Our new venue
Following the serious flooding of Monmouth in November 2025 we have a new venue until further notice: The Royal Oak Inn, 134 Hereford Road, Monmouth, NP25 3GA.
We meet monthly on each third Thursday until further notice at 12:00 noon for registration, 12:30 for our short meetings and for dining always with our ladies at 1:00pm. Except that we do not meet in December, rather we meet to celebrate Christmas at 12.30 and dine at 1:00pm without a meeting. For these dates, see our monthly Circulars.
Our meetings are short and informal, always followed by with-Ladies dining. Our dress code is smart casual. We believe that short meetings, good food, friendship, family and keeping our local costs as low as possible, trumps formality.
Bookings are made with our Dining Secretary, contact details in our monthly Circulars and on the Province 12 website no later than 10:00am on the Monday preceding a meeting, after which menu choices may not be changed and cancellations may be charged.
Visiting Catenians and potential new members are welcome. We do not wear insignia at our meetings. Visitors so privileged may vest at their discretion. It is no longer necessary to stand in our meetings when speaking.
We are a rural Circle without access to a Catholic comprehensive school, tertiary college, university, or military establishment from which to recruit younger members. We are committed to keeping our local fees and dining costs down to the minimum sustainable levels, and to maintaining a friendly atmosphere in informal meetings and meals.
This recipe has so far enabled us to hold membership against national and provincial trends. We cannot be complacent in the face of rising costs, intransigence towards change, a limited source of new members, and ageing profiles.
Our Formation as Monmouth Wyedean Group 932
Our journey really began on 9th March 2015 with the first meeting of a project team set up by a small core team of parishioners of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Monmouth, who happened to be members of Abergavenny Cartenians, to consider the potential for membership growth in Monmouth, the Wye Valley and the Forest of Dean. parishioners of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Monmouth.
In all just seven monthly meetings of the project team were held, and Monmouth Wyedean Group 932 was formed on 15th October 2015 by the then Province 12 President, Pat Burbidge, with 8 founder group members (exluding 9 joint members).
Our inauguration as Monmouth Wyedean Circle 374
Within six months of the Group being formed, Monmouth Wyedean Circle was inaugurated by GB National Grand President Peter Woodford on 21 April 2016, 8 founder circle members (excluding 9 joint members) constituting the first new circle in Province 12 for 48 years.
Our current membership is drawn from a wide and rural area centred on Monmouthshire, the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. In the wider area, we have joint members living in Abergavenny, Bath, Bicester, Powys, and Swindon. Our membership also boasts a healthy Scottish and Irish heritage which has led to the formation of the Celtic Collectors ensemble which donates all its income to Catenian, parish and local charities.
Our social calendar traditionally includes dining with ladies, family visits to places of interest, theatres and walks and these are open to friends. So far our visits include Harvington Hall in Worcestershire notable for its seven priest-holes, the Royal Mint at Llantrissant, the seminary at St. Mary's College Oscot, the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley and Tredegar House and Orangery in Newport.
In addition we have had a number of guest speakers including Sir Gerald Davies CBE DL of the Welsh Rugby Union and the British Lions, Mick Giannasi, former Gwent Chief Constable, Andrew Blake of the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and representatives of various local charities that we support. We host an annual Provincial Race Night, an annual Clergy Meal for our priests, and annual Masses for Vocations and for Deceased Catenians.
Our small Circle has raised over £25,000 for our annual Presidents' charities since 2016, and has also spawned the Celtic Collectors ensemble comprising Monmouth Wyedean Catenians and valued guests and ladies. They have performed Welsh- Irish- and Scottish-themed entertainment, concerts for our parish and community and a concert for a local charity, so far raising some £30,000 for local charities; they can be seen in our Photo Gallery below. A young member of our parish received a bursary from the Catenian Association matched by additional support from our Circle to undertake voluntary service in India.
On 19 June 2025 Circle, along with 15 Visitors, we celebrated our 100th meeting. Now 10 years on and three Monmouth Catenians remain members of Abergavenny Circle, and four members of Abergavenny Catenians remain members of Monmouth Wyedean Circle.
On 16 April 2026, we celebrated our 10th Anniversary of our inauguration, when we enroled new member Paul Steedman.
