HMS Monmouth will arrive in South Wales this week for a return visit to her ‘home town’ – for the first time in three years.
Please note that due to external factors, HMS Monmouth has had to delay her arrival into Cardiff - she will no longer be open to visitors on Saturday. The rest of her programme is expected to continue. (Updated 18 March)
The ship will dock in Cardiff on Friday (March 18) when the ship will be open to the public for tours.
On Sunday the crew will take part in a formal military and civic ceremony after marching through the centre of Monmouth to mark the close links of the ship to her namesake town.
Berthing alongside Britannia Quay in Cardiff from Friday afternoon, the people of Monmouth and Monmouthshire are invited on board the ship between 10am to 2pm on Saturday for a rare chance for them to see ‘their own’ warship first hand and meet the crew.
Visitors are advised to wear comfortable casual clothes and sturdy shoes to see and hear at first hand what life is like at sea in a Royal Navy warship.
HMS Monmouth was given the Freedom of the town of Monmouth in 2004 and on Sunday the crew will be exercising this ceremonial right by parading through the town in the traditional style, bayonets fixed, drums beating and colours flying.
Starting at 2.30pm, the crew will march along Cinderhall Street, Monnow Street and up Castle Hill before being inspected by local dignitaries.
The event is in contrast to recent exercises - ship has completed a deployment to Scandinavia and three weeks of exercises with 825 Naval Air Squadron and the new Wildcat Helicopter.
Earlier in March saw the 350th anniversary of the use of the name Monmouth in the Royal Navy. The first ‘Monmouth’ was an eight-gun yacht commissioned on 5th March 1666 under the command of Captain Nicholas Hill.
Later, in 1683, under command of Captain Grenville Collins, she was engaged in his great survey of the British coastline which resulted in the publication of his magnificent atlas, Great Britain’s Coasting Pilot.
The ship is unique in the Royal Navy as in reference to the heritage of the name ‘The Black Duke’ the modern-day frigate flies a black flag and has black, rather than the traditional red, name plates.
The ship leaves Cardiff on Thursday (24 March) to return to her base port of Plymouth to conduct routine maintenance ahead of intensive operational training in the summer.
