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Monnow Bridge is a medieval fortified bridge crossing the River Monnow at Monmouth in Monmouthshire, Wales, and represents one of the finest examples of a defended river crossing in Britain. Dating to the early thirteenth century, likely constructed in the 1270s, the bridge comprises a stone structure with a distinctive fortified gatehouse tower positioned centrally across its span, which served both defensive and administrative functions for the town. The tower features crenellations and narrow defensive openings typical of medieval military architecture, while the bridge itself consists of multiple arches supporting a roadway designed to control passage across the river. Its enduring survival and structural integrity make it an exceptional example of medieval civil engineering and urban defence, remaining substantially intact from its original construction period.
Monnow Bridge is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MM008. View the official record →
Monnow Bridge is a medieval fortified bridge crossing the River Monnow at Monmouth in Monmouthshire, Wales, and represents one of the finest examples of a defended river crossing in Britain. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference MM008.
Monnow Bridge dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a bridge. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Monnow Bridge is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is MM008.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Trellech Cross Cross-Base (8.5 km), Gaer 594m SW of Trellech Cross (8.8 km), Dovecot at Hygga Farm (9.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Monnow Bridge's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Monnow Bridge stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.