121-719: The Old Wye Bridge or Town Bridge at Chepstow , also known historically as Chepstow Bridge , crosses the River Wye between Monmouthshire in Wales and Gloucestershire in England , close to Chepstow Castle . Although there had been earlier wooden bridges on the site since Norman times, the current road bridge was constructed of cast iron in 1816 during the Regency period , by John Rastrick of Bridgnorth , who greatly modified earlier plans by John Rennie . The bridge crosses
242-579: A Methodist Chapel was built in what is now Oxford Street. St Christopher's church (Anglican), and St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, are both located in the Bulwark area. The town holds a biennial community festival, as well as an annual agricultural show and the annual Wassail and Mari Lwyd in January. There is a local Welsh society for the area, Cymdeithas Cymraeg Cas-gwent, Cil-y-coed a'r cyffiniau , holding numerous Welsh language events throughout
363-465: A broad arc, bent against the open sea, towards the southern end of the present north pier. Much patched and decrepit, the quay was virtually rebuilt, though along the original line, between 1775 and 1785 by the landlord, Daniel Delacherois, probably with the help of John Smeaton , the distinguished civil engineer who had made earlier more elaborate plans for extending the harbour, and who had just rebuilt Portpatrick harbour. The old quay remained until after
484-720: A clifftop above the Wye and its bridge , is often cited as the oldest surviving stone castle in Britain. The castle was established by William FitzOsbern immediately after the Norman conquest , and was extended in later centuries before becoming ruined after the Civil War . A Benedictine priory was also established within the walled town , which was the centre of the Marcher lordship of Striguil . The port of Chepstow became noted in
605-558: A disciple of St. Dyfrig . This later became an Augustinian priory on what is now Kingsmark Lane, but no traces of it remain. The town is close to the southern point of Offa's Dyke , which begins on the east bank of the Wye at Sedbury and runs all the way to the Irish Sea in north Wales . This was built in the late 8th century as a boundary between Mercia and the Welsh kingdoms, although some recent research has questioned whether
726-699: A distributor of Japanese animated films . Chepstow is primarily a centre for service industries and tourism in South West England and Wales . Due to its very good rail and road links, Chepstow has a large commuter population, commuters travel to larger centres in Bristol and in South Wales. Its location at the southern end of the Wye Valley , together with its own sights including its castle and racecourse, have contributed to its development as
847-408: A housing estate. In the 2021 census, 45.1% of Chepstow's resident population gave their religion as Christian, with 47.4% stating "no religion". There are several churches in the town. St Mary's Priory Church was founded by about 1072 as a Benedictine priory , and retains its ornamented Norman west entrance doorway, decorated with zig zag and lozenge patterns. The priory was suppressed during
968-604: A natural valley on the other, afforded an excellent defensive location. A Benedictine priory, now St Mary's Church , was also established nearby. This was the centre of a small religious community, the remains of which are buried under the adjoining car park. Monks , originally from Cormeilles Abbey in Normandy , were there until the Dissolution of the Monasteries . The castle was expanded by William Marshal in
1089-594: A port and trading centre. Its port functions, together with its shipbuilding industry, have now virtually ceased. The industries which developed on the shipyard sites, particularly the fabrication of major engineering structures by the Mabey Group , continued close to the town centre as well as on the Newhouse Farm industrial estate beside the M48 motorway, where wind turbine towers were assembled. In July 2015,
1210-503: A river with one of the highest tidal ranges in the world. It carried the main A48 road between Newport and Gloucester until 1988, when a new road bridge was opened downstream alongside Chepstow Railway Bridge . The road bridge now carries local traffic between Chepstow and Tutshill . It is a Grade I listed building . Before the Roman period , the crossing of the Wye farthest downstream
1331-619: A small jetty, was built and maintained as a result of the Royal Warrant of 1616 which limited travel between the Ards and the Rhins of Galloway to this port, and that at Portpatrick also owned by Montgomery. It was described by Harris in 1744 as 'a curving quay about 400 feet (120m) long and 22 feet (6.7m) wide built of uncemented stones'. It ran from the shore at the north end of the Parade in
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#17327986543781452-545: A smaller and less prosperous county than Gloucestershire – considered it unreasonable that it should pay half the cost. However, in 1785, the wooden piers on the Monmouthshire side were rebuilt as four stone arches, although the Gloucestershire half remained timber until 1815. In 1810 the bridge was again declared to be "in decay" and dangerous, and local magistrates commissioned engineer John Rennie ,
1573-486: A tourist centre. The Chepstow Chamber of Commerce represents businesses in the town and aims to support and encourage their development. Blue plaques for English Heritage and other groups are made in the town. Chepstow town centre has over 130 shops within easy walking distance of 1,000 car park spaces. There are 16 hotels, bars and public houses, and 15 restaurants and cafes. The town has Tesco and M&S Foodhall supermarkets, and Screwfix , within or adjoining
1694-424: Is Red & White Services Ltd. The nearest major airports to Chepstow are at Bristol (27 miles (43 km)) and Cardiff (43 miles (69 km)). The population of Chepstow at the 2021 census was recorded as roughly 11,900. Of this, 23.4% were between the ages of 45 and 59, above the county average of 22.5%. The largest ethnic group is White with 96.4% of the population, below the county average of 96.9%, with
1815-607: Is a matching tower in Howth , Ireland, also designed by Rennie, for the other terminal of the Irish packet steamer. Of all Rennie's works, that which appeals most strongly to the imagination is perhaps the breakwater at Plymouth Sound , consisting of a wall a mile in length across the Sound, in about 20 metres (66 ft) of water, and containing 3,670,444 tons of rough stone, besides 22,149 cubic yards (16,934 m ) of masonry on
