Chepstow
Encyclopedia
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire
, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire
, England. It is located on the River Wye
, close to its confluence with the River Severn
, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge
on the M48 motorway
. It is 14 miles (22.5 km) east of Newport
and 110 miles (177 km) west of London.
Chepstow is most notable for its castle
, the oldest surviving stone castle in Britain, and for Chepstow Racecourse
which hosts the Welsh Grand National
. The town is on the west bank of the Wye; adjoining villages on the eastern bank of the Wye, Tutshill
and Sedbury
, are located in England.
, about 2 miles (3.2 km) upstream of its confluence with the River Severn
. The location was named Striguil
(or Estrighoiel) in Norman times – from the Welsh word ystraigyl meaning a bend in the river – but by about the 14th century had become known in English as Chepstow, from the old English ceap / chepe stowe meaning market place. The Welsh name for the town, Cas-gwent (being short for Castell Gwent), means "castle of Gwent", the name Gwent itself deriving ultimately from the Roman
name Venta
applied to what is now called Caerwent
, 5 miles (8 km) west of Chepstow.
junction, where archaeological investigations in advance of recent housing development revealed continuous human occupation from the Mesolithic
period of around 5000 BC until the end of the Roman period, about 400 AD. There are also Iron Age
fortified camps in the area, at Bulwark and Piercefield
, dating from the time of the Silures
. Later, there was probably a Roman bridge or ford over the Wye at Castleford about 1 miles (1.6 km) upstream of the existing town bridge. Chepstow is located at a crossing point directly between the Roman towns at Gloucester
(Glevum
) and Caerwent
(Venta Silurum
). Although historians think it likely that there was a small Roman fort in the area, the only evidence found so far has been of Roman material and burials, rather than buildings.
After the Romans left, Chepstow replaced Caerwent as the main port and market town within the southern part of the Kingdom of Gwent. A priory was established during this period, dedicated to St. Cynfarch (alternatively Cynmarch, Kynemark or Kingsmark) a disciple of St. Dyfrig
. Few remains have been found of the priory, which was located in the area originally called Llangynfarch, now a suburban housing estate (Kingsmark Lane). It became an Augustinian priory but was eventually superseded by the later Norman priory in the town centre.
The town is close to the southern end of Offa's Dyke
, which begins at Sedbury, Glos, near the east bank of the Wye and runs all the way to the Irish Sea
at Prestatyn
in north Wales
. This was built in the 8th century as a boundary between Mercia
and Welsh kingdoms of Powys and Gwent, although recent research suggests that the part near Chepstow may not actually be part of the original Dyke. The Lancaut
and Beachley
peninsulas, opposite Chepstow, formed part of Gwent rather than Mercia
at that time, although the position was reversed by the time of the Domesday Book
, in which Striguil is included as part of Gloucestershire.
is the oldest surviving stone fortification in Britain. After the Norman Invasion
Chepstow was identified as an ideal site for a castle
, not only because it controlled a crossing point on the strategically important River Wye
, but also because the steep limestone gorge and castle dell afforded an excellent defensive location. William the Conqueror ordered its construction in 1067, and, according to the Domesday Book, it was supervised by the master castle builder of the time, William fitzOsbern. The speed with which William the Conqueror committed to the creation of a castle at Chepstow is testament to its strategic importance. At the time, the kingdoms in the area were independent of the English crown and the castle in Chepstow provided a way to deter the Welsh
from attacking Gloucestershire
. From the 14th century, with the end of the wars between England and Wales, the castle's importance declined.
A town grew up beside the castle, the Priory
church, and the port, and in 1294 Chepstow was given the right to hold a weekly market and annual fair. It flourished partly because it was exempt from English taxation. The town wall, locally known as the Port Wall, was built about this time, and mostly still stands. Particularly good sections can be seen at the Welsh Street car park, and either side of the A48 road
. The Town Gate through the wall at the top end of the High Street was rebuilt in the 16th century and was used as a toll gate.
The most significant church in Chepstow is the Parish and Priory Church of St Mary
, located at the bottom of the town. It, like the castle, is Norman
in origin, although much rebuilt and extended in later centuries. St Mary's was the centre of a religious community with a convent and school, the remains of which are buried under the adjoining car park. Benedictine
monk
s from Cormeilles Abbey
in Normandy, Chepstow's twin town
, were there until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
from 1536.
Three miles (5 km) southwest of Chepstow is St. Pierre
, the longtime holding of the Lewis family, who were seated at St. Pierre from medieval times and who were among the largest landowners in the country. Today it is a Marriott Hotel and Country Club.
in Wales. Chepstow was still a bustling port of substance when, during the period 1790 to 1795, records show a greater tonnage of goods handled than Swansea, Cardiff & Newport combined. In the medieval period it mainly traded in timber from the Wye Valley
and with Bristol
, although records show that Chepstow ships sailed as far afield as Iceland and Turkey, as well as to France, Portugal and Ireland. Ships, including many built and launched in Chepstow, clearly sailed the world, and in 1840 leaders of the Chartist
insurrection in Newport
were transported from Chepstow to Van Diemen's Land
(Tasmania
).
