Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
King John; the family tradition of royal adultery and execution continued with their direct
descendant, Anne Boleyn.
In the northern transept is one of the most important medieval carvings in Europe - a
monumental 15th-century wooden representation of the biblical figure of Jesse. It was the
base of what must have been a mighty altarpiece showing the lineage of Jesus and the
only such figure to survive the Reformation.
The Herbert Chapel is packed with recumbent effigies. Most depict members of the
Herbert family, starting with Sir William ap Thomas, founder of Raglan Castle, and his
wife Gwladys - Sir William's feet rest on a lion that looks like it was modelled on a
sheep. The oak choir stalls were carved in the 15th century (note the lively misericords
and the little dragons at the ends).
Tithe Barn
OFFLINE MAP
HISTORIC BUILDING
GOOGLE MAP
(
www.stmarys-priory.org
;
Monk St; 9am-5pm Mon-Sat)
The large blocky building next to the
church is the former abbey's 13th-century tithe barn, the place where people brought their
obligatory contributions to the church, usually 10% of whatever they produced. This par-
ticular one has had a chequered history (it was a 17th-century theatre and a 20th-century
disco, among other things) but has recently been fully restored and converted into an ex-
cellent heritage centre and a
food hall
focusing on locally sourced Welsh products.
Pride of place goes to the
Abergavenny Tapestry
, produced by 60 local volunteers over six
years to mark the new millennium. Within its 8m width it depicts the history of the town;
look for faint messages from the stitchers in the borders. Elsewhere on this floor, a com-
bination of artefacts and touch-screen monitors tell the story of the town and the abbey in
an excellent interactive display.
Abergavenny Castle & Museum
OFFLINE MAP
MUSEUM
GOOGLE MAP
(
www.abergavennymuseum.co.uk
; Castle St; 11am-5pm Mon-Sat, 2-5pm Sun Mar-Oct, 11am-4pm Mon-Sat Nov-
Feb)
Not much remains of Abergavenny Castle except for an impressive stretch of
curtain wall on either side of the gatehouse on the northwest side. It was the site of a no-
torious event in 1175 when the Norman lord invited his Welsh rivals for a Christmas din-
ner and had them massacred. Frequently besieged but never taken, the castle was wrecked
