (Miriam Kate Williams, 1874–1946), world-famous strongwoman, was born in Abergavenny. * Ethel Lina White (1876–1944), crime writer best known for her novel '' The Wheel Spins'' (1936), on which the Alfred Hitchcock film '' The Lady Vanishes'' (1938) was based. *

Jules Williams Julian Lloyd "Jules" Williams (born 23 July 1968) is a British writer, director, and producer. He has collaborated with best selling authors, he wrote both the '' Living The Life'' accompanying book and ''The Weigh Forward'', and is the Directo ...

(born 1968), writer, director, and producer of ''The Weigh Forward''. *

Raymond Williams Raymond Henry Williams (31 August 1921 – 26 January 1988) was a Welsh socialist writer, academic, novelist and critic influential within the New Left and in wider culture. His writings on politics, culture, the media and literature contribu ...

, (1921–1988) academic, critic and writer was born and brought up locally. * Dave Richards, (1993) professional footballer for Crewe Alexandra was born and raised in the town. * Marina Diamandis (1985) Professional singer and songwriter

References

Sources

* Jürgen Klötgen, ''Prieuré d'Abergavenny – Tribulations mancelles en Pays de Galles au temps du Pape Jean XXII (d'après des documents français et anglais du XIV° siècle collationnés avec une source d'histoire retrouvée aux Archives Secrètes du Vatican)'', in ''Revue Historique et Archéologique du Maine'', Le Mans, 1989, p. 65–88 (1319 : cf John of Hastings, Lord of Abergavenny; Adam de Orleton,

Bishop of Hereford The Bishop of Hereford is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Hereford in the Province of Canterbury. The episcopal see is centred in the Hereford, City of Hereford where the bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is in the Hereford Cathedr ...

, John of Monmouth, Bishop of Llandaff).

External links

Abergavenny Borough Band

Abergavenny Museum
* BBC, South East Wales �
Feature on Abergavenny
* Geograph British Isles �
Photos of Abergavenny and surrounding areas

Abergavenny Roman Fort
{{Authority control Towns in Monmouthshire Towns of the Welsh Marches Market towns in Wales River Usk Black Mountains, Wales Communities in Monmouthshire