Monmouth was a significant settlement in Roman Britain, as the border fort of Blestium[1] and as an important centre for ironworking.[2] It is possible the Romans bridged the River Wye during their occupation, but the Monnow appears not to have had a crossing until after the Norman invasion.[3] The Norman lord William FitzOsbern built a castle near the confluence of the two rivers[4] in around 1070.[1] The following two centuries saw the establishment of the Benedictine Priory[5] and the development of the town as a defensive location on the Welsh Marches.[6]