Montgomery - Land of the Marcher Lords

Montgomery is a fine country town with its origins in medieval times. Tucked beneath a castle-topped crag, many of the houses have Georgian façades, but these were additions to much older dwellings. The centrepieces of the town are the elegant red-brick town hall with a clock tower on top and the half-timbered Dragon Hotel, a 16th-century coaching house. Plaques on the walls of the old houses tell you of Montgomery's proud history, but you can learn more by calling into the Old Bell Inn, which has been converted into a museum.

After William I conquered England in 1066 he gave the task of controlling the Welsh Marches to his friend and staunch supporter, Roger de Montgomery. Montgomery set up a motte and bailey timber castle at Hendomen a mile (1.6km) north of the present town.

There were continuous skirmishes with the Welsh, especially with the coming to power of Llewelyn the Great, Prince of Wales. As a result, Henry III had the current castle built in 1223 on a huge rock overlooking the plains of the River Severn. In 1541 the new English monarch, Henry VII, a Welshman descended from Llewelyn, handed the castle to the Herberts, a powerful Welsh dynasty, who were later to acquire the neighbouring Powis Castle. The castle saw it's last action during the Civil War. The Herberts were Royalists and at first held the castle, but in a great battle in which their 5,000 troops were attacked by 3,000 Parliamentarians, it was the Parliamentarians who were finally victorious. In 1649 they demolished the castle. When you view it today though, it's still an impressive place and you get this feeling of impregnability as you look down those tremendous cliffs.

The next castle you see on the walk though is much earlier. When emerging from the woods, the sight of the giant earthworks of Ffridd Faldwyn makes it obvious that this hilltop Iron-Age fort was of great importance. It was built in four stages, all completed before the Roman conquest. Artefacts, including neolithic tools are now held in the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff.

After making a brief return to the outskirts of Montgomery the route undertakes one of the locals' favourite Sunday strolls - to the top of Town Hill, where the War Memorial stands tall to commemorate the soldiers of the county. The Automobile Association erected a toposcope to help scan the horizon for the well-known hills of Pumlumon Fawr, Stiperstones, the Clun Hills and the Long Mynd. The Severn can be seen in plan, weaving through forest and field in a landscape as green as any in Ireland.

Where to eat and drink

The Dragon Hotel is an impressive and friendly old coaching inn. Here you can choose from an extensive menu with specials on a blackboard. Expect to find good local produce including Welsh lamb and beef, a wide choice for vegetarians, tasty pasta and game dishes. The beers include those from the local Wood brewery and Boddingtons.

What to look for

In 1279 Montgomery built new town walls of stone to protect itself from the attacks of Llewelyn the Great and, later, Dafydd ap Llewelyn. Not much remains of the walls themselves, but in places you'll see the Town Ditch that accompanied them. You can see the ditch alongside the track climbing to the war memorial and to the east of town behind the church.

While you're there

The Old Bell Museum gives a fascinating insight into the history of the town, its castles, workhouses and archaeological excavations. There is a room devoted to the Cambrian Railway.