Other goods exported from Chepstow over the years included wire
made in the many mills on the tributaries of the Wye, leather which was tanned with the bark of the forest's oaks, and paper primarily from Mounton Mill which produced the first high grade security paper used by the Bank of England
for the printing of bank notes. An important aspect of Chepstow's trade was entrepôt trade: bringing larger cargoes into the manageable deep water of the Wye on high tide and breaking down the load for on-shipment in the many trow
s up the Wye to Hereford
past the coin stamping mill at Redbrook, or up the Severn to Gloucester and beyond. Chepstow also traded across the estuary to Bristol on suitable tides to work vessels up and down the Avon to that city's centre.
The port function and local shipbuilding trade declined during the 19th century as ship design developed and the cities of Cardiff
, Newport
and Swansea
became more suitable for handling the bulk export of coal and steel from the Glamorganshire and Monmouthshire
valleys. Shipbuilding was briefly revived during the First World War when the first prefabricated ships were constructed. Ships like The War Glory & The War Illiad were constructed and launched primarily from the slipways on the Chepstow side, where 10,000 tons was the manageable limit. The last of these ships was recorded as lost at sea in the South Atlantic losing all hands, whilst carrying a cargo of grain in 1956.
The area known as "Garden City" and parts of Bulwark Village were built to house the workers that were brought to Chepstow from 1917 to work in the new National Shipyard No.1. The Bulwark area is now home to about two thirds of the population of Chepstow. Hardwick "Garden City" was designed by the architect William Curtis Green
.
The shipyard developed on the site where the Wye railway bridge
had been constructed, and was subsequently taken over by the engineering firm Fairfield Mabey Bridge, who specialise in steelwork producing spans for bridges and other structures. One such structure was the lock gate for Avonmouth Docks
where during delivery a squall struck the gates and the delivery crew were swept off and lost. In May 2011, Mabey Bridge opened a new factory at Chepstow, making wind turbine
towers. The firm expected to produce up to 300 towers a year, making it the only UK-based supplier of the towers.
In the 19th century the town was also known for the production of clocks, bells, and grindstones. Other local industries have included the material for artificial ski slopes
, developed at the "Dendix" brush factory, which in its time was a producer of everything from small specialist brushes to huge industrial brushes.
Chepstow housed the head office of the Red & White
bus company (on Bulwark Road). The town also had links with the international snuff trade through Singleton's Snuff.
MVM Films
, an anime distributor, is headquartered in Chepstow.
, dating from 1816 and designed by John Rastrick
, is an elegant example of engineering from the Regency
period. The bridge comprises five cast-iron arches carried on stone piers and has a central span of 112 feet (34.1 m). It succeeded a number of wooden predecessors which had been built on or near the same site since at least 1228, and possibly much earlier. In 1576 the bridge was described as being in great decay, and an Act (the first to make specific reference to Monmouthshire) was passed making Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire responsible for the repair of their respective halves. Neglect continued however, and in 1606 the bridge was said to have fallen down and been carried away. By the beginning of the 18th century the bridge comprised a wooden decking carried by a central stone pier and five piers on either side each formed by a number of timber piles. The Monmouthshire half of the bridge was rebuilt as four stone arches in 1785, but the Gloucestershire half remained timber until 1815 when rebuilding of the whole bridge was begun to the overall plans of John Rennie
, as modified by Rastrick.
Until the Severn Bridge
– now part of the M48
– was opened in 1966, and a new A48
bridge over the Wye in 1988, the old bridge carried all the road traffic between England and South Wales
. The Severn Bridge has the second longest span of any bridge in the UK
; it replaced the Aust-Beachley ferry.
Chepstow railway station
is on the Cheltenham to Cardiff Central Line, serviced by Arriva Trains Wales; there is a service provided by CrossCountry Trains from Cardiff Central to Nottingham, via Birmingham New St (two-hourly in the morning and hourly in the afternoon and evening) and operated by SiemENs class 170 diesel units. The railway bridge
also known as "The Great Tubular Bridge" spanning the river Wye between Chepstow and Sedbury was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
in 1852 as part of the G.W.R, but the original structure was replaced in the 1960s. Until 1959, passenger trains operated up the Wye Valley Railway
to Monmouth
– this service ceased owing to heavy financial losses. The line at Chepstow was blocked by a landslide on 12 November 2009, following heavy rain.
was opened in 2002 as a PFI
-funded hospital and several new housing estates have been developed across the town. Over £2 million has recently been invested in regenerating the town centre. This scheme, which includes new sculptures including a boatman and other public art
, encountered some local criticism over its high cost, but has gained several national awards reflecting its high design quality.
The area beside the river has been attractively landscaped as part of a flood defence scheme. The town holds a biennial festival, an annual folk festival, and has also organised major son et lumiere
pageants covering aspects of local history, using local residents under professional direction. There is also a local museum
, opposite Chepstow Castle
entrance.
There are industrial estates at Bulwark and close to the railway station, and a distribution centre on the edge of the town adjoining the junction with the M48 motorway
. There has been housing development in recent years, particularly at the Bayfield estate west of the A466.
