A Welsh border town and traditional birthplace of Henry V of England.
Monmouth occupied a strategic position near the River Wye in the Welsh borderlands. Its castle made it part of the military and lordly geography of the Marches.
Henry V’s birth at Monmouth connected the town to one of England’s most famous warrior kings. The border setting also reflects the militarized world into which the Lancastrian prince was born.
Monmouth’s medieval memory is strongly tied to Henry V, even though his later fame came from campaigns in France rather than Wales.