Skenfrith ( cy, Ynysgynwraidd) is a small village 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 ...

, south-east Wales. It is located on the River Monnow, close to the border between Wales and England, about north-west of

Monmouth Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. I ...

. The road through the village (B4521) was once the A40, linking Ross-on-Wye and

Abergavenny 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 wi ...

History and amenities

The

Welsh placename The place-names 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. Toponymy in Wales reveals significant features of ...

''Ynysgynwraidd'', from which the English name derives, means "island of Cynfraeth", possibly a local 6th century leader. Skenfrith Castle is one of the Three (or 'trilateral') Castles – with Grosmont Castle and White Castle – built in the area after the Norman conquest by Marcher Lords to subjugate and dominate this part of the turbulent

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 ...

into the medieval period. The castle was substantially rebuilt by Hubert de Burgh between 1219 and 1223, but by 1538 it was abandoned and in ruins. Skenfrith church

St. Bridget's Church, Skenfrith was first mentioned in 1207, and was reconstructed and enlarged in the 14th century. The church has a squat tower and large buttress. The whole is listed Grade1. The interior has a Jacobean pew and the tomb of the last governor of the Three Castles. It also holds the Skenfrith Cope, an embroidered vestment of red velvet and

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...

which has been dated to the late 15th century. Its design shows the

Assumption Assumption, in Christianity, refers to the Assumption of Mary, a belief in the taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven. Assumption may also refer to: Places * Assumption, Alberta, Canada * Assumption, Illinois, United States ** Assumption Town ...

of the Virgin, surrounded by angels and

saints In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual res ...

. The village gave its name to

one 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

of the historic hundreds of Monmouthshire. The Bell at Skenfrith, originally a 17th-century

coaching inn The coaching inn (also coaching house or staging inn) was a vital part of Europe's inland transport infrastructure until the development of the railway, providing a resting point ( layover) for people and horses. The inn served the needs of tra ...

, was voted

Michelin Michelin (; ; full name: ) is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes ''région'' of France. It is the second largest tyre manufacturer in the world behind Bridgestone and la ...

2007 Pub of the Year, for the whole of Great Britain. Skenfrith was used as the location for the fictional village of "Upper Leadworth" in the

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

episodes " Amy's Choice", broadcast on 22 May 2010 and the related Doctor Who Confidential episode "Arthurian Legend". In the episode quoted Skenfrith was labelled as the village which time forgot. In 2022 Skenfrith became a community.

Friends of St. Bridget's

There is an active secular charity, the Friends of St. Bridget's, Skenfrith, which supports the repair and maintenance of the church and has raised funds, in particular for the recent conservation project and new display and conservation of the pre-reformation cope. Patrons include the

Lord Lieutenant of Gwent The office of Lord Lieutenant of Gwent was created on 1 April 1974 as the Monarch's representative covering the newly formed administrative county of Gwent. By virtue of S.I 1973/1754, the existing Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire became the firs ...

Simon Boyle,

Sara Fulgoni Sara Fulgoni is a British mezzo-soprano. She graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music where she studied under Barbara Robotham. Kennedy, Michael (October 2013)"Obituary: Barbara Robotham" ''Opera''. Retrieved 16 March 2015. She made h ...

and

Sir Roy Strong Sir Roy Colin Strong, (born 23 August 1935) is an English art historian, museum curator, writer, broadcaster and landscape designer. He has served as director of both the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. ...

References

External links

The Skenfrith church and village website

{{authority control Villages in Monmouthshire Communities in Monmouthshire