Chepstow Castle

Chepstow Castle is in Monmouthshire, South Wales.

History

Building was started in 1067 by Earl William fitz Osbern, close friend of William the Conqueror, making it one of the first Norman strongholds in Wales. In turn William Marshal (Earl of Pembroke), Roger Bigod (Earl of Norfolk) and Charles Somerset (Earl of Worcester) all made their mark before the castle declined after the Civil War.

Structure

Chepstow Castle has three baileys, the lowest being added in the 13th century CE, and reaches a length of 213 meters (700 ft) which presents an imposing arrangement of crenelated walls with round and square towers. The castle's multiple building phases are clearly indicated by the different colours of the stonework: grey limestone and red or yellow sandstone. The walls are around 12 metres (40 ft) high and, on the safer cliff edge, are just 0.91 metres (3 ft) thick while those elsewhere are 2.97 metres (9.75 ft) thick.

Today

Today, Chepstow Castle is open to the public and managed by CADW, the Historic Environment department of the Welsh Assembly Government. The castle has suffered over the centuries but it remains well-preserved in parts and is of great interest to historians as it has not suffered any misguided restorations which might have masked its original medieval features.