The Quay by the Hanbury Arms
Oil Painting By Ellen Richardson 1862

The tide is too low for the boat to land by the slipway, instead it has been pulled up on the mud and rocks below. The man on the end of the quay is smoking his pipe while the boy wearing a hat is sitting watching the boatmen. A woman has draped brightly coloured materials over the wall - washing?

The gap in the wall near where the old wooden bridge previously crossed the river is interesting, we hadn't noticed that on any other early pictures. However we have found it can clearly be seen in one of the prints from Coxe's History of Monmouthshire (1801). It probably allowed access to the riverbank below the bridge.

The building with the two chimneys was the almshouse. This was sold just one year after the picture was painted by Order of the Charity Commissioners for the sum of £35.17s.9d. It was later used for brewing beer for the Hanbury Arms. For information about the Alms House follow this link.