Chepstow Racecourse
is the leading horse racing facility and course in the UK. It is located on the edge of the town, in the grounds of the ruined Piercefield House
. Sundays see a large market set up on the racecourse grounds which is attended by vendors from as far afield as Birmingham, London, and beyond. During the course of the year the racecourse hosts hobby and antique fairs.
Chepstow also has many schools, including Chepstow School
. J.K. Rowling is an alumna of Wyedean School and Sixth Form Centre in nearby Sedbury
; and Public School St Johns-on-the-Hill in Tutshill
. There are also a number of churches in Chepstow, including non-conformist denominations.
Chepstow Town FC was founded in 1878 and currently play in Division One of the Gwent County League
. They last won the league title in 1997. The town also has a rugby football club
and an athletic Club for archery (St Kingsmark Bowmen), tennis, bowls, cricket and junior football.
Nearby other attractions are the Royal Forest of Dean
, the Wye Valley
, and the National Diving and Activity Centre
, and Tintern Abbey
.
Being located on a major motorway, bus, and train network the town attracts many commuters who on a daily basis commute to Bristol, Gloucester, Newport, Cardiff, and elsewhere.
Chepstow is twinned with Cormeilles
, France.
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England. It is located on the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
, close to its confluence with the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge
Severn Bridge
The Severn Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the River Severn between South Gloucestershire, just north of Bristol, England, and Monmouthshire in South Wales, via Beachley, a peninsula between the River Severn and River Wye estuary. It is the original Severn road crossing between England and...
on the M48 motorway
M48 motorway
The M48 is a motorway in Great Britain joining Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire over the original Severn Bridge. The M48 is anomalously numbered, as it is entirely to the west of the M5 motorway and its number should really therefore begin with 5.-Route:...
. It is 14 miles (22.5 km) east of Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
and 110 miles (177 km) west of London.
Chepstow is most notable for its castle
Chepstow Castle
Chepstow Castle , located in Chepstow, Monmouthshire in Wales, on top of cliffs overlooking the River Wye, is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain...
, the oldest surviving stone castle in Britain, and for Chepstow Racecourse
Chepstow Racecourse
Chepstow Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located just outside the town of Chepstow in Monmouthshire, Wales, near the southern end of the Wye Valley which forms the border with England...
which hosts the Welsh Grand National
Welsh National
The Welsh National is a Grade 3 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Chepstow, Wales, over a distance of about 3 miles and 5½ furlongs , and during its running there are twenty-two fences to be jumped...
. The town is on the west bank of the Wye; adjoining villages on the eastern bank of the Wye, Tutshill
Tutshill
Tutshill is a small village within the parish of Tidenham in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the eastern bank of the River Wye, which forms the boundary with Wales at this point and which separates the village from the town of Chepstow...
and Sedbury
Sedbury
Sedbury is a village in the Forest of Dean district of west Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the eastern bank of the River Wye, facing the Welsh town of Chepstow...
, are located in England.
Origins of the name
Chepstow sits on the River WyeRiver Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
, about 2 miles (3.2 km) upstream of its confluence with the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
. The location was named Striguil
Striguil
Striguil or Strigoil is the name which was used from the 11th century until the late 14th century, for the port and Norman castle of Chepstow, on the Welsh side of the River Wye which forms the boundary with England...
(or Estrighoiel) in Norman times – from the Welsh word ystraigyl meaning a bend in the river – but by about the 14th century had become known in English as Chepstow, from the old English ceap / chepe stowe meaning market place. The Welsh name for the town, Cas-gwent (being short for Castell Gwent), means "castle of Gwent", the name Gwent itself deriving ultimately from the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
name Venta
Venta Silurum
Venta Silurum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia or Britain. Today it consists of remains in the village of Caerwent in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. Much of it has been archaeologically excavated and is on display to the public....
applied to what is now called Caerwent
Caerwent
Caerwent is a village and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located about five miles west of Chepstow and eleven miles east of Newport, and was founded by the Romans as the market town of Venta Silurum, an important settlement of the Brythonic Silures tribe. The modern village is built...
, 5 miles (8 km) west of Chepstow.
Early settlement
The oldest known site of human habitation around Chepstow is at Thornwell, near the modern M48 motorwayM48 motorway
The M48 is a motorway in Great Britain joining Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire over the original Severn Bridge. The M48 is anomalously numbered, as it is entirely to the west of the M5 motorway and its number should really therefore begin with 5.-Route:...
junction, where archaeological investigations in advance of recent housing development revealed continuous human occupation from the Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period of around 5000 BC until the end of the Roman period, about 400 AD. There are also Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
fortified camps in the area, at Bulwark and Piercefield
Piercefield House
Piercefield House is a largely ruined neo-classical country house designed by Sir John Soane, located near Chepstow in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. Its extensive surrounding park overlooking the Wye Valley includes Chepstow Racecourse...
