Chepstow Castle
When we arrived at Chepstow Castle, we only had a short wait for Louise to arrive and we entered the castle through the twin towered Outer Gatehouse into the lower bailey. The impression from outside the castle from this end is not of a building covering much ground - but we were in for a pleasant surprise.
Our first stop was in the Service passage and Cellar, part of the hall range built by Roger Bigot III, here a flight of stairs leads down to a large rib-vaulted cellar which was used as the storage area for the castle.
This room is directly above a cleft in the cliff face and supplies were pulled up from boats anchored in the river below. The arched opening in the end wall provided a good photo opportunity with Jeff and the girls, shame about the drainpipe! The quality of the vaulting is exceptional in this room, two visiting Americans in the room couldn't believe it was 'just' a storage room! Amy and Siobhan had a construction lesson from Eddi and with her help and encouragement did a great impression of human vaulting with Eddi's help
In the Service rooms was an exhibition 'A castle at War' telling the history of the castle with life-sized models and a civil war battle scene together with videos of medieval fortification - the lads were glued to the television here watching reconstructed projectile-throwing siege machines.
The wee girls entertained themselves by trying on the helmets whilst Louise watched and laughed at them.
The late medieval doors, which once hung on the outer gatehouse, are on display in the chamber above the service rooms. The Great Hall is now in ruins but in the porch, which led into the hall, we saw original medieval painted shields. Traces of painted decoration also remain on the ruined windows and the windows have carved floral motifs similar to those at Tintern Abbey.
From here we walked through the into the Middle bailey and up towards the Great Tower, stopping for a bit of a gossip looking over the river cliff and taking loads of pictures of the spectacular views of the castle from here.
The Great Tower was an absolute delight and quite some time was spent in here trying to make sense of what was to be seen. From the outside this is a somewhat plain rectangular building with bands of robbed Roman brick -the main highlight is the entrance with a rounded head doorway with chip carved decoration.
Upon entering the tower however you are faced with a multitude of confusion caused by the rebuilding and alterations made over a period of years. When you look over the walls here the various stages of construction are seen in the different colours of the sandstone used.
The ground floor was a basement with the hall on the first floor -additions were made later which took the great tower to three storeys. On the ground floor are three round headed windows on the river side, large beam and floor joist holes can be seen along the length of the walls. The original windows on the first floor have been blocked, as has a fireplace and were replaced by much larger two-light windows. A small piece of Roman sculpture has been inset into the wall, it was hard to find but its there!
In the early 13th Century when the third level was added a large moulded arch was built spanning the hall - the ends of this arch can still be seen. The other item that Jeff, Chris and I spent some time looking for was the sculptured roof corbel in the form of a bearded man. It certainly paid having a guidebook with us! Two bulls eye windows in the blind arcading were puzzling too.
We all traipsed down to the upper bailey and the barbican and the far end of the castle where Jeff took more photos then it was back the way we'd come down to the lower bailey again.
Here Louise and Chris spent some time inside a room in complete darkness trying to fathom out what was in a small passageway/nook in the wall. Jackie came up trumps with the use of a lighter but still nothing could be seen. Trust Louise to forget to bring her torch with her!
The final stop of the visit was to Martens Tower where the original medieval doors are still in place. The tower is a large D shaped structure. Inside there are 3 storeys of accommodation with a spiral staircase to the upper floors. On the third floor is a small private chapel - the windows are richly carved with flower motifs. On each side of the chapel are semi circular seats where the priest would have sat and a small piscina (a sink).
Jackie and Chris had fun going back down the circular stairway - Chris was telling her about what it must have been like to have run up the stairs wearing armour and carrying a long bow - 6 feet in length. Jack just had problems walking down in her trainers!
We said our goodbyes in the shop back in the area of the Outer Gatehouse -all of us had really enjoyed the Castle and had been surprised and delighted by what we had seen.
History of Chepstow Castle
Chepstow Castle is strategically placed, perched high on a long narrow ridge of the river cliffs of the Wye. It has been built in stages instead of the usual concentric layout of a castle it has been constructed in a long terraces pattern.
In 1067, the year after the Battle of Hastings, William fitz Osbern built the first castle at Chepstow. He had been made earl of Hereford by William the Conqueror for this loyalty during the conquest and was given the task of subduing the Welsh kingdom of Gwent.
The Domesday book of 1086 records 'Castellum de Estrighoiel fect Wilhelmus Comes' Earl William built the castle of Estriguil
Most Norman castles of this time were the motte and bailey form Chepstow is recorded as the earliest stone fortification in Britain a clear indication of the Castles importance. Fitz Osbern built the rectangular Hall-keep surrounded by a stone walled bailey, which contained wooden garrison and ancillary buildings.
William fitz Osbern was killed in battle in Flanders in 1071. His son, Roger of Breteuil lost the castle to the King in 1075 after being disgraced for joining the Earls uprising
Henry I gave Chepstow to the de Clare family about 1115. When Earl Richard de Clare died in 1176 the castle was again in the hands of the king until de Clares daughter Isabella married William Marshall
Marshall had considerable experience in military architecture and he set about bringing fitz Osberns castle of 150 years earlier up to date. He rebuilt the east curtain wall including two round towers with arrow slits to protect this vulnerable side
When he died his sons carried on with rebuilding, adding a new lower bailey and the twin towered gatehouse. At the uppermost part of the castle they added a barbican and they also made alterations
Roger Bigot III inherited the castle in 1270. During the next 30 years he built a new hall range on the northern side of the lower bailey as well as Martens Tower to provide himself with private accommodation. Finally he enlarged the Great Tower adding an upper storey. Catapults or 'springalds' were mounted onto 4 of the towers.
Roger Bigod III was also responsible for building the Chepstow town wall as well as funding the rebuilding of Tintern Abbey. He fell heavily into debt and in 1302 agreed with the king that his lands and castles would pass to the crown on his death.
In 1468 the castle was owned by William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke and then by Charles, Earl of Worcester whose family owned it until the 20th Century
The castle was then held by various constables including the Despencers and Thomas Mowbray.
A permanent garrison remained at Chepstow until 1690 the towers were used as a prison for Henry Marten for 20 years . He was one of those who signed the death warrant of Charles I.
For most of the Civil War Chepstow lay between Royalist Gwent and the puritan city of Gloucester but was held for the King. In 1643 the Parliamentary General William Waller advanced into Gwent but was unable to reduce Chepstow and the other Gwent castles as he did not have heavy artillery. However in 1645 it surrendered after a brief siege despite being held by a garrison of 17 guns and 64 men
During the second Civil War, the castle was seized by the Royalist Sir Nicholas Kemeys. Oliver Cromwell sent Colonel Ewer to batter down the walls with his heavy cannon, the Castle walls were breached near to Martens Tower and many of the garrison surrendered. Sir Nicholas was caught and killed by Ewers men
The garrison was removed in 1690 and the building fell into decay until 1953 when it was taken over by the Ministry of Works from its last owner.
The castle is now maintained by CADW: Welsh Historic Monuments
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