Raglan, Monmouthshire
Encyclopedia
Raglan is a village in Monmouthshire
, south east Wales
, United Kingdom. It is located some 9 miles south-west of Monmouth, midway between Monmouth
and Abergavenny
on the A40 road
very near to the junction with the A449 road
. The fame of the village derives from its large castle
, Raglan Castle
, built for William ap Thomas
, and now a magnificent 15th century ruin maintained by Cadw
.
1279-88.
The earliest market in Raglan was recorded in 1354. The market cross
in the town, which stands in the centre of the cross roads between the church and the Beaufort Arms Inn, consists now only of a massive base on which has been mounted a lamp post. In the large space around this stone the markets were held, the base of the cross doubtless forming the table on which bargains were struck.
The agricultural roots of Raglan are illustrated by a 1397 account between the ‘reevem’ or reeve
Ieuan Hire and Ieuan ap Grono and haywards
(hedge wardens) Iorwerth ap Gwillym and Hoe ap Gwillym Goch.
St. Cadoc
's is a substantial mediaeval church, extensively restored
in the 19th century by Thomas Henry Wyatt
. It houses some much-defaced tombs of the Lords of Raglan. The base of a fine pilgrim's cross can be seen in the churchyard. The first part of St Cadoc's church was built in Raglan during the 14th century.
The earliest records of the manor
of Raglan Court are found in 26 October – 28 July 1391 during the reign of Richard II
. At this time Raglan Castle was probably no more than a hill fort. After 1415 Raglan Castle was expanded from a small fort to the substantial castle that we see today.
It wasn’t until 1587 that Raglan was referred to as a town. For the court, 13 July 1587, the marginal heading reads and the caption becomes 'The Court of William Somerset, 3rd Earl of Worcester
of his said borough and the Court of the said Earl of his said manor with members'. From 1 June 1587 onwards most courts refer to the Borough of Ragland in the following manner: 'The Court of the said manor with the Court of the borough or the town of Ragland'.
By 1632, a Court House was established in Raglan. 'The jury to meet at the Court House at Ragland the 25th March next by ten of the clock under peyn of xls. apeece to have a view and inquire of lands in Landenny (Llandenny
) and Ragland late of Philip David Morris', (Dec. 1632).
The English Civil War
had disastrous consequences both for Raglan Castle as well as for Raglan village. Raglan Castle was besieged
for two months from 3 June to 19 August 1646 by a strong force of Parliamentarians. The Castle finally surrendered to Thomas Morgan
, when Sir Thomas Fairfax
arrived with 3,500 men and six deadly mortar
s. ‘The house almost starved … had like to have eaten one another’ was the report and the Parliamentarians called in the local people to help demolish
the Marquess's home.
The link between castle and village was severed. The castle ruins became neglected and were used as a quarry for those needing stone to repair their houses: dressed and moulded stones can be seen in farmhouses and cottages in the area.
Subsequent leet courts
refer to the liberty
of Raglan and in 1682 the hundred of Ragland is mentioned. Court Roll excerpts reflect the growing issues of the day: In 1680, ‘The bridge called Pontleecke upon the highway leading from Raglan towards Chepstow to be out of repair. Moses Morgan fined for not spending 14s of the parish money towards repairing the stocks
and whipping post
in the parish of Raglan’. In 1695 the repair of bridges are still under discussion, ‘The bridge called Pont y bonehouse in the town of Raglan, 1695. John Curre, gent., steward’.
Over the past 350 years, the castle continues to dominate the village serving as a draw to tourists by coach, train and automobile (although there is no longer a direct train service to the village, the local railway station having closed in 1955). Prior to Cadw
, the Duke of Beaufort
was the hereditary keeper of the castle while generations of Wardens lived either next to the castle or in the village of Raglan.
The village continued to be an important thoroughfare in the 18th and 19th centuries, which explains its three substantial coaching inn
s, the Beaufort Arms, the Ship and the Crown where the Mail coach
es would stop.
