Montgomery stands at a fording point of the River Severn on one of the main border invasion routes. It is still possible to trace the outline of the old town walls, with their four gateways. The 13th century castle had its work cut out to defend the town in this battle-torn area, and within a few miles there are two other castles. The 18th century Town Hall dominates a square of black & white and Georgian houses. The Pound, where cattle straying from other parishes used to be held until reclaimed for a fee by their owners, has been converted in a garden war memorial. 20th century Montgomery is noteworthy for its attempts to counter rural seclusion by involvement in modern technology. It has been, for example, a centre for the trial of tele-medicine; instead of travelling large mileages to hospital, patients have been seen by specialists using video conference.