, dating from the time of the Silures
Silures
The Silures were a powerful and warlike tribe of ancient Britain, occupying approximately the counties of Monmouthshire, Breconshire and Glamorganshire of present day South Wales; and possibly Gloucestershire and Herefordshire of present day England...
. Later, there was probably a Roman bridge or ford over the Wye at Castleford about 1 miles (1.6 km) upstream of the existing town bridge. Chepstow is located at a crossing point directly between the Roman towns at Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
(Glevum
Glevum
Glevum was a Roman fort in Roman Britain that become "colonia" of retired legionaries in AD 97. Today it is known as Gloucester, located in the English county of Gloucestershire...
) and Caerwent
Caerwent
Caerwent is a village and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located about five miles west of Chepstow and eleven miles east of Newport, and was founded by the Romans as the market town of Venta Silurum, an important settlement of the Brythonic Silures tribe. The modern village is built...
(Venta Silurum
Venta Silurum
Venta Silurum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia or Britain. Today it consists of remains in the village of Caerwent in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. Much of it has been archaeologically excavated and is on display to the public....
). Although historians think it likely that there was a small Roman fort in the area, the only evidence found so far has been of Roman material and burials, rather than buildings.
After the Romans left, Chepstow replaced Caerwent as the main port and market town within the southern part of the Kingdom of Gwent. A priory was established during this period, dedicated to St. Cynfarch (alternatively Cynmarch, Kynemark or Kingsmark) a disciple of St. Dyfrig
Dubricius
Saint Dubricius was a 6th century Briton ecclesiastic venerated as a saint. He was the evangelist of Ergyng and much of South-East Wales.-Biography:Dubricius was the illegitimate son of Efrddyl, the daughter of King Peibio Clafrog of Ergyng...
. Few remains have been found of the priory, which was located in the area originally called Llangynfarch, now a suburban housing estate (Kingsmark Lane). It became an Augustinian priory but was eventually superseded by the later Norman priory in the town centre.
The town is close to the southern end of Offa's Dyke
Offa's Dyke
Offa's Dyke is a massive linear earthwork, roughly followed by some of the current border between England and Wales. In places, it is up to wide and high. In the 8th century it formed some kind of delineation between the Anglian kingdom of Mercia and the Welsh kingdom of Powys...
, which begins at Sedbury, Glos, near the east bank of the Wye and runs all the way to the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
at Prestatyn
Prestatyn
Prestatyn is a seaside resort, town and community in Denbighshire, North Wales. It is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. At the 2001 Census, Prestatyn had a population of 18,496.-Prehistory:...
in north Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. This was built in the 8th century as a boundary between Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
and Welsh kingdoms of Powys and Gwent, although recent research suggests that the part near Chepstow may not actually be part of the original Dyke. The Lancaut
Lancaut
Lancaut is a deserted village in Gloucestershire, England, located alongside the River Wye, around two miles north of Chepstow. It occupies a narrow-necked promontory formed by a curve of the river, which acts as the border between England and Wales. Little remains of the village today, except...
and Beachley
Beachley
Beachley is a village in Gloucestershire, England, near the border with Wales. It is located on a peninsula at the junction between the Rivers Wye and Severn, where the Severn Bridge ends and the smaller secondary bridge for the River Wye begins. The tidal drop here is one of the highest in the UK...
peninsulas, opposite Chepstow, formed part of Gwent rather than Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
at that time, although the position was reversed by the time of the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, in which Striguil is included as part of Gloucestershire.
The Normans
Chepstow CastleChepstow Castle
Chepstow Castle , located in Chepstow, Monmouthshire in Wales, on top of cliffs overlooking the River Wye, is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain...
is the oldest surviving stone fortification in Britain. After the Norman Invasion
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
Chepstow was identified as an ideal site for a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, not only because it controlled a crossing point on the strategically important River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
, but also because the steep limestone gorge and castle dell afforded an excellent defensive location. William the Conqueror ordered its construction in 1067, and, according to the Domesday Book, it was supervised by the master castle builder of the time, William fitzOsbern. The speed with which William the Conqueror committed to the creation of a castle at Chepstow is testament to its strategic importance. At the time, the kingdoms in the area were independent of the English crown and the castle in Chepstow provided a way to deter the Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
from attacking Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. From the 14th century, with the end of the wars between England and Wales, the castle's importance declined.
A town grew up beside the castle, the Priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
church, and the port, and in 1294 Chepstow was given the right to hold a weekly market and annual fair. It flourished partly because it was exempt from English taxation. The town wall, locally known as the Port Wall, was built about this time, and mostly still stands. Particularly good sections can be seen at the Welsh Street car park, and either side of the A48 road
A48 road
The A48 is a major trunk road in Great Britain. It runs from the A40 at Highnam west of Gloucester to the A40 at Carmarthen. Before the construction of the M4 motorway and the first Severn Bridge in the mid 1960s it was the principal route into South Wales. For most of its journey through Wales,...
. The Town Gate through the wall at the top end of the High Street was rebuilt in the 16th century and was used as a toll gate.