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
, south east Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, United Kingdom. It is located some 9 miles south-west of Monmouth, midway between Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
and Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
on the A40 road
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
very near to the junction with the A449 road
A449 road
The A449 is a major road in the United Kingdom. It runs north from junction 24 of the M4 motorway at Newport in South Wales to Stafford in Staffordshire....
. The fame of the village derives from its large castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle located just north of the village of Raglan in the county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales. The modern castle dates from between the 15th and early 17th-centuries, when the successive ruling families of the Herberts and the Somersets created a luxurious,...
, built for William ap Thomas
William ap Thomas
William ap Thomas was a member of the Welsh gentry family that came to be known as the Herbert family through his son William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke and is an ancestor of the current Earls of Pembroke....
, and now a magnificent 15th century ruin maintained by Cadw
Cadw
-Conservation and Protection:Many of Wales's great castles and other monuments, such as bishop's palaces, historic houses, and ruined abbeys, are now in Cadw's care. Cadw does not own them but is responsible for their upkeep and for making them accessible to the public...
.
History
The origins of the village are unknown but Raglan was first mentioned in the will of Walter de ClareDe Clare
The de Clare family of Norman lords were associated with the Welsh Marches, Suffolk, Surrey, Kent and Ireland. They were descended from Richard fitz Gilbert, who accompanied William the Conqueror into England during the Norman conquest of England.-Origins:The Clare family descends from Gilbert...
1279-88.
The earliest market in Raglan was recorded in 1354. The market cross
Market cross
A market cross is a structure used to mark a market square in market towns, originally from the distinctive tradition in Early Medieval Insular art of free-standing stone standing or high crosses, often elaborately carved, which goes back to the 7th century. Market crosses can be found in most...
in the town, which stands in the centre of the cross roads between the church and the Beaufort Arms Inn, consists now only of a massive base on which has been mounted a lamp post. In the large space around this stone the markets were held, the base of the cross doubtless forming the table on which bargains were struck.
The agricultural roots of Raglan are illustrated by a 1397 account between the ‘reevem’ or reeve
Reeve (England)
Originally in Anglo-Saxon England the reeve was a senior official with local responsibilities under the Crown e.g. as the chief magistrate of a town or district...
Ieuan Hire and Ieuan ap Grono and haywards
Hayward (profession)
Hayward, or "hedge warden", was an officer of an English parish dating from the Middle Ages in charge of fences and enclosures; also, a herdsman in charge of cattle and other animals grazing on common land....
(hedge wardens) Iorwerth ap Gwillym and Hoe ap Gwillym Goch.
Cadoc
Saint Cadoc , Abbot of Llancarfan, was one of the 6th century British Christian saints. His vita twice mentions King Arthur. The Abbey of Llancarfan, near Cowbridge in Glamorganshire, which he founded circa 518, became famous as a centre of learning...
's is a substantial mediaeval church, extensively restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in the 19th century by Thomas Henry Wyatt
Thomas Henry Wyatt
Thomas Henry Wyatt was an Irish British architect. He had a prolific and distinguished career, being elected President of the Royal Institute of British Architects 1870-73 and awarded their Royal Gold Medal for Architecture in 1873...
. It houses some much-defaced tombs of the Lords of Raglan. The base of a fine pilgrim's cross can be seen in the churchyard. The first part of St Cadoc's church was built in Raglan during the 14th century.
The earliest records of the manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Raglan Court are found in 26 October – 28 July 1391 during the reign of Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
. At this time Raglan Castle was probably no more than a hill fort. After 1415 Raglan Castle was expanded from a small fort to the substantial castle that we see today.
It wasn’t until 1587 that Raglan was referred to as a town. For the court, 13 July 1587, the marginal heading reads and the caption becomes 'The Court of William Somerset, 3rd Earl of Worcester
William Somerset, 3rd Earl of Worcester
William Somerset, 3rd Earl of Worcester, KG was born before 1526 to Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester and his second wife Elizabeth Browne....
of his said borough and the Court of the said Earl of his said manor with members'. From 1 June 1587 onwards most courts refer to the Borough of Ragland in the following manner: 'The Court of the said manor with the Court of the borough or the town of Ragland'.
