Chepstow Castle -Wales UK

Part of Tours By Tape : Wales ( United Kingdom )
narrated and written by Richard Mitchley
Richard also runs a walking holiday company in Wales, vist his site at:
http://www.dragontrails.com

More tours by tape of Wales on YouTube

Coracles -Wales - Teifi Valley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUwlL8m8110

Tintern Abbey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHNsMaoNPQI


Chepstow Castle

The castle is high on a cliff above the River Wye, as it guards one of the main river crossings from England into Wales. The strategic position of Chepstow had been appreciated by the Romans - the arch above the main doorway is made from Roman brick brought from a fort that once stood nearby. Chepstow's strategic position allowed defenders to supply the castle via the river during a siege. Historically it was probably the first stone castle to be built anywhere in Britain. There were a number of alterations to the castle over the ages - from the later Normans to the Tudors and through to the Cromwellians.

William fitz Osbern was created earl of Hereford by William the Conqueror, and was given the Welsh Marches to control. By the time he died in 1071 he had built the rectangular keep, which still forms the core of the castle today. At the end of the 12th century, Chepstow passed by marriage to William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke. He set about bringing improving the fortifications, rebuilding the east curtain wall which was the vulnerable side of the castle, with two round towers projecting outwards The arrow-slits in the towers, designed to give cross fire on the ground in front of the curtain, were one of the earliest examples of the then new defensive idea

Because Chepstow was built in stages along the river Wye, the castle not built in the usual concentric layout, instead being constructed in a long, terraced pattern.

By 1245, the Earl of Pembroke's sons had both enlarged Chepstow's defences and improved the internal accommodation. They added a new lower bailey, a twin-towered gatehouse, a strongly defended barbican, plus making. additions to the Great Tower.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• ChepstowCastle
• wales
• WINDSOR
• CASTLE
• BLENHEIMPALACE
• Toursbytape
• stonehenge
• RNAudioProductions
• CU000

[XxchloejansenxX]

i live in wales Yayyy!

[dearmalika]

Beautiful!

[MrLicitis]

I was there when i was 5, great memories.

Recommend every1 to visit this castle.

[natureshand]

Great Castle, went there last week .

[CanadaManDan]

Wow looks like an amazing castle.

[JustAudio2008]

From someone who makes no videos -I take this as a meaningless comment,

Why do you bother even watching youtube??

[MrJeronomo]

booooooooring

[Alexispelling]

I live there : D

[chrshammer]

Wales looks like a boars head. Is that why the term boars head is common among well known Welshmen like Henry V?

[skullls1562]

cool, I went there, its pretty awesome