The most significant church in Chepstow is the Parish and Priory Church of St Mary
St. Mary's Church, Chepstow
The Priory and Parish Church of St. Mary is located in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, south east Wales. Parts of the building, including its ornate west doorway, date from the late 11th century and are contemporary with the nearby Norman castle....
, located at the bottom of the town. It, like the castle, is Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
in origin, although much rebuilt and extended in later centuries. St Mary's was the centre of a religious community with a convent and school, the remains of which are buried under the adjoining car park. Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s from Cormeilles Abbey
Cormeilles Abbey
Cormeilles Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Normandy. Cormeilles is now in Eure; the abbey was in the commune of Saint-Pierre-de-Cormeilles. The buildings are now completely destroyed.-Foundation:...
in Normandy, Chepstow's twin town
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
, were there until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
from 1536.
Three miles (5 km) southwest of Chepstow is St. Pierre
St. Pierre, Monmouthshire
St Pierre is a former parish and hamlet in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, 3 miles south west of Chepstow and adjacent to the Severn estuary. It is now the site of a large golf and country club, the Marriott St Pierre Hotel & Country Club, which was previously a large manor house and deer park...
, the longtime holding of the Lewis family, who were seated at St. Pierre from medieval times and who were among the largest landowners in the country. Today it is a Marriott Hotel and Country Club.
Economy
In addition to being a market town, Chepstow was from medieval times the largest portPort
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
in Wales. Chepstow was still a bustling port of substance when, during the period 1790 to 1795, records show a greater tonnage of goods handled than Swansea, Cardiff & Newport combined. In the medieval period it mainly traded in timber from the Wye Valley
Wye Valley
The Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales. It is one of the most dramatic and scenic landscape areas in southern Britain....
and with Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, although records show that Chepstow ships sailed as far afield as Iceland and Turkey, as well as to France, Portugal and Ireland. Ships, including many built and launched in Chepstow, clearly sailed the world, and in 1840 leaders of the Chartist
Chartism
Chartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, between 1838 and 1859. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838. Chartism was possibly the first mass working class labour movement in the world...
insurrection in Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
were transported from Chepstow to Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
(Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
).
Other goods exported from Chepstow over the years included wire
Wire
A wire is a single, usually cylindrical, flexible strand or rod of metal. Wires are used to bear mechanical loads and to carry electricity and telecommunications signals. Wire is commonly formed by drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Standard sizes are determined by various...
made in the many mills on the tributaries of the Wye, leather which was tanned with the bark of the forest's oaks, and paper primarily from Mounton Mill which produced the first high grade security paper used by the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
for the printing of bank notes. An important aspect of Chepstow's trade was entrepôt trade: bringing larger cargoes into the manageable deep water of the Wye on high tide and breaking down the load for on-shipment in the many trow
Trow
A trow was a type of cargo boat found in the past on the rivers Severn and Wye in Great Britain and used to transport goods. The mast could be taken down so that the trow could go under bridges, such as the bridge at Worcester and the many bridges up and downstream. The mast was stepped in a three...
s up the Wye to Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
past the coin stamping mill at Redbrook, or up the Severn to Gloucester and beyond. Chepstow also traded across the estuary to Bristol on suitable tides to work vessels up and down the Avon to that city's centre.
The port function and local shipbuilding trade declined during the 19th century as ship design developed and the cities of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
and Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
became more suitable for handling the bulk export of coal and steel from the Glamorganshire and Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
valleys. Shipbuilding was briefly revived during the First World War when the first prefabricated ships were constructed. Ships like The War Glory & The War Illiad were constructed and launched primarily from the slipways on the Chepstow side, where 10,000 tons was the manageable limit. The last of these ships was recorded as lost at sea in the South Atlantic losing all hands, whilst carrying a cargo of grain in 1956.
The area known as "Garden City" and parts of Bulwark Village were built to house the workers that were brought to Chepstow from 1917 to work in the new National Shipyard No.1. The Bulwark area is now home to about two thirds of the population of Chepstow. Hardwick "Garden City" was designed by the architect William Curtis Green
William Curtis Green
William Curtis Green was an English architect.Green was born in Alton, Hampshire. He studied engineering at the technical school at West Bromwich and architecture at Birmingham School of Art. Articled to John Belcher from 1895 he studied part time at the Royal Academy. In 1897 he joined the staff...
.
The shipyard developed on the site where the Wye railway bridge
Chepstow Bridge
Chepstow railway bridge was built to the instructions of Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1852. The "Great Tubular Bridge" over the River Wye at Chepstow, which at that point forms the boundary between Wales and England, is considered one of Brunel's major achievements, despite its appearance...
had been constructed, and was subsequently taken over by the engineering firm Fairfield Mabey Bridge, who specialise in steelwork producing spans for bridges and other structures. One such structure was the lock gate for Avonmouth Docks
Avonmouth Docks
The Avonmouth Docks are part of the Port of Bristol, in England. They are situated on the northern side of the mouth of the River Avon, opposite the Royal Portbury Dock on the southern side, where the river joins the Severn estuary, within Avonmouth....
where during delivery a squall struck the gates and the delivery crew were swept off and lost. In May 2011, Mabey Bridge opened a new factory at Chepstow, making wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
towers. The firm expected to produce up to 300 towers a year, making it the only UK-based supplier of the towers.
