Chepstow Castle, South Wales - main gate

A machicolation slot, murder holes and a portcullis slot

***

Chepstow Castle in South Wales occupies a stunning position on an escarpment on the edge of the muddy and fast-flowing River Wye. The Great Tower (effectively a keep) has been dated to 1067 and is probably the oldest or second oldest stone castle in Britain, being contemporary with the White Tower at the Tower of London. It overlooks and dominates a major crossing point of the Wye.

I have a YouTube film here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=I67rE3xwkXY

Its first owner was William FitzOsbern, a Norman conqueror, and is thus one of the earliest of the Welsh Marches castles, strongholds built as the Anglo/Normans pushed their way from England into Wales, a country which was independent from England at this time. The heart of the castle was the Great Tower surrounded by a simple stone wall on three sides and the steep vertical drop into the Wye on the fourth side.

Later owners extended the castle precinct along the cliff edge in both directions, adding extra wards or baileys, strong stone towers and a barbican. The castle was also served by a narrow cleft in the rock at the foot of the cliffs which acted as a dock and allowed supplies to be hoisted up into a cellar beneath the castle.

The castle’s later development owes itself to William Marshall and Roger Bigod - indeed it was Bigod who built the Marten’s Tower which overlooks the entrance and the town and which was so self-contained that this tower has its own portcullis. Bigod also added a town wall, parts of which remain today. The original front gates have been removed and are preserved under an arch - they are believed to be the oldest mortice and tenon joints surviving in Britain.

King Edward I visited in 1284 but it was never really a royal castle. It was garrisoned in 1403 in response to the Owain Glyndower rebellion by 20 men-at-arms and 60 archers but it seems to have been regarded as too powerful to attack and was largely passed-by in the Middle Ages.

The coming of gunpowder artillery was different and Chepstow was besieged twice in the English Civil War - 1645 and 1648 - being one of the last sites to fall to the victorious Parliamentarians. There is a memorial to Sir Nichols Kerneys who died here leading the second defence. To make the castle suitable for defence musket loops were cut into the upper works of the walls on the town side. I also noted that crude holes had been smashed through at least one wall tower (originally meant to STOP medieval attackers moving along the wall walks) to allow defending musketeers to move from one threatened wall to another to shoot.

The Parliamentarians smashed a breach in the wall on the town side but this was repaired after the ECW with a double wall, thick earth infill and an artillery embrasure to permit return fire if the castle ever came under attack again. It did not. It functioned as a prison for a while with one of the commissioners who signed King Charles I’s death warrant being held here.

It was used as a location for the Terry Gilliam/Michael Palin film Jabberwocky in 1977 and also appears in TV’s Robin of Sherwood. Some of the 50th anniversary Dr Who broadcast was recorded here. It is maintained by CADW today and is open at most reasonable times.

Taken in: UK / Wales / Chepstow / Chepstow (show map)

Taken on: February 21, 2023

Tags:

Chepstow

castle

medieval

siege

English Civil War

Wye

CADW

Wales

South Wales

Pentax

K-5

GB « less

Sets appears in: • Chepstow Castle

Groups appears in: • ~ PENTAX Cameras ~ • UK more » • Wales • Castles of Europe • Palaces, Castles, Towers, Pagodas, Fortresses And Ruins of Old • Mediæval (now curated) • Historical places • 5-10 favorites only (ONE A DAY) • 10-25 favorites [No nudes / erotic] • Historic Britain (please read the rules before posting) • 300 Views (no more than --499--) • The Castles of Wales • 100 Views • Centurian Club (100-200 Views) • hit me with your best shots • 100 (One Hundred) Views (-200) • Sigma 10-20mm • European History • Views: 500 • Views: 300 • The Group About Nothing • Great Britain • PENTAX RICOH K-MOUNT DIGITAL CAMERA USERS (3p.Day) • Just me and my camera ! • 1-2-3 History (post 1, comment on 2, view 3) • Views 1000 • World's Favorite (1 or more faves each) No limit of Faved Photo • Historic Buildings (Great Britain & Ireland) • Best shot forward • Cool Britain • Life Through My Viewfinder • Life Thru A Lens • Castles of the British Isles • UK and Ireland! • Pentax UK • The Coolest Damn Cool Photographers in the World • Photography UK • Pentax Samsung World Community • theprintspace • Pentax K-5 / K-5 II / K-5 IIs Photographers • CADW • pentax k5 dslr • PBWA - Photography By Wandering About « less

Stats: 1,358 views