How to spend a bank holiday in Monmouth - Timelord style!

Welcome back to Marvellous Monmouth.  How did I spend my bank holiday? - well, by following in the steps of a great timelord.  Yep guys, the awesome, timeless (great pun eh!) series Doctor Who has visited the marvellous Monmouth on not one, but on two occasions!  And on both times it's Christmas!  Making Monmouth the capital city of Christmas.  That's not even mentioning the Doctor's other appearances at Troy House on the outskirts of town and also nearby Skenfrith, both with Amy and Rory in tow.
  So let's go on the trail of the Doctor.  Right let's start with episode 'The Unquiet Dead', the Doctor's biggest visit from Christopher Eccleston in Series I.  When the Doctor lands in 1869 Cardiff, just before Christmas and meets up with Charles Dickens and they proceed with Rose to battle the undead Gelth invasion. 

• Let's start in Beaufort Arms Court Shopping Mews (where the totally yummy Pocket Bakery lives!)  And the corpse of Mrs Peace heads off to the theatre (let's hope it's not the Savoy!)  This was filmed back in 2004.
  

 

Roo Copyright 2013 The Building shown is Sneed, the undertakers.

Next shown is a close up of Sneeds, which is destroyed as the rift is closed.

• Back on the timelord's trail, walk back through the arch to reach the Shire Hall location.  Turning back to face the arch we have views from the Cyberfactory in 'The Next Doctor' (filmed 24 April 2008)
  
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• This time David Tennant is in the Tardis.  Here's a shot of the Shire Hall, used for 'The Next Doctor'
  
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-and also back to 'The Unquiet Dead'  the scene where Dickens looks at the Gelth and where the Doctor, Rose and Dickens watch Sneeds Undertakers burn down in the photo below

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• On the time trail walk past the Beaufort Arms and along into Church Street where you find the White Swan Shopping Court (just before the Savoy Theatre).  This shopping court is where the Tardis lands in 'The Unquiet Dead'
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  - and also leaves with Dickens watching.
  
  
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  Only one more Doctor Who location I know of in Monmouth is left on the time trail, so let's leave the Swan Shopping Court, and go back into Church Street and then continue up the road past the Savoy Theatre to the end of the road.  To the left is St Mary's Church (which I will explore on another day!) my path leads down the road on the right...St Mary's Road...and after a couple of mins you see this sight...DA DA...
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  Wham...bam...in a flicker of an eye we're back in time as Sneed and Gwyneth chase after Mrs Peace.  This is the same street, I believe that Dickens chases Sneed's carriage.  Look at the house on the right of the road.
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  See the writing on the wall, one interesting fact - the writing on the wall looks old, but don't be fooled it was actually stencilled by the production team to make the road look authentic!
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  And J Hillman is actually the house owner! (Cool or what!)
  
• Hey bloggers, wouldn't it be a marvellous plan to stroll down to Coffee#1 just in time as the Tardis materialised and out would pop the Doctor ready to enjoy his usual cup of tea and chat about the latest gossip from the Tardis - and maybe offer to take me and my girls on a quick trip to New New York with the promise that we'd be back in time for bed.  Now that would make Monmouth Marvellous!