Monnow Bridge and Gate, Monmouth

Monmouth was a popular destination for tourists during the 1770s and was one of the stops on the Wye Tour route, providing artists with ideal subject matter such as castle ruins, the confluence of two rivers, and three bridges. The bridge depicted here, with its great bastion-gateway, an outlier to the now demolished town wall, is over the Monnow at the lower end of the town. It is the only surviving example in Britain of a medieval fortified bridge with the defensive gate actually standing on the bridge. This painting also shows details of buildings adjacent to the town which are not shown in other known pictures of the period. It is a fascinating and valuable addition to the Museum's collection of local works of art.