Monmouthshire ( ; ) is a county in the south east of Wales. It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east; the Severn Estuary to the south, and Torfaen, Newport and Blaenau Gwent to the west. The largest town is Abergavenny, and the administrative centre is Usk.
The county is rural, although adjacent to the city of Newport and the urbanised South Wales Valleys; it has an area of and a population of 93,000. After Abergavenny (12,515), the largest towns are Chepstow (12,350), Monmouth (10,508), and Caldicot (9,813). The county has one of the lowest percentages of Welsh speakers in Wales, at 8.2% of the population in 2021.
The lowlands in the centre of Monmouthshire are gently undulating, and shaped by the River Usk and its tributaries. The west of the county is hilly, and the Black Mountains in the northwest are part of the Brecon Beacons National Park (Bannau Brycheiniog). The border with England in the east largely follows the course of the River Wye and its tributary, the River Monnow. In the southwest is the Wye Valley AONB, a hilly region which stretches into England. The county has a shoreline on the Severn Estuary, which is crossed at this point by the Severn Bridge and Second Severn Crossing.
The name derives from the historic county of the same name, of which the contemporary county covers the eastern three-fifths.
Historic county
The historic county of Monmouthshire was formed from the Welsh Marches by the Laws in Wales Act 1535 bordering Gloucestershire to the east, Herefordshire to the northeast, Brecknockshire to the north, and Glamorgan to the west. The Laws in Wales Act 1542 enumerated the counties of Wales and omitted Monmouthshire, implying that the county was no longer to be treated as part of Wales. However, for all purposes Wales had become part of the Kingdom of England, and the difference had little practical effect.
For several centuries, acts of the Parliament of England (in which Wales was represented) often referred to "Wales and Monmouthshire", such as the controversial Welsh Church Act 1914. However, the Local Government Act 1972, which came into effect in April 1974, confirmed the county as part of Wales, with the administrative county of Monmouthshire and its associated lieutenancy being abolished. Most of its area was transferred to a new local government and ceremonial county called Gwent, with the same eastern and southern boundaries as the historic county, the River Wye and the Severn Estuary. The western two-fifths are now administered by other principal areas: Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Caerphilly, and Newport.
Principal area
The current unitary authority of Monmouthshire was created on 1 April 1996 as a successor to the district of Monmouth along with the Llanelly community from Blaenau Gwent, both of which were districts of Gwent. The use of the name "Monmouthshire" rather than "Monmouth" for the area was controversial, being supported by the member of parliament (MP) for Monmouth, Roger Evans, but being opposed by Paul Murphy, MP for Torfaen (inside the historic county of Monmouthshire but being reconstituted as a separate unitary authority). By area it covers some 60% of the historic county, but only 20% of the population. A new council headquarters building at the site of Coleg Gwent, Usk was proposed and developed. The new county hall in Usk was opened in 2013.
Under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, Monmouthshire is styled as a county.
In comparison to the pre-1974 areas, it covers: the former boroughs of Abergavenny and Monmouth the former urban districts of Chepstow and Usk the former rural districts of Abergavenny, Chepstow and Monmouth the former rural district of Pontypool, except the community of Llanfrechfa Lower the parish of Llanelly from the former Crickhowell Rural District in Brecknockshire
Places of interest
Chepstow Castle
Raglan Castle
Monmouth
Trellech
Abergavenny Castle
Wye Valley
Black Mountains
Brecon Beacons National Park
White Castle
Skenfrith Castle
Grosmont Castle
Three Castles Walk
Offa's Dyke
Llanthony Priory
Tintern Abbey
Usk
Usk Valley Walk
Abergavenny
Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal
Marches Way
Monnow Valley Walk
Caldicot Castle
The Kymin
The Sugar Loaf
Scenic Railway Line: