The Heritage Hiker’s Guide to Montgomery, Powys

Where is Montgomery?

Montgomery is a small town in Powys, Wales with a lot of character and one of my favourite places to be based for walks in the area. The town’s population was never more than 500 in the Middle Ages but in 1536 Montgomery had grown enough to become the county town, giving its name to the old county of Montgomeryshire.

History oozes from its core from the Medieval castle and walls through to the more ‘modern’ town there is so much to explore. With so much to see and do it makes for a lovely weekend break or make a longer stay and take in some of the great walks in the area surrounding the town.

Medieval Montgomery – A History of Montgomery Castle

On 30th September 1223 Henry Ill spent the day inspecting a site selected for a new Montgomery Castle. There was a previous castle site in the area known as Hen Domen. The motte and bailey castle at Hen Domen was build around 1070 by Roger de Montgomery. After the building of the castle at (New) Montgomery from 1223, Hen Domen was reduced to a military outpost and lay abandoned by the end of the century.

By 1230 a massive stone fortress dominating the Vale of Montgomery, was in place. Montgomery Town was built as a new town at the same time as the castle, and received its royal charter in 1227.

The castle lies just to the east of a much earlier Iron Age Hillfort named Ffridd Faldwyn. The hilltop is a site of much earlier prehistoric activity with evidence from the Neolithic and Bronze Age.

A Tale of Malice from within Montgomery Castle Walls.

Retold from information boards found at the castle.

On 1st January 1288 a woman lay dying on the floor by the gatehouse of Montgomery Castle. Her name was Maud Vras, a widow from the town. She had come to reclaim a saucepan from William of St Albans, assistant constable of the castle. Maud never made it home….

Maud was discovered suffering from a severe blow to the head from a rock found nearby. By the end of the day Maud was dead.

Nine years passed and Maud’s daughter, Mabel came forward to accuse William of deliberately killing her mother….

On 27 April, 1297 an inquest was held. William stated that at the time of the tragedy he was in the room over the gatehouse trying on a new cloak. The cloak caught on a rock, part of the ammunition stored there and dropped through the portcullis slot just as Maud arrived at the gate below.

The jury believed William. Maud’s death was recorded as death by ‘misadventure’. Coincidence or crime you decide?

Visiting Montgomery Castle

The site is free to visit and there is a small car park nearby or it’s a short but steep walk up from the town.

The Medieval Walls of Montgomery Town, Powys

Montgomery was built as a new town between 1224 and 1226 at the same time as the ‘new’ castle. The original plan of the town still survives in the street layout, the church, and the town wall and ditch. What is left of the medieval town walls can be seen at the far end of the town. Sympathetically reconstructed in 1996, a large section of town wall and watch tower is visible alongside the defensive ditch that would have once surrounded the town.

History of St Nicholas Church, Montgomery

St Nicholas’ Church was established around 1223, at the same time as the Castle. The transepts were added later in the 13th century. The south transept contains the Herbert memorials, two effigies of knights and the very large painted Elizabethan tomb of Richard Herbert, 1600. The tower attached to the northern transept was totally replaced in 1816.

The church is home to late medieval screens that stand back to back with a rood loft over the western one. The are a number of interesting graves in the graveyard including the Robber’s Grave.

The Robbers Grave, St Nicholas Churchyard, Montgomery

Tucked away in the churchyard is ‘The Robbers Grave’. The supernatural tale is an old one….

This is the 1821 tale of a man named John Davies who was allegedly unjustly hanged. Accused of theft and tried by jury, he was found guilty and sentenced to death. Always protesting innocence he proclaimed at his execution the grass would not grow on his grave for a hundred years and still to this day, more than 200 years on, the ground above is patchy.

‘The Old Bell’ Museum, Montgomery, Powys

Nearly the whole row of houses in Arthur Street date to the late 16th century including a building known as ‘The Old Bell’, a former pub. The overhanging porch room dates to around 1600, but it was brought from elsewhere and added to the house during the 17th century. The internal division of rooms dates from around 1750 and after. The shop room was added in the mid-Victorian period.

The story of the Old Bell Museum starts in 1977 with an exhibition in the school to mark the 750th year of Montgomery’s town charter. Public support was then given to finding a permanent home for the exhibition, and in 1980 the Old Bell was leased from Powis Estates and the job of converting the building to a museum began.

Visiting the Old Bell Museum

Today it is packed to the rafters with lots of local history and local archaeology. The museum is open seasonally. The museum is self-funded and run by the Civic Society and a group of volunteers. Small entry charge applies. For more information about the museum and its opening times click here.

Historic Buildings in Montgomery

The Dragon Hotel

A former Coaching Inn built around 1630. It is a really quirky and beautiful building, steeped in history. It was taken over by local families in 2013 and continues as an Inn and a lovely place to stay.

The Town and Market Hall

The Town and Market Hall stands proudly at the core of this beautiful little town. This red brick Georgian building was built originally in 1748, by William Baker of Audlem and was later remodelled with the upper storey raised in 1828 by Thomas Penson. The lower floor was the market, the arches open until around 1900 and the upper floor used for the Quarter Sessions (local courts) and meetings of the Borough Corporation.

The clock tower was added in 1921, the clock turret is a memorial to Dr N. Fairles-Humphreys of Bank House.

R. H. Bunner and Son Ltd

This shop is an Aladdin’s cave of goods. It was established in 1892 and is a traditional ironmongers selling anything and everything including the kitchen sink (well almost)!!

It’s a step back in time as you walk through the doors into the world of time gone by,  only it’s still living, breathing and loved. A great addition to this wonderful historic town

Walks from Montgomery

Start with a good walk around the town from castle to town walls and everything in between. Simply take a walk around the town or use one of the many heritage trails available such as this guide form the Girl Guides click here.

A base to visit Cordon Hill or Mitchell Fold. It is a bus ride/car ride to park closer or take you one way and walk back. If you fancy making a long distance walk of it you can walk there and back at around 13/14 miles.

A stop off along the lengthy Offa’s Dyke Trail, a 177 mile trail from north to south Wales cutting across the Wales/England border. For more information on the trail click here.

If you enjoyed reading this article you might enjoy reading ‘The Heritage Hiker’s Guide to Evesham’ or ‘The Heritage Hiker’s Guide to Tewkesbury’