Museums & Castles

Monmouth Museum

Nelson Museum

Horatio Nelson was born in Norfolk, died at sea and is buried in London. However, Monmouth is home to one of the best collections about the famous admiral in the world. Find out about Nelson's life, loves, death and commemoration.

The Nelson Museum was founded in 1924, following the bequest to Monmouth by Lady Llangattock of her Nelson collection.

The museum moved to the current premises (a market hall complex built in the 1830s) in 1969, at which time the local history collections for the town were incorporated. The Local History centre deals with Monmouth and its people, including Charles Rolls of Rolls Royce fame and Henry V.

Collections description

The Nelson collection includes both personal and commemorative material, and is particularly noted for the large number of personal letters. Star exhibits include Nelson's fighting sword, and a selection of outrageous forgeries, including Nelson's 'glass eye'.

The Local History Centre collections are based on the Monmouth Borough archive; the local history reference library; photographs; prints and paintings; maps and plans, models and artefacts, with a special collection relating to the Rolls family (including C.S. Rolls of Rolls Royce).

Opening Hours (including Bank Holidays):

Daily, all year.
Monday - Saturday 11.00am - 1.00pm, 2.00pm - 5.00pm (4.00pm November-February)
Sundays 2.00pm - 5.00pm (4.00pm November-February)

Turn! Turn! Turn! Monmouth Museum hosts an exhibition of local woodturning craft.

Aficionados of Monmouthshire's local crafts will be interested to take in a free exhibition by local woodturner Andrew James at Monmouth Museum from Saturday, 17th December until Sunday, 29th January.

A gifted and relative newcomer to the realm of top-quality wood craftsmanship, Andrew lives and works in Monmouth. He took up woodturning several years ago when he was inspired by a close friend who was a master carpenter in America . Andrew received a bowl blank from the carpenter's sister and on returning home decided that the best way to honour his friend was to turn it himself. His woodturning journey had begun.

Andrew has a small workshop in Monmouth and has recently added a display area where clients can view his work by arrangement.

Wherever possible Andrew uses native Welsh wood - most of it is sourced from the Wye Valley - and he takes particular pleasure in creating special pieces for commission. The range of his turned work includes bowls, boxes, goblets, platters, pens, lamp bases and vessels, with all pieces finished to a high standard using a variety of finishes. No two are the same and where possible they are signed on their base.

In the past year his work has featured in two issues of Woodturning magazine and he also publishes on his website wyevalleywoodturning.co.uk and Facebook page Wye Valley Woodturning.

The museum's opening hours are 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm on Monday to Saturday, while on Sundays the museum is open from 2pm to 4pm. All the work in the exhibition is for sale.

A special open evening will be held on Friday 6th January when the museum stays open until 9pm.

Christmas 2011 opening times are as follows:-