1936-780: Is a town and community in Monmouthshire , Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire , England. It is located on the tidal River Wye , about 2 miles (3 km) above its confluence with the River Severn , and adjoining the western end of the Severn Bridge . It is the easternmost settlement in Wales, situated 16 miles (26 km) east of Newport , 28 miles (45 km) east-northeast of Cardiff , 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Bristol and 110 miles (180 km) west of London. Chepstow Castle , situated on
2057-610: Is located on the edge of the town, in the grounds of the ruined Piercefield House . The racecourse was opened in 1926, and became the regular venue of the Welsh National in 1949. Chepstow Town F.C. was founded in 1878 and as of 2017 play in Division Three of the Welsh Football League . Chepstow RFC was also founded in 1878, by pupils and staff of Chepstow Grammar School. Matches are played at
2178-579: Is served by Chepstow School , located on Welsh Street, with over 1,300 pupils. There are four primary schools in the town: The Dell, Pembroke, Thornwell, and St Mary's Roman Catholic. Tutshill and Sedbury, on the English side of the Wye but within walking distance of Chepstow and attracting some pupils from the town, have their own schools, including Wyedean School , and the private preparatory Dean Close St John's in Tutshill . Chepstow Community Hospital
2299-528: Is serviced by Transport for Wales Rail ; the service provided by CrossCountry from Cardiff Central to Nottingham , via Birmingham New Street . 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 Great Western Railway , but the original structure was replaced in
2420-401: Is utterly taken away..." Under new legislation that year it was agreed that the bridge be maintained by a special "bridge money" tax levied on the residents of the two counties. For the next two centuries each county appointed a surveyor responsible for either end of the bridge. Apart from one stone pier in the centre, the bridge was entirely built of wood. The bridge was purposely destroyed by
2541-561: The Celtic Trail (Lôn Geltaidd) . Chepstow has also held professional and amateur street cycling events, such as the Chepstow Grand Prix. The town's leisure centre is located adjoining Chepstow School. The centre is owned by Monmouthshire County Council . Its facilities include an indoor swimming pool and both indoor and outdoor games pitches. Chepstow Harriers running club, founded in the 1880s, meets twice weekly at
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#17327986543782662-867: The Crinan Canal (1794–1801), Rudyard Lake (1797) and the Rochdale Canal , which passes through difficult country between Rochdale and Todmorden (1799). The Kennet and Avon Canal – including the Dundas Aqueduct , Caen Hill Locks and Crofton Pumping Station – occupied him between 1794 and 1810. In 1802 he revised the plans for the Royal Canal of Ireland from Dublin to the Shannon near Longford . He also served as advisor to Dublin Corporation's Pipe Water Committee, for which he
2783-605: The Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, and became the parish church. It was substantially rebuilt during the nineteenth century, and now holds regular services as part of the Church in Wales . The Baptist Church , in Lower Church Street, was built in 1816, by Walter G. Watkin, and later enlarged. The origins of the Methodist Church lie in a visit to the town made by John Wesley in 1762. In 1801,
2904-795: The Marriott St Pierre Hotel and Country Club, and the National Diving and Activity Centre at Tidenham . Several long distance trails – the Offa's Dyke Path , the Wye Valley Walk , the Wales Coast Path , and the Gloucestershire Way – pass through, or very close to, the town. Chepstow Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in 1914. The club disappeared in the 1960s. John Rennie
3025-568: The Middle Ages for its imports of wine, and also became a major centre for the export of timber and bark, from nearby woodland in the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean . In the late eighteenth century the town was a focus of early tourism as part of the " Wye Tour ", and the tourist industry remains important. Other important industries included shipbuilding – one of the First World War National Shipyards
3146-569: The Norman conquest of England , Chepstow was a key location. It was at the lowest bridging point of the River Wye, provided a base from which to advance Norman control into south Wales, and controlled river access to Hereford and the Marches . Chepstow Castle was founded by William fitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford , in 1067, and its Great Tower, often cited as the oldest surviving stone fortification in Britain, dates from that time or shortly afterwards. Its site, with sheer cliffs on one side and
3267-704: The River Lune in Lancaster . In Leeds he was commissioned to build two stone bridges, one over the River Aire and a second smaller structure over the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, to the west side of the town centre and upstream from Leeds Bridge . The main instigator of this scheme was mill owner Benjamin Gott , who had properties on both sides of the waterways and wanted an easier route between them. The larger bridge
3388-673: The River Medway estuary in Kent . Over the next few years Rennie also attained a deserved reputation as a builder of bridges, combining stone with new cast-iron techniques to create previously unheard-of low, wide, elliptical arches. Waterloo Bridge , over the River Thames in London (1811–1817), with its nine equal arches and perfectly flat roadway, is thought to have been influenced by Thomas Harrison 's design of Skerton Bridge over
3509-416: The River Wye at Chepstow, built in 1816 to replace earlier wooden structures, carried all the road traffic between South West England and South Wales and was the lowest bridging point of the Wye. The M48 motorway now connects Chepstow by road to Newport (18 miles (29 km)) and Cardiff (31 miles (50 km)) to the west, and Bristol (18 miles (29 km)) and London (124 miles (200 km)) to
3630-534: The Royalists during the Civil War in 1644, but was rebuilt by 1647. It was seriously damaged by storms in 1703, and again by high water in 1738, but was repaired both times. William Cole wrote of the bridge in 1746 that it was "the lightest in England, and the highest from the water." A suggestion in 1768 that the two counties should share the cost of building a new bridge failed because Monmouthshire –
