Chepstow Castle

First building
   Chepstow Castle dates from 1067 onwards and was clearly designed to reinforce the new conquest by its commending position, overseeing one of the most important routes into Wales. One of the difficulties for the amateur historian is that all the men connected with it were called William apart from the occasional Roger, Henry, Nicholas or Richard and a woman, mercifully not named Wilhemina.
   William Fitz Osbern, one of William the Conqueror's staunch supporters, is credited by many historians with building the rectangular Great Tower. This is strategically positioned on the narrowest part of the high cliff ridge above the River Wye: Chepstow was the first stone castle to be built in Britain and was  constructed by masons from Normandy.The Conqueror knew he had to subdue the unruly natives and created borderland Marcher Lordships encouraging expansion into Welsh Territory. The site's Welsh name "Striguil" means "bend in the river" and Archdeacon William Coxe (a man of few words - where 1 would do!) gives 7 spellings for this and quotes from the Domesday Book (1086): "Castellum de Estrighoiel fecit Wilhelmus Comes" (Earl William built the castle of Estriguil.)

The next stages
   In 1189 Chepstow Castle passed by marriage to William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke, known as the "flower of chivalry" who wed the de Clare heiress, Isabella, the "damsel of Striguil", daughter of Richard "Strongbow." He found that he now owned an outdated castle much in need of renovation: the main defences were added at this time, including Marshall's Tower. His 5 sons (one of whom was christened William and all of whom died young) strengthened the fortification and expanded the building with 2 outer cells, the Upper and Lower Baileys and west barbican. (I shall return to this fascinating character in a later post as he was active in the reigns of 4 Plantagenet kings: Henry I, Richard I, John and Henry III.)
   Roger Bigod, 5th Earl of Norfolk, transformed the domestic arrangements of the castle in the later 13th century. Following the visit of King Edward I and Queen Eleanor in December 1284, work began on what is now know as Marten's Tower, then called the "New Tower." This was intended to provide fine, luxurious accommodation for guests with a private chapel and Bigod may have hoped for a return of his royal guests.

Some wooden doors in the castle have been dated by dendochronology as 800 years old. This beautiful and complex door of unusual workmanship is stored off its hinges: ask at the desk to be told where it is.

The Civil War
   Chepstow was held for the King in the first stage but was besieged and captured in October 1645: in the second stage, once more in Royalist hands, it was heavily bombarded and surrendered, the commander, Sir Nicholas Kemeys, being shot. An interesting event from the aftermath was the detention as a prisoner of Henry Marten, who had been a loose-living rake and republican for many decades and who signed the death warrant along with 58 others of King Charles I, thereby gaining notoriety as a regicide.

More modern times
  After William Gilpin's 1782 account of his 1770 tour of the Wye Valley and its promotion of the picturesque, tourist numbers increased, all in search of the strong emotions evoked by ruins and ivy. Yet, at that time, Marten's Tower was still roofed and floored and in the 19th century visitors came in through the gatehouse and "thundered at the portal for admission with a cannonball suspended on a chain." William Makepeace Thackeray, the novelist, came to the area in 1842 and reported his dinner as "the best salmon ever eaten." Knights have always had a Romantic allure and good food a different powerful attraction.
  I have discussed the imprisonment of Henry Marten, regicide, after the Civil War, in a special post and you can read about William Marshall in my brief biography of him.

  
 Your visit
   Disappointingly there is no cannon ball for you to swing: all you have to do now is buy your ticket (at the moment of writing there is a special discount on joining Cadw on site) and enjoy the ruins and the grounds. Toilets are situated in the car park - so go before you go! There is also an excellent information Centre, the Chepstow Museum and pleasant pottering by the River Wye.
   The bus station, served by many buses, is at the top of town. The no 69 will take you to Tintern Abbey and on to Monmouth with its historical associations and the 63 to Usk and its castle and nearby battlefield.
  For opening times for the castle click here.

Usk Castle

Domesticated castle

  "Charming" is an unusual word to use of a venerable ancient monument but Usk Castle has that magical quality. It is owned by the Humphreys family and has a relaxed, intimate feel with plump chickens happily scratching, geese sometimes present and the reindeer for the annual Santa parade stabled here beforehand. I once stopped off there with my family en route for a long walk and we found ourselves still lolling in the sun two hours later.  We then had a gentle pootle on the ramparts! On another occasion, the chickens were out on the grass and six golden brown feathery bundles started pecking our trousers gently as if they were administering acupuncture - so soothing!

A few dates

   Construction was probably started soon after the Norman Conquest and the Keep is the earliest stone structure, built by Richard de Clare, aka Strongbow, after he recovered it in the twelfth century. The main imposing castle dates from the time of William Marshall (early thirteenth century) who won de Clare's daughter by knocking the future King Richard I off his horse in a joust. The first record is in 1138 when the Welsh seized it from the de Clare family. It has changed ownership many times. In 1185, £10.35 was spent on it by the Crown and there was a substantial garrison of 10 archers, 10 residents, 15 'mobile' sergeants, 4 watchmen, a chaplain and clerk. One wonders who did the cooking! 

Usk battle

   The last major event in the history of the castle was the battle of Pwll Melyn ( Yellow Pool) where the forces of Owain Glyndwr, led by his eldest son, were defeated by the English. Archdeacon Coxe wrote in 1799 that "no castle in Monmouthshire has been subject to more frequent assaults" and we know it was in ruins by 1587. It was probably in 1750 that the old gatehouse was converted into Castle House by the Duke of Beaufort.

Still idiosyncratic

   More recently Simon Jenkins described it as "wild, unmanicured and idiosyncratic" and, although it has been tidied up and is very well maintained, it remains informal and personal.  Visitors are asked to make a small donation and transfer a pebble from one bowl to another for record keeping, surely the most delightful way of keeping accounts.

Other attractions

   Usk Castle is a short walk north from Twyn Square and is well worth the detour, being both relaxing and atmospheric. There is glamping at nearby Castle Knights in Medieval (style!) pavilions as well as events throughout the year. Weddings can be held here and where better? If you fancy a short walk you can take the path to the right of the car park and see the Medieval battle site of Pwll Melyn. The number 60 bus will take you on to Raglan with its imposing castle or, in the other direction, to Caerleon with its Roman remains.

For opening hours click here: the castle is open during reasonable daylight hours.