Design Chepstow

Local Information

Located in Monmouthshire, Wales next to Gloucestershire, England and on the River Wye, one can find the town of Chepstow. You can find the town on the western side of the Severn Bridge which is part of the M48 motorway. One of the most noteworthy attractions in Chepstow is the Chepstow Castle.

The history of Chepstow can date back to well before Norman times. During the Norman times though, the area where Chepstow now lies was known as Striguil which was aptly named so because of a bend in the river. By the 14^th century though, the name Chepstow became synonymous with the town because the word means marketplace. However this is the English name for which the Welsh name is Cas-gwent which is basically a conjunction of castle of Gwent.

At Thornwell in Chepstow one can find the oldest known human habitation in the area. A recent housing development went into the discovery and subsequently the archeological dig to show that the area was inhabited back in the Mesolithic period, which was around the year 5000 B.C. Furthermore, it was also shown that the region was continuously inhabited up until the end of the Roman Era in 400 A.D. Nearby you can find Iron Age fortifications as well as a Roman bridge.

Chepstow is considered to be at a crossing point between the towns of Gloucester and Caerwent which during Roman times were known as Glevum and Venta Silurum. Many historians believe there was a Roman fort in the area at some point due to past information known about the development of the Roman Civilization, however as of currently this fort has yet to be found.

Once the Roman Era ended, the town of Chepstow was to replace Caerwent as the major port and market in the Kingdom of Gwentin which the St. Cynfarch priory was established. Today much of the area though is taken up by suburban housing developments.

In the town of Chepstow you will also find Chepstow Castle which is the oldest stone fort in all of Britain which has survived intact. After the occurrence of the Norman Invasions, it was determined that Chepstow was to be an ideal location to build a castle and so it was built. It was in 1067 that William the Conqueror was to order the construction of the castle. This location was of great strategic advantage to prevent the Welsh from being able to attack Gloucestershire, but after the 14^th century and the end of the wars, the castle would gradually start to decline in importance.

The town itself began to grow around the castle and in 1294, they were given the right to hold a weekly market as well as an annual fair. It was also at this time the Port Wall was constructed of which large sections of this wall still stand today as a testament to time.

If it is a church that interests you though, Chepstow has an abundance of them of which the best known is that of the Parish and Priory Church of St Mary. This church, like the castle itself is of Norman origin and was originally the center of the religious community offering everything from a convent to a school. The Benedictine monks also called this area home until the 1536 Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Chepstow is a port town which gathers most of its industries who are either directly involved in shipping or in some way are related to the port industry of the town. There are many things to both see and do while in Chepstow which makes it an excellent place for one to visit.