IV.

Places of Interest

The remains of one of the few Roman towns to be built in Wales can be seen at Caerwent, a short distance north of Caldicot. Some 13 km (8 mi) south of Monmouth, and overlooking the Wye Valley, are the impressive remains of Tintern Abbey, a monastery that was founded in the 12th century and rebuilt in the 13th century. In Monmouth itself is the ruined castle in which the English king Henry V was born in 1387; next to it stands the Great Castle House, the construction of which began in 1673. Some 10 km (6 mi) south-west of Monmouth are the ruins of Raglan Castle, a 15th-century moated fortress; the surrender of the castle in 1646 marked the end of Royalist resistance in Wales to the Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War. Abergavenny attracts many visitors to its ancient, narrow streets; it is also a base for visitors to the adjacent Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons. Offa's Dyke Path runs through the county from the north-west to Monmouth, and then southwards to Chepstow. Chepstow has a racecourse that is the venue of the Welsh Grand National. The Wye Valley has been designated by the Countryside Agency as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.