Hopes that historic hall revamp will attract more English visitors

Twm Owen – Local democracy reporter

A refurbished hall and museum could be an attraction that will draw families from Bristol and Gloucester to Wales, it has been claimed.

The 301-year-old grade I listed Shire Hall in Monmouth, where the Newport Chartist leaders were tried in 1840, is to undergo a £2.8m refurbishment with a £1.5 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund confirmed this week.

Visitors will also be able to see the historic courtroom where John Frost, Zephaniah Williams and William Jones were convicted of high treason and the cells in which they were held as well as exhibits related to naval Admiral Lord Nelson.

Galleries

The latest stage of the refurbishment is to create new galleries, learning and community spaces and make the entrance foyer “more welcoming” as part the revamp of the building that dates from 1724 and is considered of national importance.

Monmouthshire council’s deputy leader Paul Griffiths said the refurbishment that includes relocating the museum into the revamped Shire Hall could boost town centre footfall.

He said: “The challenge for all our town centres is to create ever more reasons for people to be in the town centre. The days have gone when one goes to town purely to shop. One goes out for a range of reasons and very often shopping is coincidental to that. For our businesses to thrive we’ve got to find those other reasons to bring people into town.

“This project will create a truly exciting visitor experience that will encourage local people to come to town, and as importantly, my ambition is for families in Gloucester and Bristol to think, ‘what can we do with the kids on a Saturday afternoon? We can go to Monmouth there’s an excellent museum there’.”

Naval Sword

Cllr Sara Burch, the cabinet member responsible, said the council has also secured £228,850 from the Welsh Government towards the costs and a £30,000 grant from the Wolfson Foundation.

The council’s Labour-led cabinet approved a further £300,000 in capital funding towards the project and Cllr Burch, said she is confident the authority can “close the gap” of the £500,000 still to be secured.

She said a part time fundraiser will also be appointed as part of the project.

The Monmouth Museum collection, that is relocating from the Market Hall, includes its large collection of Nelson memorabilia, including his naval sword and those of the defeated Spanish and French commanders at Trafalgar and letters from him to his wife Lady Hamilton.

The collection was  bequeathed by local landowner Lady Llangattock, mother of Rolls-Royce founder Charles Stuart Rolls, in 1923.

Monmouth Town Council will continue to be housed in the hall while the shop and visitor information area will also be expanded.

Listed building permissions have been granted for the works.