PROCEEDINGS OF THE COTTESWOLD CLUB 195 



History of the Parish, which three times at least has been 

 visited by Royaky — by the Black Prince in 1355, by 

 Charles I. in 1643, '^'"'^ by George III. in 1788; but the 

 lateness of the hour deprived the Members of this 

 pleasure, who hoped that the reading of the paper was 

 only postponed to a more convenient occasion. 



rhe Third Field Meeting of the season took place on 

 Monday, 31st July, when a visit was paid to Monmouth 

 and its neighbourhood. Mr Bagnall-Oakeley met the 

 party at Monmouth, and most kindly and ably acted as 

 guide during the day. A visit was first paid to the Castle, 

 passing the remains of the old East Gate of the town. 

 The Castle was built by William Fitz Osborne, Earl of 

 Hereford, soon after the Norman Conquest. Henry V. 

 was born within its walls, and it played an important part 

 during the ParHamentary wars. 



The old Norman tower on the Monnow Bridge, and 

 the Church of St Thomas were then visited, and the 

 party then drove up the Monnow valley to the village of 

 Skenfrith. The remains of the Castle were here visited, 

 a Castle which, with that of " Grosmont " and the " White 

 Castle," formed the celebrated " trilateral " of Monmouth- 

 shire. The mound upon which the keep of Skenfrith 

 Castle stands was probably in an earlier age one of a 

 number which form a hne of defence across the country. 

 At the time of the Norman Conquest, Skenfrith is said 

 to have been held by Bach, the son of " Cadivor ap 

 Gwa;thbold," who probably obtained possession of it in a 

 campaign eleven years earlier. Of its history from that 

 time until the 13th Century no trace has been found. 



In the reign of John, the three Castles of the " tri- 

 lateral " belonged to the King, and probably no part of 

 the existing structure of Skenfrith is older than this date. 

 Twice during the King's reign the three Castles passed 

 into private hands, but in 1267 they were given by the 

 King to his son, the Earl of Lancaster, and they afterwards 