3751-517: The Wales Coast Path extending from Wye Crescent, and by the link road from Bulwark Road to the M48, where the looser reddish Mercia Mudstone (which extends under Bulwark and Sedbury and forms the cliffs at the Severn) and the lighter Hunts Bay limestone are also seen. The River Wye at Chepstow has one of the highest tidal ranges in the world. The river was established as a boundary between England and Wales by Athelstan in 928. However, after
Old Wye Bridge, Chepstow - Misplaced Pages Continue
3872-613: The Welsh to the west, but after the 14th century the castle's importance diminished. The port of Chepstow developed during the mediaeval period, one reason being that its control by a Marcher Lord , rather than by the King , meant that it was exempt from English taxation. It mainly traded in timber and bark from the Wye Valley , and with Bristol . From mediaeval times, Chepstow was the largest port in Wales; its ships sailed as far as Iceland and Turkey, as well as to France and Portugal, and
3993-475: The 1960s. Until 1959, passenger trains also 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. Chepstow was home to Red & White Services , one of the region's largest bus and coach operators. Their head office and central workshops were at Bulwark from
4114-507: The 2022 local elections, the councillors are four from the Labour party , and two Conservative . The town also has its own Town Council , comprising 15 councillors elected every four years. The council elects a Town Mayor from among its number each year. The Town Mayor for 2022/23 is Cllr Margaret Griffiths. Chepstow was an electoral ward to Gwent County Council between 1973 and 1996. Its first councillor, Barney O'Neill, became leader of
4235-459: The Avon to that city's centre. Many buildings in the town remain from the late 18th and early 19th centuries; the elegant cast iron bridge across the Wye was opened in 1816 to replace an earlier wooden structure. The town became an important centre for tourism from the late eighteenth century, when the " Wye Tour " became popular. Visitors regularly took boats from Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth down
4356-677: The Chepstow Society, is housed in an elegant 1796 town house opposite the Castle entrance. Chepstow has no dedicated cinema or theatre, although film showings, theatrical and other events regularly take place in the Drill Hall, close to the Castle and riverside area. Chepstow is also home to the Electric Picture Hall, which organises regular 'pop-up' cinema events and a Welsh themed short film festival each year, with
4477-586: The Dublin Custom House and Store Houses.' In 1821, John James Macgregor noted: 'The tobacco stores have been finished on the south side at the expense of £70,000. They are 500 feet long by 160 feet wide. The roof is of cast iron, and the building finished in the most permanent manner.' In 1821, the Rev. George Newenham Wright, an Anglican clergyman, likewise noted: Now known as the CHQ Building ,
4598-475: The Elder John Rennie FRSE FRS (7 June 1761 – 4 October 1821) was a Scottish civil engineer who designed many bridges, canals , docks and warehouses, and a pioneer in the use of structural cast-iron. He was born the younger son of James Rennie, a farmer near Phantassie , near East Linton , East Lothian, Scotland . John showed a taste for mechanics at a very early age, and
4719-590: The English in earlier centuries. However, the name used by the Normans for the castle and lordship was Striguil (in various spellings, such as Estrighoiel), probably derived from a Welsh word ystraigyl , meaning a bend in the river. The Welsh name Cas-gwent refers to the "castle of Gwent ". The name Gwent itself derives from the Roman settlement Venta Silurum or 'Market of the Silures ', now named Caerwent , 5 miles (8 km) west of Chepstow, which had been
4840-453: The Norman conquest, areas east of the Wye, within the former Saxon royal manor of Tidenham and including Beachley , Tutshill , Sedbury and Tidenham Chase, were included within the lordship of Striguil or Chepstow. In 1536, the river was confirmed as the boundary between Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire. Since the early 19th century, housing development has continued on the east bank of
4961-596: The Romano-British commercial centre of south-east Wales. The oldest site of known habitation at Chepstow is at Thornwell, overlooking the estuaries of the Wye and Severn close to the modern M48 motorway 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
Old Wye Bridge, Chepstow - Misplaced Pages Continue
5082-570: The Royal Society on 29 March 1798, and in 1815 he served as a Manager of the newly built London Institution . In 1790 he married Martha Ann Mackintosh (d.1806), daughter of E. Mackintosh, and by her had seven children, two of whom, George and John , became notable engineers. His daughter Anna married the architect Charles Cockerell . He died, after a short illness, at his house in Stamford Street, London, on 4 October 1821, and
5203-767: The Upton Memorial Ground, Lower Western Avenue. As of 2017 the team play in Division Three East A of the WRU National League The town also has an athletic Club for archery (St Kingsmark Bowmen), tennis, bowls, cricket and junior football. The 1976 IAAF World Cross Country Championships , won by Carlos Lopes , were held in the town. Two long routes of the National Cycle Network start in Chepstow, including
5324-420: The advice which Rennie gave Stevenson entitled him to rank the building as one which he "designed and constructed". The Holyhead Mail Pier Light is a conical white house which was built by Rennie in 1821. The lighthouse is of national significance as one of Rennie's surviving works. Of particular importance, in a Welsh context, is the early date of the lighthouse lantern, which was originally lit by gas. Before
5445-403: The architect of Waterloo Bridge in London , to design a new bridge. Rennie's designs, at an estimated cost of £41,890 (equivalent to £3,750,000 in 2023), were considered to be too expensive, but action was eventually taken after a ship collided with the wooden bridge in 1812, demolishing part of it and causing six deaths. The foundation stone for the new bridge was laid on 13 April 1813. In 1814
5566-524: The area, dating from the time of the Silures , at Bulwark , 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the town centre, and at Piercefield and Lancaut , some 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the north. During the Roman occupation, there was a bridge or causeway across the Wye, about 0.6 miles (0.97 km) upstream of the later 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
