Historic buildings - explore our medieval castles, abbeys and vast industrial heritage

Border warfare in centuries past has left Monmouthshire with a great sense of history and a legacy of magnificent castles - possibly more castles per square mile than anywhere else in Britain.

In the 1050s the English king, Edward the Confessor, strengthened his Welsh border using Norman mercenaries. The Normans made probing attacks into Wales and thirty years on they seemed in control. Marcher lordships were established throughout Monmouthshire. But Welsh resistance continued and territories fell again into Welsh hands after a bloody revolt in 1136. Successive English kings were forced to grant greater powers to the Marcher lords to achieve their conquest of the Welsh.

As their power grew the Marcher lords became a law unto themselves and the border became a stage for a three-way battle. The English kings, Welsh princes and Marcher lords all fought for control. The result was three hundred years of almost continuous border warfare and the construction of several mighty castles.

Today the castles are great places to explore, creating a sense of the romance as well as the conflicts of medieval times. Visit the stunning castles of Chepstow, Raglan and Caldicot or explore the ruins of White Castle, Skenfrith and Grosmont, these last three being linked by a well signposted footpath and cycleway.

The Roman Museum and Amphitheatre at Caerleon will give you an experience of even earlier history from about AD 75.

The beauty of the Wye and Usk valleys also lead to activities of a more contemplative kind and to the building of Tintern Abbey, and Llanthony Priory, both set in magnificent natural surroundings.

The presence of iron ore, wood for charcoal and then the discovery and working of the coal deposits, has meant that from both sides of the River Wye to the Welsh Valleys the area has been in the forefront of the Industrial Revolution. This has been recognised by designating Blaenavon a World Heritage Site. You can see the Old Ironworks, and take a tour underground at Big Pit to see an actual coal mine. The Brecon to Monmouth Canal is also part of the industrial heritage of the coal and steel industries which played such a major part in transforming the area.

As one of the few recognisable and still working examples of that time of industrial innovation and experiment, the Newport Transporter Bridge is well worth experiencing.