In the 19th century the town was also known for the production of clocks, bells, and grindstones. Other local industries have included the material for artificial ski slopes
Artificial ski slopes
A dry ski slope or artificial ski slope is a ski slope that mimics the attributes of snow using materials that are stable at room temperature, to enable people to ski where natural slopes are inconvenient or unavailable....
, developed at the "Dendix" brush factory, which in its time was a producer of everything from small specialist brushes to huge industrial brushes.
Chepstow housed the head office of the Red & White
Red & White Services
Red & White Services was a bus company operating in south east Wales and Gloucestershire, England between 1929 and 1978.Red & White evolved into Red & White United Transport Ltd, formed in 1937, which owned bus and road freight companies in the United Kingdom and southern Africa...
bus company (on Bulwark Road). The town also had links with the international snuff trade through Singleton's Snuff.
MVM Films
MVM Films
MVM Films is a British distributor of Japanese animation. The company sublicenses anime titles from US Anime companies such as Media Blasters, Geneon, Nozomi Entertainment, Urban Vision, AnimEigo, and US Manga Corps, which do not have a UK presence, and releases them on Region 2 DVD...
, an anime distributor, is headquartered in Chepstow.
Transport
The old cast iron road bridge across the WyeRiver Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
, dating from 1816 and designed by John Rastrick
John Urpeth Rastrick
John Urpeth Rastrick was one of the first English steam locomotive builders. In partnership with James Foster, he formed Foster, Rastrick and Company, the locomotive construction company that built the Stourbridge Lion in 1829 for export to the Delaware and Hudson Railroad in America.-Early...
, is an elegant example of engineering from the Regency
English Regency
The Regency era in the United Kingdom is the period between 1811—when King George III was deemed unfit to rule and his son, the Prince of Wales, ruled as his proxy as Prince Regent—and 1820, when the Prince Regent became George IV on the death of his father....
period. The bridge comprises five cast-iron arches carried on stone piers and has a central span of 112 feet (34.1 m). It succeeded a number of wooden predecessors which had been built on or near the same site since at least 1228, and possibly much earlier. In 1576 the bridge was described as being in great decay, and an Act (the first to make specific reference to Monmouthshire) was passed making Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire responsible for the repair of their respective halves. Neglect continued however, and in 1606 the bridge was said to have fallen down and been carried away. By the beginning of the 18th century the bridge comprised a wooden decking carried by a central stone pier and five piers on either side each formed by a number of timber piles. The Monmouthshire half of the bridge was rebuilt as four stone arches in 1785, but the Gloucestershire half remained timber until 1815 when rebuilding of the whole bridge was begun to the overall plans of John Rennie
John Rennie (father)
John Rennie was a Scottish civil engineer who designed many bridges, canals, and docks.-Early years:Rennie, a farmer's younger son, was born at Phantassie, near East Linton, East Lothian, Scotland, and showed a taste for mechanics at a very early age, and was allowed to spend much time in the...
, as modified by Rastrick.
Until the Severn Bridge
Severn Bridge
The Severn Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the River Severn between South Gloucestershire, just north of Bristol, England, and Monmouthshire in South Wales, via Beachley, a peninsula between the River Severn and River Wye estuary. It is the original Severn road crossing between England and...
– now part of the M48
M48 motorway
The M48 is a motorway in Great Britain joining Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire over the original Severn Bridge. The M48 is anomalously numbered, as it is entirely to the west of the M5 motorway and its number should really therefore begin with 5.-Route:...
– was opened in 1966, and a new A48
A48 road
The A48 is a major trunk road in Great Britain. It runs from the A40 at Highnam west of Gloucester to the A40 at Carmarthen. Before the construction of the M4 motorway and the first Severn Bridge in the mid 1960s it was the principal route into South Wales. For most of its journey through Wales,...
bridge over the Wye in 1988, the old bridge carried all the road traffic between England and South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. The Severn Bridge has the second longest span of any bridge in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
; it replaced the Aust-Beachley ferry.
Chepstow railway station
Chepstow railway station
Chepstow railway station is a part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales. Chepstow station is on the Gloucester to Newport Line. It is located within of the town centre, at Station Road, Chepstow...
is on the Cheltenham to Cardiff Central Line, serviced by Arriva Trains Wales; there is a service provided by CrossCountry Trains from Cardiff Central to Nottingham, via Birmingham New St (two-hourly in the morning and hourly in the afternoon and evening) and operated by SiemENs class 170 diesel units. The railway bridge
Chepstow Bridge
Chepstow railway bridge was built to the instructions of Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1852. The "Great Tubular Bridge" over the River Wye at Chepstow, which at that point forms the boundary between Wales and England, is considered one of Brunel's major achievements, despite its appearance...
also known as "The Great Tubular Bridge" spanning the river Wye between Chepstow and Sedbury was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
in 1852 as part of the G.W.R, but the original structure was replaced in the 1960s. Until 1959, passenger trains operated up the Wye Valley Railway
Wye Valley Railway
The Wye Valley Railway was a standard gauge railway that ran for nearly between Chepstow and Monmouth along the lower part of the scenic Wye Valley in Monmouthshire, Wales, and Gloucestershire, England. It followed the route of the River Wye for most of its length...
to Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
– this service ceased owing to heavy financial losses. The line at Chepstow was blocked by a landslide on 12 November 2009, following heavy rain.
