Trails and Tales for Families P Swan Meadows
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River Gavenny St Mary’s Priory Church Trails and Tales for families P Swan Meadows Cibi Brook M P 1 o n Standing Stones M k a S r k t e r Start from the Tourist Information t e P S e t t Centre from the main door on the side. r START A Tithe Barn Cibi Brook e e 4 underground t Cross over the entrance road to the car 0 Market 40 park & bus station. A ad Ro Walk down the Cross th treet Street u pavement by the ross S t nmo C e Mo e High Street r busy A40 into the t S M Park on the left. e l i l Angel Hotel t l s S a t Take the left hand t 2 r C e e 3 e Tan House path to the standing e r r t Flannel St e N t S 1 e 4 w o stones. s v ’ i L ll n S h The standing stones mark t r Jo e t where the ring of stones from the last National e S t Post Office 7 Castle et Eisteddfod in Abergavenny now stand. Stre Mill Wheel 5 stle The inserts on the stones show scenes from the life of Ca Lady Llanover, who promoted the Welsh way of life. Museum She employed harpists and all her servants had to wear King’s Arms P traditional Welsh costume. Can you find the Bee? t 6 Old Court ➜ ➜ e She helped to bring the Eisteddfod to Abergavenny and e To Castle Meadows and River Usk tr House S r was known as the Gwent Bee. o d u The River Gavenny gives Abergavenny its name. T After looking at the stones, cross to the Turn right as soon as you reach the end Abergavenny received grants for building town walls from other path and turning right, return to of the narrow street, and go right again the entrance, alongside the River 1241-6 and 1259-64.The grants reinforced the ditch and down St John's Street.A small lane goes Gavenny. Retrace your steps to the bank enclosure and later the town was walled in stone off on the left. On the corner is St John's Tourist Information Centre, walk along with the help of more grants. the front to the right and up into the Church. 3 Turn left to go along Castle Street. upper car park. Once the Parish Church at one end of Look carefully amongst the bushes for the medieval market place, now a Walk on through the next plaque. 7 Masonic Temple. on the left side to This was the site of the Roman Fort. the Priory Centre Henry VIII founded the grammar school here by giving and St Mary's the old parish church of St. John’s to house the school The excavations here showed that two barrack blocks Priory Church and some of the taxes (tithes) from the closed down faced each other across a street.The barracks had glass (right) and Tithe priory to fund it. windows.A big granary for wheat storage was also found. Barn (left). Remains of metal working and pieces of harness suggest Go along St John's Street to rejoin the this was a smaller auxiliary fort with cavalry. When the Tithe Barn was High Street. Walk further along Castle Street and restored, fire damage was On the corner is the Millennium Mural. into the Castle grounds. found. The town was burnt by Owain Glyndwr ˆ in 1404. Can you see the castle? And the railway? The monks at the Priory stored the tithes (one tenth of The Museum is free to enter and sits on Turn left, go along the High Street to a man's produce) here. top of the Motte the corner with Nevill Street and turn on which the The Priory Church became the Parish Church after left. Henry VIII took over Church properties – known as the original wooden castle was built. Dissolution of the Monasteries. Go along Nevill Abergavenny Castle is Walk past the end of the Tithe Barn to Street looking at the most famous for the Monk Street, turn right to cross at the very old houses here. pedestrian lights. Go left back along Christmas Day Massacre Can you see the Town in 1175, when the Monk Street and turn right up Cross Wall at the back of Street. Norman Lord of any of them? Find the Abergavenny,William de Braose, tricked and murdered Look at the buildings as you pass. Some of them are very plaque of The Wig Maker on the left. 4 Seisyll ap Dyfnwal and many other Welsh chieftains.The old. Can you work out where the Cibi Brook passes Wigs were popular from the 1500’s onwards because you Welsh got their revenge a few years later when they under Monk Street? could shave off your hair to keep free of nits! In attacked the castle and captured most of William’s men, Opposite you is the Angel Inn, an old coaching inn where Abergavenny, wigs were made from goats hair bleached but de Braose himself was not at home. passengers from London to the with a special recipe invented here. It’s thought to have been in the Great Hall which was West of Wales stopped When they excavated here, the wig curlers were found! probably a timber building on that site. On Christmas overnight. At the end of the street, cross to the Day, the Norman Lord of Abergavenny,William de Go up Cross Street to Post Office. Braose, murdered Seisyll ap Dyfnwal and many other the top. Welsh chieftains. The Market Hall is on Find The Market plaque on the wall half the right. way along. 5 The Welsh got their revenge in 1182 when the castle was attacked. Most of William's men were captured, but de Around 1600 there were markets on Cross the road into Braose was not at home. the pedestrianised Tuesdays and Fridays, with three fairs a area and take the first year at Abergavenny.There are still Returning from the Castle. turning left. markets and fairs nowadays. From the gate, you can walk around to Can you see the copper top of Markets were set up by the Lord of Abergavenny to make the left, outside the walls, down steps to the Market Hall tower? money.The tiles show some of the market trades which Mill Street, where an old mill wheel can It is a landmark for miles around. would have been here at that time. What are they doing be seen and the Cibi Brook rushing under the road. Perhaps, visit the Market Hall and look at the decorations to the pig? Is it a hare or a rabbit in the corner? Go past Tan House, the house of the hanging from the roof, left over from the annual Food Cross over the square to the King's Master Tanner when this was smelly Festival. Arms, a very old pub. tanning pits.Turn right to reach the Then cross the road to the Old Court Walk along this street, now called pedestrian crossing and return up the Flannel Street. Look for the plaque on House and find the plaque 6 at the road to the Tourist Information Centre. the left. 2 West Gate. The West gate is between Tudor Street Abergavenny Flannel was fine and soft. It was made here Alternatively, if you want to revisit the going out of the town and Castle Street – the remains of a loom were found in the roof of the town or the Tithe Barn,retrace your leading to the castle. building behind during alterations. Flannel was also steps into Castle Street.At the first brought into the town from the countryside to be sold at Jasper Tudor was Lord of Abergavenny 1486-95. junction turn right and down the fairs and markets. He was the great-uncle of Henry VIII. narrow pavement to the corner by the This street used to be called Butcher's Row (where all Produce & goods passing through were taxed and the Angel Hotel. the meat stalls were, and the animals killed). It led into walls marked out the trading area, as well as being for Turn left at the bottom for the town. Chicken Street at the top. defence. Cattle, sheep and other animals would be kept in Or turn right, cross over the pedestrian Why do you think the street was called Chicken Street? Castle Meadows or in the Grofields (which were fields crossing, back up Cross Street and Look up on the right. then) and brought through the gate to market, or for turn right into Monk Street for the safety if the Welsh were attacking. Tithe Barn. THE Heritage PLAQUES Plaque 5 St John's Square: Site of Abergavenny's medieval market place. Plaque 3 Plaque 6 The former St John's Church; Site of the Tudor Street:Abergavenny was a walled first King Henry V111 Grammar School town with four main gates.This is what which was established in 1542. the medieval West Gate looked like. It was supported for many years by tithes gained from the dissolved St Mary's priory and other properties. In 1898, a new Plaque 1 grammar school was built in Pen y Pound, Images on the standing stones show and St John's became a Freemasons' scenes from the life of Lady Llanover Lodge.This school was replaced by the promoting the Welsh way of life.