5687-401: The area, including Otter Hole , one of the most decorated cave systems in Britain. The climate of the town is affected by its position close to the Severn estuary. The bedrock of Chepstow is limestone, mudstone and sandstone , overlain in places with some gravels and the clay and silt of the river's tidal flats, which are of marine origin and up to two million years old. Most of the rock
5808-458: The bridge marks the boundary point between the two counties of Gloucester and Monmouth. The cast iron lamp posts were bought from Sheffield City Council and installed in 1969. The bridge is a Grade I listed building . Carrying the main road between Gloucester and South Wales , the bridge became a notorious bottleneck and was strengthened several times. The bridge was first strengthened in 1889, and there were major structural repairs in 1979. It
5929-405: The built-up area including these villages was 15,600 in 2021. The name Chepstow derives from the Old English ceap/chepe stowe , meaning market place or trading centre. The word "stow" usually denotes a place of special significance, and the root chep is the same as that in other placenames such as Chipping Sodbury and Cheapside . The name is first recorded in 1307, but may have been used by
6050-412: The centre in addition to scheduled events. Since its heyday as a centre for the "Wye Tour" in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Chepstow has remained an important centre for tourism. The town has a range of hotels and guest houses. As well as its own attractions, including the castle, the town is close to other attractions including the Royal Forest of Dean , Tintern Abbey and the Wye Valley ,
6171-403: The cities of Bristol , Newport and Cardiff means it has a large number of commuters. It is administered as part of Monmouthshire County Council , and is within the Monmouth UK parliamentary constituency and Senedd constituency . Chepstow is on the western bank of the Wye, while adjoining villages on the eastern bank of the river, Tutshill and Sedbury , are in England. The population of
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#17327986543786292-463: The commemoration arrangements described the bridge as "the finest Georgian Regency arch bridge in Britain and the world," and suggested that it should be proposed for World Heritage Site status. The bicentenary celebrations included a re-enactment of the original opening ceremony, with speeches from local civic leaders and Sir John Armitt , the president of the Institution of Civil Engineers . Chepstow Chepstow ( Welsh : Cas-gwent )
6413-417: The company announced that the site was to close with the loss of 125 jobs, following the decision by the UK government to end subsidies for onshore wind generation. 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 all sizes of industrial brushes. The works, now operated by Osborn-Unipol, relocated out of
6534-458: The completion of the new harbour, and then, despite its continued favour by local fishermen, was removed for local wall building about 1833 (it appears in the 1832 drawing but not on the first O.S. map of 1834). The foundation stone of the new harbour was laid by the Marquess of Downshire on 1 August 1821. The initial plans and surveys for this ambitious undertaking were made by John Rennie. He, however, died within two months of work beginning, and
6655-529: The construction of the Humber Dock, Hull (1803–09), when he devised a steam dredger to overcome the difficulties of that particular work, and apparently without any knowledge of Bentham's invention. Another expedient was the use of hollow walls, which was suggested by the necessity of providing an extensive bearing surface for the foundations of a wall in loose ground. Walls built upon this plan were largely used by Rennie. The distinguishing characteristics of Rennie's work were firmness and solidity, and it has stood
6776-482: The contract to build the bridge was let to the Bridgnorth firm of Hazeldine , Rastrick & Co., at a cost of £17,850, less than half that of Rennie's estimate. The bridge was designed by John Rastrick, in a style apparently inspired by the work of Thomas Telford . It was made of cast iron in five arches, cast at Bridgnorth, with a centre span of 34 metres (112 ft), intermediate spans of 21 metres (69 ft), and outer spans of 10 metres (33 ft). The bridge
6897-422: The control of a Local Board from 1864, and an urban district council was formed in 1894. Chepstow Urban District Council was abolished in 1974, when many of its functions were taken over by the new Monmouth District Council . This was renamed Monmouth Borough Council in 1988, and formed one of the five districts of Gwent until both authorities were abolished in 1996. The town's representation in Parliament
7018-448: The conversion to electricity a gas works was located on the island to power the lighthouse, the piers and even part of Holyhead itself. The works were constructed at a cost of £130,000, an astronomical sum at the time. The tower survives intact and has beautifully curving gallery railings, similar to those at Bardsey Lighthouse . It is no longer in use, although it is used as a navigation reference for sailors. The Howth Harbour Lighthouse
7139-417: The council in 1974. Chepstow was granted a town charter in 1524 by its Marcher Lord, Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester . After the county of Monmouth was formed, Chepstow was included within the Hundred of Caldicot in 1542. A Corporation of bailiffs and burgesses controlled the town until the time of Charles II , when its charter lapsed, apparently as a result of a dispute. The town came under
7260-422: The current member is David Davies , first elected in 2005. In elections for the Senedd , the town is part of the Monmouth constituency ; the current MS is Peter Fox (Conservative). Until January 2020 Chepstow was within the Wales constituency for the European Parliament . The Laws in Wales Acts created an anomaly in that, although Monmouthshire was noted as being in the 'Country or Dominion of Wales', it
7381-410: The dark side of Morris dancing. We’re the punk rockers of the morris world. We are drinkers with a dance problem." Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC Cymru Wales and BBC West on BBC One , and by ITV Cymru Wales and ITV West Country on ITV1 . Television signals are from either the Wenvoe TV transmitter, supplemented by a low power relay transmitter situated north east of