By 1632, a Court House was established in Raglan. 'The jury to meet at the Court House at Ragland the 25th March next by ten of the clock under peyn of xls. apeece to have a view and inquire of lands in Landenny (Llandenny
Llandenny
Llandenny is a village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, United Kingdom. Llandenny is located three miles south of Raglan and three miles north of Usk.- History and amenities :...
) and Ragland late of Philip David Morris', (Dec. 1632).
The English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
had disastrous consequences both for Raglan Castle as well as for Raglan village. Raglan Castle was besieged
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
for two months from 3 June to 19 August 1646 by a strong force of Parliamentarians. The Castle finally surrendered to Thomas Morgan
Sir Thomas Morgan, 1st Baronet
Major-General Sir Thomas Morgan, 1st Baronet was a Welsh soldier during the English Civil War, and Commander-in-Chief in Scotland during the Restoration....
, when Sir Thomas Fairfax
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War...
arrived with 3,500 men and six deadly mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
s. ‘The house almost starved … had like to have eaten one another’ was the report and the Parliamentarians called in the local people to help demolish
Slighting
A slighting is the deliberate destruction, partial or complete, of a fortification without opposition. During the English Civil War this was to render it unusable as a fort.-Middle Ages:...
the Marquess's home.
The link between castle and village was severed. The castle ruins became neglected and were used as a quarry for those needing stone to repair their houses: dressed and moulded stones can be seen in farmhouses and cottages in the area.
Subsequent leet courts
Court leet
The court leet was a historical court baron of England and Wales and Ireland that exercised the "view of frankpledge" and its attendant police jurisdiction, which was normally restricted to the hundred courts.-History:...
refer to the liberty
Liberty (division)
Originating in the Middle Ages, a liberty was traditionally defined as an area in which regalian rights were revoked and where land was held by a mesne lord...
of Raglan and in 1682 the hundred of Ragland is mentioned. Court Roll excerpts reflect the growing issues of the day: In 1680, ‘The bridge called Pontleecke upon the highway leading from Raglan towards Chepstow to be out of repair. Moses Morgan fined for not spending 14s of the parish money towards repairing the stocks
Stocks
Stocks are devices used in the medieval and colonial American times as a form of physical punishment involving public humiliation. The stocks partially immobilized its victims and they were often exposed in a public place such as the site of a market to the scorn of those who passed by...
and whipping post
Pillory
The pillory was a device made of a wooden or metal framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used for punishment by public humiliation and often further physical abuse, sometimes lethal...
in the parish of Raglan’. In 1695 the repair of bridges are still under discussion, ‘The bridge called Pont y bonehouse in the town of Raglan, 1695. John Curre, gent., steward’.
Over the past 350 years, the castle continues to dominate the village serving as a draw to tourists by coach, train and automobile (although there is no longer a direct train service to the village, the local railway station having closed in 1955). Prior to Cadw
Cadw
-Conservation and Protection:Many of Wales's great castles and other monuments, such as bishop's palaces, historic houses, and ruined abbeys, are now in Cadw's care. Cadw does not own them but is responsible for their upkeep and for making them accessible to the public...
, the Duke of Beaufort
Duke of Beaufort
Duke of Beaufort is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by Charles II in 1682 for Henry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester, a descendant of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, illegitimate son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset, a Lancastrian leader in the Wars of the...
was the hereditary keeper of the castle while generations of Wardens lived either next to the castle or in the village of Raglan.
The village continued to be an important thoroughfare in the 18th and 19th centuries, which explains its three substantial coaching inn
Coaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
s, the Beaufort Arms, the Ship and the Crown where the Mail coach
Mail coach
In Great Britain, the mail coach or post coach was a horse-drawn carriage that carried mail deliveries, from 1784. In Ireland, the first mail coach began service from Dublin in 1789. The coach was drawn by four horses and had seating for four passengers inside. Further passengers were later allowed...
es would stop.