Chepstow Castle

Chepstow Castle, on its rock above the swirling waters of the River Wye, stands guard over a strategic crossing point into Wales. In a land of castles, Chepstow can rightly claim special status. Started not long after the Battle of Hastings (1066) by Willian fitz Osbern, a companion of Willian the Conqueror, it was a landmark in more ways than one.

Chepstow, built to secure fitz Osbern's new territories in the Welsh borders, was amongst the first of Britain's stone-built strongholds. The mellow walled Chepstow we see today is an intriguing amalgam of different periods. Started during the infancy of castle building, it was improved throughout the centuries right up to the Civil War and beyond. As such, it is one of the few castles in Britain which traces the evolution of medieval military architecture from start to finish. At its core remains the Norman great lower.

In later centuries, towers, walls, gatehouses and barbicans were added, until the long, narrow castle occupied the entire cliff-backed ridge above the Wye. As a final complement to its strength and siting, Chepstow was adapted for cannon and musketry after two sieges in the Civil War, and continued in use until 1690. Chepstow Castle not only brings to life the way in which a castle can develop into a sophisticated fortress, but also reveals a domestic dimension through its 13th century hall and kitchen block.

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