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#17327986543787502-451: The design and execution, but there seems little doubt that he was only nominally responsible for the great undertaking. Robert Stevenson, surveyor to the Commissioners of Northern Lights , drew the original plans and, at his suggestion, the commissioners called Rennie to assist with obtaining parliamentary approval for the project, giving him the title of chief engineer (for which however he was only paid £400). Stevenson did not accept many of
7623-430: The early 1930s to mid-1980s. Red & White was a major employer in Chepstow for the fifty years it existed. The company became defunct as part of the privatised National Welsh bus company but was re-established as Stagecoach Red & White following the acquisition of the assets of National Welsh by Stagecoach . Although the name Stagecoach Red and White was subsequently dropped, the legal name of Stagecoach South Wales
7744-446: The early 19th century, as Cardiff, Newport and Swansea became more suitable for handling the bulk export of coal and steel from the Glamorganshire and Monmouthshire valleys. However, shipbuilding was briefly revived when the National Shipyard No.1 was established during the First World War and for a short period afterwards, when the first prefabricated ships, including the War Glory , were constructed there. The influx of labour for
7865-432: The east. To the north, the A466 up the Wye valley connects the town with Monmouth (16 miles (26 km)), and to the north-east the A48 links it with Gloucester (29 miles (47 km)). Chepstow railway station is on the main line between Maesteg and Cheltenham Spa . Most connections to Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington are via Newport or Severn Tunnel Junction (8 miles (13 km)). Chepstow
7986-443: The family agricultural business. Rennie worked as a millwright to have established a business. His originality was exhibited by the introduction of cast iron pinions instead of wooden trundles. In 1784 he took a journey south for the purpose of enlarging his knowledge, visiting James Watt at Soho, Staffordshire. Watt offered him an engagement, which he accepted. After a short stay at Soho he left for London in 1784 to take charge of
8107-416: The harbour is Dalkey Hill granite . The granite was provided by Richard Toucher (a long time campaigner for the new harbour) at no cost to the construction team. The foundations of the piers are 300'-0" wide and 24'-0" below low water level. Many options were considered for the width of the space between the two pier heads. Rennie wrote to the Harbour Commissioners that the opening should be 430'-0" wide with
8228-425: The harbours and dockyards at Chatham , Devonport , Portsmouth , Holyhead , Ramsgate , Sheerness , Howth and Dunleary . He devoted much time to the preparation of plans for a government dockyard at Northfleet , but they were not carried out. Dunleary harbour of 'Asylum' was a very difficult and important project, because it was critical to maintain an effective communication link between Ireland and London,
8349-411: The highest in the country at the time. Records from 1399 describe it as "feeble and ruinous and on the point of being lost", and a new bridge built in 1546 was described less than thirty years later as having "fallen into great ruin and decay and likely to fall." In 1576, an act of Parliament, the Chepstow Bridge Act 1575 ( 18 Eliz. 1 . c. 18) (the first act to make specific reference to Monmouthshire )
8470-444: The late twelfth century and, a century later, by Roger Bigod, 5th Earl of Norfolk . Bigod was also responsible for establishing a weekly market and annual fair, in the town which had grown up on the slopes between the castle and priory, and for building the Port Wall around it shortly after 1274. A toll gate controlled entry to the market area; this Town Gate was rebuilt in the 16th century. The town faced some hostile attacks from
8591-423: The long-term goal of establishing a dedicated cinema and art space for the town. Group community activities also take place in the Palmer Community Centre and Bulwark Community Centre. The town had, for a short period, its own online local radio station, Chepstow Radio. Chepstow is twinned with Cormeilles , France . The town is the base for The Widders Border Morris Men who were formed in 2001. Some of
8712-508: The many mills on the tributaries of the Wye. 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 trows 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
8833-508: The medieval bridge which was proving a serious impediment to the flow of the river. Rennie's bridge was eventually moved to Arizona. Southwark Bridge (1815–1819) was built as three cast-iron spans over the river. He also designed the Old Vauxhall Bridge . Rennie was also responsible for designing and building docks at Hull , Liverpool, Greenock , London ( London , East India and West India docks), and Leith and improving
8954-462: The members were bikers who coined the group's name, claiming they looked like the 'Black Widows', a bike gang from film Every Which Way but Loose . In 2010 the team were invited to represent Wales in a Celtic music festival in France. The black, skull-like face-paint, used by the team members, was originally used to mask identities. The team's foreman Mick Widder has described the group: "We’re from
9075-541: The modifications proposed by Rennie, but the two men remained on friendly terms. Rennie visited the lighthouse twice while it was being built. When Stevenson died in 1850, the Commissioners put on record in their minutes that to him was 'due the honour of conceiving and executing the Bell Rock lighthouse'. However, Rennie's son, Sir John Rennie, claimed in a long exchange of letters with Alan Stevenson in 1849 that
9196-521: The pier heads turned into the harbour to control swells within the harbour. His demands were never met and the harbour opening was built at 1,066'-0". This was clearly too wide and was subsequently reduced to 760'-0". One of John Rennie's last projects was the construction of the Custom House Docks in Dublin, along with its locks and warehouses, including the CHQ Building where he pioneered
9317-418: The river bed. After the Normans established a castle at Chepstow (then known as Striguil ), a wooden bridge was constructed across the river at or close to its current site. The first records of a bridge at Chepstow date from 1228. The wooden bridge is known to have been replaced several times. Rebuilding was made difficult by the tidal range, requiring ten 40-foot-high (12 m) timber piers, perhaps
