Abergavenny

Abergavenny (Welsh, Y Fenni), town, Monmouthshire, south Wales. North of Newport, Abergavenny is a market town on the confluence of the rivers Usk and Gavenny, set between the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons. The town is a commuter base, service centre, and holiday resort, known locally as the “Gateway to Wales”. Local industries include printing, bookbinding and light engineering.

Unlike the region’s numerous iron and coal towns, Abergavenny has grown as a result of the weaving trade, which developed in the 16th century. It is also the centre of a prosperous farming area, which has hosted important horse and cattle fairs since the 18th century. The town’s cattle market is one of the largest in south Wales.

Abergavenny, called Gobannium by the Romans, is the site of a Roman fort, and a Norman castle, built in 1090. The castle was the scene of a massacre in 1175 when the Norman William de Braose gained revenge against the Welsh who murdered his uncle by inviting them to a Christmas dinner and having them slaughtered. The castle was destroyed in 1645 on the orders of Charles I to prevent its use by Oliver Cromwell’s forces. During World War II, Hitler’s deputy, Rudolph Hess, was imprisoned in the town’s mental asylum after his plane crash-landed in Scotland in 1941. Population 14,092 (1991).