Oldcastle () is a small village in Monmouthshire, South East Wales. It is six miles north of Abergavenny just off the unclassified Longtown Road from Pandy to Longtown, Herefordshire, alongside which the River Monnow runs. The village lies between the conrasting topographies of the Black Mountains (811 metres at their highest) and south-western Herefordshire (less than 159 metres high) on the other side of the Wales-England border. Its height is 170 metres. The village has a well-documented history which dates from the 19th century.
Administration The postal address of Oldcastle is the village of Pandy, which is on the A465 road between Abergavenny and Hereford. It is part of the Community council administrative ward of Crucorney which in turn is the electoral ward for Monmouthshire County Council (formerly Gwent), and elects one county concillor. The parish was formerly part of the deaconry of Brecon. However, it is currently part of the unitary area of Monmouthshire, the village falls under the Diocese of Monmouth.
History The 19th Century English historian and priest William Coxe reached Oldcastle as part of his famous tour of Monmouthshire which he documented in his two-volume An historical tour of Monmouthshire (1801). He commented: Coxe later claimed that Oldcastle 'was remarkable as the refidence of the celebrated reformer fir John Oldcaftle lord Cobham, who is called by Horace Walpole, “the firft author, as well as the firft martyr among our nobility"'. John Oldcastle belonged to an old Herefordshire family., who he discussed in some detail. He concluded:
Local historian John White (1845) documented: 'Old Castle is about four miles from Llanvihangel, and is situated on the slope of the Black Mountains. This castle is well worthy of the traveller's attention upon more than one account — it has been supposed, by some writers, that a fortress was erected on this spot prior to the Norman invasion, by a British chieftain, about the ninth century, and was co-existent with Castel Gw}n (White Castle).' (Italics in the original) White further observed: 'The old castle, the residence of this celebrated man, was taken down some years ago, and a farmhouse constructed of the materials. Slight vestiges of circular entrenchments may still be observed near the church, but though there may be little la giatify the antiquary, the traveller will find the pictftoisqueness of the situation, and the fine scenery it commands, ample reward for the time he may spend in reaching it.'
The 20th century English historian Joseph Bradney observed in his A history of Monmouthshire from the coming of the Normans into Wales down to the present time (1906) that Oldcastle is called in Welsh Hen-gasgtell, and that it 'takes its name from the ancient earthwork on which the Court and Church stand.' originally 1906, p. 227. He continued: 'This work doubtless marks a Roman station, being on the road from Gobannium (Abergavenny) to Magna (Kenchester).' originally 1906, p. 227. Bradney claimed that the parish contains 934 acres of land. The table below reproduces his documentation of its steady decline in population from 1801 to 1901.
Year 1801 1811 1821 1831 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1901 No. of Inhab. 83 65 67 62 58 60 59 50 57 35 The estate of Oldcastle including the church was part of the property of Llanthony Priory which, following the Dissolution, was granted to Sir Nicholas Arnold. originally 1906, p. 227. documented that Henry VIII made the grant. By 1799 the estate had come into the possession of the Earl of Oxford, who had many estates in Monmouthshire which amounted to 4,285 acres of land. originally 1906, p. 234. His trustees put up his estates for sale, which was held at The Angel Inn (now The Angel Hotel) in Abergavenny. originally 1906, p. 234. Then, as Bradley expressed it, 'At or immediaely after the sale Oldcastle was purchased by Mr. William Higginson, who left it to his great-nephew Edmund Barneby, with the proviso of taking the name of Higginson.' originally 1906, p. 227. Consequently, Edmund Barneby became Edmund Barneby Higginson, who in 1828 was the High Sheriff of Herefordshire. Higginson left the estate to his nephew, William Barneby, after which his second son, Philip Bartholomew Barneby (of Wilcroft, Hereford) who, as Bradley described him 'now has the manor, with the whole of the land in the parish.' originally 1906, p. 227.
Without mentioning or alluding to Coxe, Bradney disputed the claim that Oldcastle was the birthplace and residence of Sir John Oldcastle stating that 'it has been conclusively proved that he had nothing to do with this Oldcastle.' originally 1906, p. 227.
Notes
References
Archive
External links Oldcastle on Vision of Britain Oldcastle church The church entrance