Monmouthshire's culture

Interpretation and celebration of local culture, such as art and crafts, can generate a number of activities involving local communities and businesses and help to create a Sense of Monmouthshire through festivals; exhibitions and cultural trails. Indeed, Monmouthshire’s culture is a source of great local pride and enthusiasm.

Its rich social and industrial heritage has created a county richly-endowed with material that appeals to a range of different visitors and provides inspiration for many of the artists and crafts people based in the County. There were strong links with Abergavenny and Welsh language and culture in Victorian times, when the Abergavenny Eisteddfod (1833 - 1854) was the largest in Wales; 2016 saw the contemporary Eisteddfod return to Abergavenny.

Similarly, much of Monmouthshire’s existing architecture has been shaped by the County’s invasions and its industrial and agricultural heritage. Across Monmouthshire, archaeological evidence exists of human settlements on the River Wye dating back 20,000 years and the Romans are believed to have built timber forts at Abergavenny, Monmouth and Usk between 43AD and 55AD. Such socio-cultural heritage provides legacies in the form of architecture, local food and drink producers, music, artists and craftspeople. Today, each community in Monmouthshire has its own special features, for example, many local people have special skills or interests, such as painting or storytelling.

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