Croeso i Drefynwy – Welcome to Monmouth – a small town on the border between Wales and England. Monmouth was a Norman town. The castle is here since 1068. This Just Starting script is an exact translation of the Mynediad/Entry Level version, so when ready, please move up to see how much you can understand.
Monmouth before 1800 was important to the economy because everything travelled on Afon Gwy (the Wye). There was no good road. With more and more money coming to the town businessmen wanted a nice place to live. Here are the Georgian houses.
This is a fortified bridge from the time of the Normans. Traffic was going over the bridge until 2004.
This is the street of William Jones – a rich man who sold clothes. He wanted to help the poor people of Monmouth. The cost of the schools (Haberdasher Schools) and almshouses was 6,000 pounds.
Here, on the Parade there was a large prison like a village. William Blackburn was the architect in 1788. Only the gatehouse remains of the prison now.
Cornwall House is on Monnow Street – the High Street. It was the house of the Duke of Beaufort’s Agent. The house looks over the river.
Yr Hendre was the home of Charles Stewart Rolls – a businessman. He was the partner of Henry Royce in the company Rolls-Royce. This is a Victorian house and there are many interesting features. In the hall there is a water organ.
