A WALL-HANGING depicting Henry V's battle cry at Agincourt has been donated to the people of Monmouth so that it can be used as a visitor attraction within the Shire Hall Building.

The wall-hanging was produced by a small band of women known as the Monmouth Broderers and decided in 1997 that they wanted to produce something special for the Millennium.

Liasing with the Tourist Information Centre they discovered that there was very little information of Henry V's birth at Monmouth Castle.

Richard Wills, a well known local Artist designed the wallhanging and in the autumn of 1998 work started on the project.

However, the complexity and quality of the work resulted in a delay as a millennium project and it wasn't until 2003 that the stitching was finally finished.

It took 4,500 hours of work, and the wall hanging gained listed building planning consent to be on permanent display in the Shire Hall.

It opened to the public in March - an entrance fee of £1 - all proceeds to the Shire Hall Fund to help with the community contribution towards the Heritage Lottery Fund matchfunding.

Last week the Monmouth Broderers gave the Henry V wallhanging as a gift to be used as a visitor attraction within the Shire Hall Building enabling the money raised to view the work to help with the community contribution towards the matchfunding for the Heritage Lottery application - and later, for the general upkeep of the building.

Designer Richard Wills said the women has transformed his sketches into work of such quality that it could be mistaken as a painting. Project Director Jacquline Jones added that the stitchers had lived and breathed the project for many years and was glad that the local authority were going to look after their pride and joy for future generations to admire.

Councillor Val Smith, Chairman of Monmouthshire County Council said that they were delighted to accept this magnificent piece of artwork and would take centre stage in the refurbished building.

She added: "I saw this wall-hanging being worked on and I was fascinated by it then and am even more impressed now. And on behalf of the community we will cherish the prestigious artwork."

The project's major embroiderers were Marjorie Evans, Jacqueline Jones, Dorothy Newman, Jean Pickering, Eira Steggles, Barbara Wright. Other work by Betty Beer, Jacqueline Harris, Joan Pritchard, Kathleen Spencer, Anne Stratton and Pauline Wilcocks.

Grants to complete the project were obtained from the Millennium Lottery Fund; Monmouthshire County Council; The Haberdashers Company; The Monmouth Broderers; Monmouth Town Council and Monmouth Charity Fund.