Chepstow Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Strigoil; Strigul; Striguil Estrighoel; Estrighoiel

In the community of Chepstow. In the historic county of Monmouthshire (Modern authority of Monmouthshire, preserved county of Gwent).

Substantial remains of one of the earliest stone-built castles in Britain - the centre of the medieval Marcher lordship of Chepstow. Built c. AD 1067 by William FitzOsbourne on a narrow ridge overlooking the River Wye and its bridge. The river side of the castle is a steep cliff to the Wye with a deep steep sided valley to the west. The earliest part of the castle is a Hall Keep and a series of three wards were constructed enclosing the entire ridge. There is no record of the castle being captured until the Civil War. The castle was modified and developed in successive stages throughout the Middle Ages and strengthened during the Civil War of the mid-C17.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This site is a Not known if listed listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST53369412

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Monuments Record number; 95237 County Sites and Monuments Record number; 01173g

• Web site links
  • http://www.thislandwales.com/chepstowcastle.htm
    http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=50
    http://www.castlewales.com/chepstow.html
    http://www.greatcastlesofwales.co.uk/chepstow.htm
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/162/chepstowcastle.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/chepstow.html
• Books
  • Turner, R. and Johnson, A. (eds), 2006, Chepstow Castle: its history and buildings (Almeley: Logaston Press)
    Prior, Stuart, 2006, A Few Well-Positioned Castles: The Norman Art of War (Tempus) p110-164
    Phillips, Neil, 2005, Earthwork Castles of Gwent and Ergyng AD 1050-1250 (University of Wales) [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?phillips_phd_2005] p159-60
    Avent, R., 2003, 'William Marshal's building works at Chepstow Castle, Monmouthshire, 1189-1219' in Kenyon, J.R. and O'Conor, K. (eds), The medieval castle in Ireland and Wales: essays in honour of Jeremy Knight (Dublin: Four Courts Press) p50-71
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p125-30
    Eaton, T., 2000, 'Counting the cost at Chepstow' in Eaton, T., Plundering the past: Roman stonework in medieval Britain (Stroud) p31-57
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p57-60
    Salter, Mike, 1991, The Castles of Gwent, Glamorgan and Gower (Malvern) p15-18
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p282
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p338-40
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p607, 650-1 [slight]
    Clark, A., 1951, Chepstow its Castle and Lordship (Newport)
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p153-156
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p125-6
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co) p126-8, 162-4
    Wood, James G., 1910, The Lordship, Castles and Town of Chepstow, otherwise Striguil (The Monmouthshire and Caerleon Antiquarian Association: Newport)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p79-81
    Marsh, 1883, Annals of Chepstow Castle (Exeter)
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p472-5
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p185
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol3 p151-5
• Journal Articles
  • Trott, K. and Blockley, K., 2004, 'Excavation in the middle bailey, Chepstow Castle' Archaeology in Wales Vol44 p87-93
    Turner, R.C., with contributions by Allen, J.R.L., Coldstream, N., Jones-Jenkins, C.,Morris, R.K., and Priestley, S.G. 2004, 'The Great Tower, Chepstow Castle, Wales' Antiquaries Journal Vol84
    Bradley, J and Gaimster, M. (eds), 2004, 'Medieval Britain and Ireland in 2003' Medieval Archaeology Vol48 p339 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Avent, Richard, 2001, 'The late twelfth century gatehouse at Chepstow castles, Monmouthshire, Wales' Château Gaillard Vol20
    Booth, K., 1992, 'Chepstow Castle: excavations in the Great Gatehouse, 1991' Monmouthshire Antiquarian Vol8 p19-25
    Harfield, C.G., 1991, 'A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book' English Historical Review Vol106 p371-392 http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28199104%29106%3A419%3C371%3AAHOCRI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q p 371-92
    Walker, D., 1991, 'Gloucestershire Castles' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol109 p5-23 http://www.glos.ac.uk/bgas/tbgas/v109/bg109005.pdf
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p308, 316
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol112 p77-124
    Faulkner, P.A., 1964, 'Castle Planning in the 14th Century' Archeaological Journal Vol120 p216-8 [domestic arrangements]
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
    Baker, W.H., 1959, ‘An inventory of the contents of Chepstow Castle, 1313’, Presenting Monmouthshire Vol7 p10–11
    Perks, J.C., 1946-48, ' The Architectural History of Chepstow Castle during the Middle Ages' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol67 p307-346 http://www.glos.ac.uk/bgas/tbgas/v067/bg067307.pdf
    Morris, A., 1909, 'Chepstow Castle and the Barony of Striguil' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol64 p407-32
    St John Hope, 1904, Archaeological Journal Vol61 p212-3
    Armitage, E., 1904 April, 'The Early Norman Castles of England' The English Historical Review Vol74 p223-4 http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28190404%2919%3A74%3C209%3ATENCOE%3E2.0.CO%3B2-1
    Clark, G.T., 1881-82, ' Chepstow Castle' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol6 p51-74 http://www.glos.ac.uk/bgas/tbgas/v006/bg006051.pdf
    Wakeman, 1855, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol10 p249-57 [history only]
• Guidebooks
  • Turner, Rick, 2006 (rev edn), Chepstow Castle, Chepstow Bulwarks Camp, Runston Chapel (CADW)
    Turner, Rick, 2002, Chepstow Castle (CADW)
    Knight, J.K., 1991 (rev edn), Chepstow Castle (CADW)
    Knight, J.K., 1986, Chepstow Castle (CADW)
    Perks, J., 1967, (2edn) Chepstow Castle (HMSO)
    Perks, J., 1957, Chepstow Castle (HMSO)
    Wood, J.G., 1910, The Lordship Castle and Town of Chepstow (Newport)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents. This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Giraldus Cambrensis, c.1183, Description of Wales [http://www.building-history.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Primary/Gerald.htm]
    Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p311-2
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/hertseng.html#mons4]
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol3 p43