A Brief Introduction to Chepstow, Monmouthshire

Chepstow, Monmouthshire lies close to the borderWales. During the times when Normans ruled,
between Wales and England and in fact this town isChepstow was known by another name ' Stirguil ' but
situated on the banks of a river called Wye andaround the fourteenth century it came to be given
furthermore the town is also strategically situatedits English name ' Chepstow. In English the name
close to the confluence of the rivers Wye andmeans cheap market place.
Severn. In addition, Chepstow is located close toThe Welsh call this town as Cas-gwent which is the
Severn Bridge that is part of the M48 and it onlyshortened form of Castell Gwent which obviously
sixteen miles to the east of Newport and just onemeans the Gwent Castle, which name dates back to
hundred and twenty-four miles to the west ofthe time of the Romans. However, it was the
London, England.Normans that erected the famous Chepstow Castle
The one thing for which this Welsh town is mostand it did serve a very important function then which
famous for is the Chepstow Castle that is in fact thewas to strategically control access to the River called
oldest of all British stone castles. However, ChepstowWye.
Racecourse is another famous landmark of thisThe castle also helped in protecting Gloucestershire
Welsh town and it is in fact here that the annualfrom being attacked by Welsh people though by the
Welsh Grand National is held.end of the fourteenth century when England and
The town lies on the west bank of the river knownWales stopped fighting each other, the importance of
as Wye while on the eastern banks of this river liethis castle diminished.
villages that are actually part of England and not