9438-399: The river has also been landscaped in association with a flood defence scheme. Chepstow is located on the west bank of the River Wye, some 3 miles (4.8 km) north of its confluence with the Severn estuary. To the north of the town, the Wye passes through a limestone gorge, and there are limestone cliffs at Chepstow both north and south of the town centre and on the opposite (east) side of
9559-480: The river opposite Chepstow, at Tutshill and Sedbury. Those areas, though located in England rather than Wales, are now effectively suburbs of the town. Chepstow is administered by Monmouthshire County Council , one of the 22 unitary local authorities in Wales formed in 1996. As of 2022, the town elects six county councillors, for the wards of Bulwark and Thornwell (2 members); Chepstow Castle and Larkfield (2 members); Mount Pleasant; and St Kingsmark. Following
9680-575: The river, visiting, drawing and painting the " picturesque " views of the area, which included those of Tintern Abbey , Piercefield House , and the ruined Chepstow Castle . In the 19th century a shipbuilding industry developed, and the town was also known for the production of clocks, bells, and grindstones. In 1840 leaders of the Chartist insurrection in Newport were transported from Chepstow to Van Diemen's Land . The port's trade declined after
9801-465: The river. The town is overlooked by the inland cliffs at Wyndcliff near St Arvans , about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the town, and, from parts of the town, the Severn estuary and its bridges can be seen. The historic centre of Chepstow occupies part of a bend in the River Wye, and slopes up from the river to the town centre and beyond. As well as cliffs used for rock climbing, percolation of acidic groundwater has dissolved limestone to produce caves in
9922-659: The same year, the Albion Flour Mills were destroyed by arson.) In 1791, he moved to London and set up his own engineering business, having by then begun to expand into civil engineering, particularly the construction of canals . His early projects included the Stowmarket Navigation ( River Gipping ) in 1791, the Lancaster Canal (started 1792), the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation (1793),
10043-651: The seat of government. Rennie was responsible for the construction of Howth Harbour on the North side of Dublin bay a decade earlier. This was originally planned as the landing for the Holyhead packets, but it silted up to such an extent that it became unfit for purpose. An Act of Parliament of 1816 ( 56 Geo. 3 . c. 62) authorised the building of Dunleary harbour. Originally it was intended that only one pier (the East Pier) would be built (3,500 feet long), but when John Rennie
10164-494: The second largest being Asian/Asian British who make up 1.1% of the population, below the county average of 1.3%. The largest religious group is No religion with 47.4% of the population, above the county average of 43.4%, with the second largest being Christian at 45.1%, below the county average of 48.7%. According to the 2021 census, 9.4% of Chepstow residents could speak, read or write Welsh , 2% could understand spoken Welsh only and 88.6% had no skills in Welsh at all. The town
10285-464: The shipyards, from 1917, led to the start of " garden suburb " housing development at Hardwick (now known locally as "Garden City") and Bulwark . The shipyard itself became a works for fabricating major engineering structures. From 1938, Chepstow housed the head office of the Red & White bus company, on Bulwark Road. New housing development in the twentieth century took place to the north and south of
10406-514: The stretch near Chepstow formed part of the original Dyke. It is possible, though not clearly substantiated, that Chepstow may have superseded Caerwent as a trading centre, and been used by both Saxons and the Welsh. The Lancaut and Beachley peninsulas, opposite Chepstow, were in Welsh rather than Mercian control at that time, although by the time of the Domesday Book Striguil was assessed as part of Gloucestershire. After
10527-427: The surface. It was constructed to provide safe passage for naval vessels entering the river Tamar ( Hamoaze ) at Devonport. This colossal work was first proposed in a report by Rennie, dated 22 April 1806; an order in council authorising its commencement was issued on 22 June 1811, and the first stone was deposited on 12 August following. The work was completed by his son, Sir John Rennie, and by Joseph Whidbey . Rennie
10648-440: The test of time. He was most conscientious in the preparation of his reports and estimates, and he never entered upon an undertaking without making himself fully acquainted with the local surroundings. He was devoted to his profession, and, though he was a man of strong frame and capable of great endurance, his incessant labours shortened his life. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh on 28 January 1788, Fellow of
10769-535: The tobacco store is home to various enterprises including EPIC – The Irish Emigration Museum and Dogpatch Laboratories. Donaghadee is probably best known for its lighthouse and harbour. For centuries, it has been a haven for ships, and the harbour has been there from at least the 17th century. Sir Hugh Montgomery built a large stone quay to accommodate vessels ferrying between Scotland and Ireland from 1616 onwards.[3] Viscount Montgomery's harbour (1626; improved 1640), superseding what had hitherto been probably only
10890-528: The town centre to a new site beside the motorway in 2011. There are smaller industrial estates in Bulwark, and close to the town's railway station, and the Newhouse Farm industrial estate is also a major distribution centre. Other notable locally based businesses have included Architen Landrell, a manufacturer of tensile architectural structures , whose closure was announced in December 2015; and MVM Films ,
11011-643: The town centre, and more recently beyond the A466 road to the west of the town. The town developed rapidly after the opening of the Severn Bridge in 1966, which replaced the car ferry between Beachley and Aust and allowed easier commuting between Chepstow and larger centres including Bristol and Cardiff. Over £2 million was invested in regenerating the town centre in 2004–05. This scheme, which includes sculptures and other public art , encountered some local criticism over its high cost, but gained several national awards reflecting its high design quality. The area beside