The town today
Chepstow town centre has many shops within walking distance of 1000 car park spaces. There are 16 hotels, bars and pubs, and 15 restaurants and cafes. Chepstow Community HospitalChepstow Community Hospital
Chepstow Community Hospital in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales accepted its first patients on 26 February 2000 having been developed under the United Kingdom Government's Private Finance Initiative...
was opened in 2002 as a PFI
Private Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
-funded hospital and several new housing estates have been developed across the town. Over £2 million has recently been invested in regenerating the town centre. This scheme, which includes new sculptures including a boatman and other public art
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
, encountered some local criticism over its high cost, but has gained several national awards reflecting its high design quality.
The area beside the river has been attractively landscaped as part of a flood defence scheme. The town holds a biennial festival, an annual folk festival, and has also organised major son et lumiere
Son et lumière (show)
Son et lumière , or a sound and light show, is a form of nighttime entertainment that is usually presented in an outdoor venue of historic significance....
pageants covering aspects of local history, using local residents under professional direction. There is also a local museum
Chepstow Museum
Chepstow Museum is a museum in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It is operated by Monmouthshire Museums Service.- Location :Chepstow Museum is located close to the town centre, opposite Chepstow Castle in Bridge Street, near the River Wye. It occupies Gwy House, a fine townhouse built...
, opposite Chepstow Castle
Chepstow Castle
Chepstow Castle , located in Chepstow, Monmouthshire in Wales, on top of cliffs overlooking the River Wye, is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain...
entrance.
There are industrial estates at Bulwark and close to the railway station, and a distribution centre on the edge of the town adjoining the junction with the M48 motorway
M48 motorway
The M48 is a motorway in Great Britain joining Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire over the original Severn Bridge. The M48 is anomalously numbered, as it is entirely to the west of the M5 motorway and its number should really therefore begin with 5.-Route:...
. There has been housing development in recent years, particularly at the Bayfield estate west of the A466.
Chepstow Racecourse
Chepstow Racecourse
Chepstow Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located just outside the town of Chepstow in Monmouthshire, Wales, near the southern end of the Wye Valley which forms the border with England...
is the leading horse racing facility and course in the UK. It is located on the edge of the town, in the grounds of the ruined Piercefield House
Piercefield House
Piercefield House is a largely ruined neo-classical country house designed by Sir John Soane, located near Chepstow in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. Its extensive surrounding park overlooking the Wye Valley includes Chepstow Racecourse...
. Sundays see a large market set up on the racecourse grounds which is attended by vendors from as far afield as Birmingham, London, and beyond. During the course of the year the racecourse hosts hobby and antique fairs.
Chepstow also has many schools, including Chepstow School
Chepstow School
Chepstow School is a Welsh comprehensive school , located in Chepstow, Monmouthshire and overseen by the Monmouthshire Local Education Authority....
. J.K. Rowling is an alumna of Wyedean School and Sixth Form Centre in nearby Sedbury
Sedbury
Sedbury is a village in the Forest of Dean district of west Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the eastern bank of the River Wye, facing the Welsh town of Chepstow...
; and Public School St Johns-on-the-Hill in Tutshill
Tutshill
Tutshill is a small village within the parish of Tidenham in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the eastern bank of the River Wye, which forms the boundary with Wales at this point and which separates the village from the town of Chepstow...
. There are also a number of churches in Chepstow, including non-conformist denominations.
Chepstow Town FC was founded in 1878 and currently play in Division One of the Gwent County League
Gwent County League
The Gwent County League is a football league in South Wales, consisting of 3 divisions, named Divisions One, Two and Three...
. They last won the league title in 1997. The town also has a rugby football club
Chepstow RFC
Chepstow Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the town of Chepstow, in Monmouthshire, Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.-History:...
and an athletic Club for archery (St Kingsmark Bowmen), tennis, bowls, cricket and junior football.
Nearby other attractions are the Royal Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
, the Wye Valley
Wye Valley
The Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales. It is one of the most dramatic and scenic landscape areas in southern Britain....
, and the National Diving and Activity Centre
National Diving and Activity Centre (Chepstow)
The National Diving and Activity Centre is a large flooded quarry at Tidenham, Gloucestershire, England, near to the border with Wales at Chepstow. It was formerly Dayhouse Quarry, a source of limestone, which was flooded in 1996. The diving centre opened in 2003.It is an inland scuba diving...
, and Tintern Abbey
Tintern Abbey
Tintern Abbey was founded by Walter de Clare, Lord of Chepstow, on 9 May 1131. It is situated in the village of Tintern, on the Welsh bank of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, which forms the border between Monmouthshire in Wales and Gloucestershire in England. It was only the second Cistercian...
.
