Cas-gwent (Welsh); twinned with Cormeilles (France)

The first stone castle to built in Britain following the Norman Conquest still stands guard over the River Wye as it nears its confluence with the Severn Estuary. And the town that grew up around it has been an important port and market centre ever since.

Chepstow's past includes shipbuilding and salmon fishing, the export of timber and oak bark and the import of wine. And in the 18th century the town became popular with visitors following the Wye Tour, Britain's first tourist trail, which attracted the wealthy and the idealistic in search of the Picturesque. Amongst them were the artists Turner and Sandby and the poet Wordsworth. 

Chepstow Museum tells the story of the Wye Tour, and is a short walk from the Regency iron bridge over the Wye. Until the Severn Road Bridge opened in 1966, this provided the most direct road access from Bristol to South Wales.

Today, the two Severn crossings at the edge of Chepstow are regarded as amongst the most iconic and recognisable sights in southern England.

See the town website for more on visiting Chepstow.