Kings Head Hotel

The King’s Head Hotel stands on Agincourt Square in Monmouth, opposite the Shire Hall. Built in the mid-17th century, it was once one of Monmouth’s leading inns and reputedly hosted Charles I in 1645. The building features a striking black-and-white painted stone façade and was an important coaching inn, with stables and regular coach services. In the 18th and 19th centuries, stagecoaches left from here for London and other cities. The hotel is now part of the J D Wetherspoon chain and is a Grade II* listed building. The inn’s history is tied to notable figures like Richard Ballard, a Royalist landlord who became mayor and postmaster. Ballard issued brass tokens with Charles II’s image and installed a plaster bas-relief of the king above a fireplace. In 1820, the radical pamphleteer William Cobbett spoke at the hotel during his unsuccessful campaign for Parliament. The hotel also played a role in Monmouth’s social life, hosting cricket club meetings and displaying memorabilia with QR codes for visitors. Inside, the hotel retains its historic character with a left-hand bar featuring the bas-relief of Charles II. The County Club next door, designed by Thomas Henry Wyatt, has an ornate oriel window. The inn’s layout includes a yard accessed through an archway, once used for stabling horses. The building’s connection to Agincourt Square and St John’s Street reflects its long-standing place in Monmouth’s history. Today, it remains a focal point of the town’s Heritage Trail.