History Grosmont, Monmouthshire

1 history

1.1 grosmont castle
1.2 owain glyndwr
1.3 21st century

history

church of st nicholas

there circumstantial indications (pickford, 2003) grosmont may have originated iron age camp. grosmont castle major feature of village , birthplace of henry, 1st duke of lancaster. grosmont once important medieval township. granted borough charter, possibly in 1219, , 1250 there may have been many 160 burgage plots. retained corporation status until 1857, @ time still had mayor , official ale taster. town hall replaced former timber structure , built in 1832 landowner 6th duke of beaufort, descendant offered grosmont parish council in may 1902. market used held twice week.

the church of st nicholas has ancient origins tower , other parts built prince edmund (son of henry iii of england , later edmund crouchback, 1st earl of lancaster) mother eleanor of provence (queen eleanor).the 14th century church dedicated st nicholas , restored j. p. seddon in 1869. has unusual eight-sided tower.

the anglican saint lydia sellon brought @ port-y-seal in grosmont in 1820s before went on found , lead religious order women.

grosmont castle

entrance grosmont castle ruins

grosmont castle, along nearby white castle , skenfrith castle, have given rise 3 castles walk links castles , along monnow valley walk brings visitors village. grosmont dominated nearby graig syfyrddin (or edmunds tump, possibly after edmund crouchback, 1st earl of lancaster).

owain glyndwr

grosmont linked welsh prince owain glyndŵr , during glyndwr rebellion site of battle in 1405. glyndwr s ally , trusted captain rhys gethin raised force of maybe 8,000 men marched on grosmont burning town ground. @ time grosmont large , important settlement - abergavenny , carmarthen larger in whole of south wales. prince henry, later become king henry v, dispatched force comprising men led john talbot, 1st earl of shrewsbury, sir william newport , sir john greynder hereford intercept welsh force. fell on them , defeated welsh, killing 800 1,000 men , capturing owen ap gruffydd ap rhisiant, glyndwr s secretary , john hanmer, glyndwr s brother in law, both survived battle imprisoned in tower of london.

grosmont never recovered attack however. prince henry informed father, king henry iv, in letter maybe 100 homes had been burned.

21st century

in summer of 2006 pub , village location film baker released in 2007. angel public house in grosmont owned , run group of villagers until december 2014 when taken on mr , mrs woolnough.