Chepstow Castle
Built in 1068, Chepstow Castle is the oldest stone built castle in Britain, guarding the Wye estuary from its lofty position on the sheer rock face in Chepstow . 
The castle was established on this strategic headland between England and Wales by the Norman lord William fitz Osbern, a comrade of William the Conqueror in the Battle of Hastings 1066. The original stone keep was continuously added to over the years strengthening the fortress with tall towers, sturdy walls, foreboding gatehouses and barbicans. Orignially the castle was called Striguil which literally meant "river bend" in the norman language. The builder FitzOsbern is also responsible for the construction of nearby priory.
In 1468, the castle was given to the Earl of Pembroke by William Herbert Earl of Norfolk in exchange for lands in the eastern England . In 1508 it went into posession of Sir Charles Somerset who restructured parts of the castle to a private accommodation.
The Castle was last strengthened during the Civil War of the 1640s when the battlements were adapted to house and withstand artillery fire. During the Civil War Chepstow was the barrier between the two factions commanded by neighbouring noblemen and fierce rivals, the Marquis of Worcester and the Earl of Pembroke. In 1690 the castle was finally defeated after a prolonged siege by the Parmamentarian forces and was dismantled.
As well as walking the extensive grounds of Chepstow Castle, visitors can see vivid exhibitions on life at the castle throughout the ages and displays outlining the Civil War and Chepstow’s role in it as well as examples of the weaponry used by the Roundheads and Cavaliers.
This attraction is included in the Great British Heritage Pass.