11132-616: The town centre, together with a Lidl store at Bulwark and a B & M store close to the motorway junction at Thornwell. The town has one bank and many independent cafes and restaurants. It also has several independent shops, though the family-run department store, Herbert Lewis, closed in 2018 after 140 years. National chains represented include W.H. Smith , Peacocks , Boots , Superdrug , and Poundland . The pedestrianised St Mary's Street contains antique shops, gift shops, an independent book shop, coffee shops and restaurants. There are also regular farmers' markets and produce markets in
11253-518: The town centre. A regular open air weekly market at the racecourse closed in 2014. The town's livestock market closed in the early 1960s. According to the 2001 Census, Chepstow had relatively high proportions of its population working in the retail and wholesale sectors of the economy (19.6%, compared with 16.3% for Wales as a whole), property services (11.3%, compared with 8.5% across Wales), and transport and communications (9.4% compared with 5.5% across Wales). The proportion working in manufacturing
11374-549: The town was known for its imports of wine . Chepstow was given its first charter in 1524, by Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester , and became part of Monmouthshire when the county was formed. The town appears as "Strigulia", "Chepstowe" and "Castelh Gwent" on the Cambriae Typus map of 1573. The castle and town changed hands several times during the English Civil War , and the regicide Henry Marten
11495-483: The town, or the Mendip TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Wales , BBC Radio Cymru , BBC Radio Bristol and BBC Radio Gloucestershire both can also be heard, Heart South Wales , Nation Radio Wales and Sunshine Radio . The town is served by the local newspapers, Chepstow Beacon and South Wales Argus Chepstow Racecourse is the leading horse racing facility and course in Wales. It
11616-634: The use of cast-iron in the early 19th century. Rennie was first invited to work on the scheme in 1809 by John Foster , the Irish Chancellor of the Exchequer. The first stone of the docks was laid in May 1817; they were formerly opened at the end of August 1821 in front of 'a most select company of Noblemen, Bishops, Ladies, &c.' In 1824 the docks were placed on a long-term lease to Harry and John Scovell, and their nephew George. Harry and John were
11737-484: The wear of seaboots and waves alike. The harbour consists of two independent piers running north westwards out to sea; parallel nearer the shore, they converge at the outer ends to form a harbour mouth 150 feet (46m) wide. At low tide the water in the harbour is fifteen feet deep. The Bell Rock Lighthouse, near the entrance to the Firths of Forth and Tay , was built during 1807 and 1810. Rennie was, by some, credited with
11858-510: The works at the Albion Flour Mills, Blackfriars, for which Boulton & Watt were building a steam-engine. The machinery was all designed by Rennie, a distinguishing feature being the use of iron instead of wood for the shafting and framing. About 1791 he started in business as a mechanical engineer on his own account in Holland Street, Blackfriars, whence he and his successors long conducted engineering operations of vast importance. (In
11979-452: The year that are open to all. In the early 2000s the community organised major son et lumière pageants covering aspects of local history, using local residents under professional direction. Since 2012, an annual series of "Castell Roc" music events has been held inside Chepstow Castle each August, featuring performances by artists such as Leo Sayer , Dr Hook , Bad Manners , and Jools Holland . The Chepstow Museum , first established by
12100-832: The younger brothers of Sir George Scovell , the intelligence officer famed for cracking Bonaparte's secret codes during the Napoleonic Wars. By March 1820, Rennie was seeking 33 tons of structural cast-iron, along with a large quantity of wrought iron, for the purpose of building a "Tobacco Warehouse, with the Spirit Stores under it." The iron was supplied by the Butterley Iron Company from Derbyshire. However, an obituary of Shropshire-born engineer and iron founder William Hazeldine from 1841 claimed that Hazeldine also supplied 'the Iron Roofs for
12221-476: Was described in 1934 (Parsons' Directory) Archived 23 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine as 'a beautiful structure, consisting of an elliptical arch of one hundred feet span'. The bridge, initially known as Waterloo Bridge, was soon renamed Wellington Bridge. Rennie's later efforts in this line also show that he was a skilful architect, endowed with a keen sense of beauty of design. Waterloo Bridge
12342-406: Was a man of unbounded resource and originality. During the improvement of Ramsgate harbour he made use of the diving-bell, which he greatly improved. He is generally credited with the invention of a form of steam-dredging machine with a chain of buckets, but in this he seems to have been anticipated by Sir Samuel Bentham . He was certainly the first to use it on an extensive scale, which he did during
12463-492: 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 was within the southern part of the Welsh kingdom of Gwent , known as Gwent Is-coed (i.e. Gwent this side of the woods ). To the north of the modern town centre, a small church was established dedicated to St. Cynfarch (alternatively Cynmarch, Kynemark or Kingsmark),
12584-638: Was allowed to spend much time in the workshop of Andrew Meikle , a millwright and the inventor of the threshing machine, who lived at Houston Mill on the Phantassie estate. After receiving a normal basic education at the parish school of Prestonkirk Parish Church , he was sent to the burgh school at Dunbar , and in November 1780 he matriculated at the University of Edinburgh , where he remained until 1783. His older brother George remained to assist in
12705-404: Was appointed directing engineer for the work, he insisted that a single pier would result in sand drifting behind the pier and that a second West Pier (4,950 feet long) would prevent this from occurring. He was correct as the sand has built up behind the west pier. The harbour once built was renamed 'The Royal Harbour of Kingstown' in 1821 on the occasion of the visit of George IV . The material for
12826-606: Was as part of the county of Monmouth seat, from 1536. Between 1885 and 1918 it formed part of the South Monmouthshire constituency, and since then has been within the Monmouth county constituency . The town has remained within the Monmouth constituency in subsequent elections, although the constituency boundary has changed several times. The constituency has returned a Conservative MP at most recent elections;
