Residents of Overmonnow may have noticed works going on around Clawdd-du.

Clawdd-du - often referred to as the town ditch - is a medieval moat, constructed as protection for the faubourg (suburb) of Overmonnow. Now it’s used as a drainage ditch during high periods of rainfall.A spokesperson for Natural Resources Wales (NRW) told the Beacon: "The work carried out at Clawdd-du (town ditch) is part of our annual flood risk management routine maintenance of the Monmouth Flood Alleviation Scheme. We undertake vegetation clearance of a number of main river channels and flood defences every year in order to maintain capacity in the watercourses. This work often entails grass cutting, sapling removal, bush and scrub clearance and removal of any obstructions - such as fallen trees - from the channel."Specifically here we cleared all vegetation to the top of the banks and removed any debris from within the channel. This consisted of mainly brambles but we also removed all small trees to ground level, trees that were self-seeded from adjoining gardens and existing older trees."During no-mow May the ditch was largely left alone to let the vegetation grow out to bolster the number of bee friendly areas in town.The reason for this general maintance and blockage removal is part of Monmouth’s flood alleviation plan which aims to allow water to flow during times of prolonged rainfall and high flows throughout the Monmouth system, while also ensuring water does not back up further within Overmonnow, where it could become incredibly promlamatic.Historically the ditch extended - roughly in a semi-circle - for approximately 550 metres from the River Monnow opposite Chippenham Fields (Millinium Fields) to where Drybdige House is today.When in use, it the defence comprised of a water-filled fitch 10-12m wide, with a 1.5m embankment on the side of the settlement, topped by a wooden palisade.Before newer developments came along, the Clawdd-du bridge was in direct line with Monnow Street.Now, the Clawdd-du is now partly infulled, but still exsists for most of its length as a broad ditch used for drainage. It is a schedueled ancient monument and the medieval bridge - which is still heavily in use today - are classified as Grade II listed. It also designated the outer limit of the development of Overmonnow until the 1930s.