Being located on a major motorway, bus, and train network the town attracts many commuters who on a daily basis commute to Bristol, Gloucester, Newport, Cardiff, and elsewhere.
Chepstow is twinned with Cormeilles
Cormeilles, Eure
Cormeilles is a commune in the Eure department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Population:The inhabitants are called Cormeillais.-Geography:...
, France.
Notable people
- See also :Category:People from Chepstow
- William BedloeWilliam BedloeWilliam Bedloe was an English fraudster and informer, born at Chepstow.He appears to have been well educated; he was certainly clever, and after moving to London in 1670 he became acquainted with some Jesuits and was occasionally employed by them...
(1650–1680), anti-Catholic informer - James DavisJames Davis (satirist)James Davis was a Welsh physician and satirist.-Life:Davis was born in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales, and, on 18 February 1723 at the age of sixteen, he matriculated at Jesus College, Oxford. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree on 13 October 1726, advancing to Master of Arts on 9 July 1729...
, (1706/07-1755), physician and satirist - James StephensJames Stephens (trade unionist)James Stephens was a stonemason, Chartist, and Australian trade unionist.-Early years:Stephens was born in Chepstow, Monmouthshire in south east Wales...
(1821–1889), stonemason, ChartistChartismChartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, between 1838 and 1859. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838. Chartism was possibly the first mass working class labour movement in the world...
, and leading Australian trade unionist - Eleanor Anne OrmerodEleanor Anne OrmerodEleanor Anne Ormerod was an English entomologist. She was a daughter of George Ormerod, F.R.S., author of The History of Cheshire, and was born at Sedbury Park, Gloucestershire. From early childhood insects were her interest and she had great opportunities to study them in the large estate where...
(1828–1901), leading entomologist, was born at nearby Sedbury ParkSedburySedbury is a village in the Forest of Dean district of west Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the eastern bank of the River Wye, facing the Welsh town of Chepstow... - Ted PooleyTed PooleyEdward William 'Ted' Pooley was an English cricketer. Ted Pooley's greatest claim to fame is that he should have been England's first Test match wicket keeper...
(1842–1907), cricketerCricketerA cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
with SurreySurrey County Cricket ClubSurrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
and MiddlesexMiddlesex County Cricket ClubMiddlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the... - Sir Herbert Isambard OwenSir Herbert Isambard OwenSir Herbert Isambard Owen was a University academic. He was the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol and a deputy Chancellor of the University of Wales. He was the nephew of Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
(1857–1927), University academic and nephew of Isambard Kingdom BrunelIsambard Kingdom BrunelIsambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges... - William Charles WilliamsWilliam Charles WilliamsWilliam Charles Williams VC was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
(1880–1915), awarded the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for gallantry in World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, born in ShropshireShropshireShropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
but raised in Chepstow - Eddie ParrisEddie ParrisJohn Edward Parris , known as Eddie or Ted Parris, was a Welsh international footballer, who played for Bradford Park Avenue, AFC Bournemouth, Luton Town, Bath City, Northampton Town and Cheltenham Town...
(1911–1971), first black player to play football for Wales - Ollie BurtonOllie BurtonAlwyn Derek "Ollie" Burton is a former Welsh international footballer, who is a member of the Norwich City F.C. Hall of Fame....
(born 1941), Wales international footballer - J. K. RowlingJ. K. RowlingJoanne "Jo" Rowling, OBE , better known as J. K. Rowling, is the British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series...
(born 1965), author of the Harry PotterHarry PotterHarry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
books, lived in the adjoining village of TutshillTutshillTutshill is a small village within the parish of Tidenham in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the eastern bank of the River Wye, which forms the boundary with Wales at this point and which separates the village from the town of Chepstow...
from the age of 9, and attended secondary school at Wyedean School. - Grant NicholasGrant NicholasGrant Nicholas is a Welsh musician, best known as the lead singer and lead guitarist of the rock band Feeder, along with bassist Taka Hirose and drummer Karl Brazil.-Early years:...
(born 1967) of the band FeederFeeder-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...
grew up in PwllmeyricPwllmeyricPwllmeyric is a small village in Monmouthshire, Wales, located 1 mile south west of Chepstow, on the A48 road within the parish of Mathern.The name Pwllmeyric means, in Welsh, "Meurig's pool", and refers to the pwll or creek of the Severn estuary which, before it silted up, linked the village to...
, just outside Chepstow. - Owain YeomanOwain YeomanOwain Yeoman is a Welsh actor. His credits include The Nine, Kitchen Confidential and the HBO series, Generation Kill. He currently appears as Agent Wayne Rigsby in The Mentalist.-Biography:...
(born 1978), film and television actor (The MentalistThe MentalistThe Mentalist is an American police procedural television series which debuted on September 23, 2008, on CBS. The show was created by Bruno Heller, who is also the show's executive producer...
). - Paul ParryPaul ParryPaul Ian Parry is a Welsh professional footballer and former Wales international who currently plays for Football League One side Preston North End...
(born 1980), Wales international footballer, playing for Preston North EndPreston North End F.C.Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
.