12947-443: Was at Tintern . The Romans built a crossing some 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) upstream of the current bridge at Chepstow, and this is thought to have continued in use for centuries thereafter. There was a small hospital and chapel dedicated to St. David on the Gloucestershire side of the bridge, which was described as ruined in 1573. Some remains of the Roman bridge were revealed in 1911 by Dr. Orville Owen during his excavations in
13068-466: Was considered his masterpiece and was the most prestigious bridge project in England, described as 'perhaps the finest large masonry bridge ever built in this or any other country'. The Italian sculptor Canova called it 'the noblest bridge in the world' and said that 'it is worth going to England solely to see Rennie's bridge.' After Rennie's death, London Bridge was built from his design by his sons John Rennie (junior) and George Rennie . It replaced
13189-692: Was declared by campaign group Surfers Against Sewage to be the first "Plastic Free Town" in south Wales. Chepstow is located close to junction 2 of the M48 motorway , at the western end of the Severn Bridge . The bridge was opened in 1966 and has the second longest span of any bridge in the UK; it replaced the Aust-Beachley ferry . Before the Severn Bridge was opened, the Old Wye Bridge across
13310-425: Was established in the town – and heavy engineering, including the prefabrication of bridges and wind turbine towers. Chepstow is also well known for its racecourse , which has hosted the Welsh National each year since 1949. The town had a population of 12,350 at the 2011 census, decreasing to 11,900 (rounded to the nearest 100) at the 2021 census . It is served by the M48 motorway , and its accessibility to
13431-496: Was later imprisoned and died in the castle. The port continued to flourish; during the period 1790 to 1795, records show a greater tonnage of goods handled than Swansea , Cardiff and Newport combined. Chepstow reached the peak of its importance during the Napoleonic Wars , when its exports of timber, for ships, and bark, for leather tanning , were especially vital. There were also exports of wire and paper , made in
13552-483: Was lower than the average (15.2% compared with 17.3% across Wales), as was the proportion working in health and social work (9.3% compared to 13.0% across Wales). In terms of occupational groups, the proportions of residents in higher status managerial, professional and associate technical posts was higher than average (totalling 44.1% compared with 35.4% across Wales), and the proportions in administrative, personal services and processing work were lower. In 2018 Chepstow
13673-591: Was made directly responsible to the courts of Westminster rather than falling under the Court of Great Sessions in Wales . Most legislation for Wales was applied to it using the phrase "Wales and Monmouthshire", and the issue of whether Monmouthshire should be considered as part of Wales for administrative purposes was finally clarified in law by the Local Government Act 1972 which incorporated it within Wales. Chepstow developed from mediaeval times as
13794-518: Was opened in 2000, having been developed under the United Kingdom Government's Private Finance Initiative . It was built and is operated by Kintra Ltd, at an annual charge of £1.2m to Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust . The hospital building incorporates mementoes from the past, including the old Admiralty portico moulding from the front facade of the former Mount Pleasant Hospital, which was located on an adjacent site now developed as
13915-517: Was opened on 24 July 1816, with an elaborate ceremony. The bridge is the largest iron arch road bridge remaining from the first half-century of iron and steel construction, before the technological innovation of suspension bridges . It is described by architectural historian John Newman as "a supremely elegant composition of five shallow segmental lattice arches carrying the gently curved roadway... This superstructure rests on reassuringly strong tapering piers of squared ashlar ...". Ornate ironwork on
14036-454: Was passed making Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire responsible for the repair of their respective halves; there are records of payments made by Gloucestershire parishes to help maintain the bridge until the 19th century. Neglect continued, however, and in 1605 it was said that the bridge was again "broken, fallen down and quite carried away with the Stream... whereby the said Passage and Highway
14157-699: Was presented with the Freedom of the City of Dublin in 1804. For many years he was engaged in extensive drainage operations in the Lincolnshire and Norfolk Fens (1802–1810), and in the improvement of the River Witham . The Eau Brink Cut, a new channel for the River Ouse , was completed just before his death. He was also chief engineer for the canal and major, but abortive lazaret at Chetney Hill , on
14278-460: Was produced in a warm, tropical marine environment, when Europe was closer to the equator. The rock of Sedbury cliffs and those under Chepstow Castle are Carboniferous Limestone , hundreds of metres thick in the area, made of particles and shells of sea creatures from 330 to 360 million years ago. Layered outcrops of darker Black Rock Limestone, which makes up a broad part of Chepstow's bedrock, are very clear in cliffs along Craig yr Afon, part of
14399-538: Was succeeded by his son, John, who had as his resident engineer a fellow Scot, the seasoned marine builder, David Logan, who had assisted Robert Stevenson at the Bell Rock Lighthouse (1807–1810). The new harbour had to have greater depth to accommodate steam packets. Rock blasted from the sea bed, within the harbour area and further south in what became known as the Quarry Hole at Meetinghouse Point
14520-500: Was superseded, except for local traffic, by the A48 road bridge opened in January 1988. The bridge now carries local traffic on the unclassified road between Chepstow and Tutshill , and is controlled by traffic signals at each end. It was closed to vehicle traffic for several months in 2015, for maintenance work for the bridge's bicentenary in July 2016. A member of the group coordinating
14641-455: Was used to form the outer slopes of the two piers; but the inner faces were built of limestone from the Moelfre quarries of Anglesea . This 'Anglesea marble' lends itself to the finest ashlar dressing and the new piers remain a triumph of stone carving. The flights of steps display special skill in the deep diagonal binding of each solid step, providing a typically robust engineer's response to
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