Caldicot Castle

Caldicot is an extensive stone medieval castle. It was at one time in the possession of Thomas of Woodstock, a son of King Edward III of England. It is set in 55 acres of country park with gardens and a wood. The river Neddern winds its way through areas of the woodland and pasture and the wildlife pond has a pond-dipping station. The park itself is a good setting for picnics and walks against the backdrop of the medieval castle walls, with picnic tables and barbecue hearths on site.

A little bit of history It was built on a site that had been long recognised for it's strategic value. The Romans made use of the area and Caldicot stood on the Via Julia road to the roman town of Caerwent. Caldicot's placement near the Bristol Channel allowed observation of the comings and goings of ship traffic and eased transport of supplies to the site. Its useful location was recognized by the Normans as early as 1086, and they built a motte with two baileys and a deep surrounding ditch.

In 1158 it was in the hands of the De Bohun family, 3rd Earl of Hereford and they were responsible for building the stone keep and curtain walls that remain today. Thomas of Woodstock took possession when he married one of the de Bohun family in 1376. On King Edward III death it passed to King Richard II when Thomas was kidnapped and murdered and his property confiscated to the crown. Later it became part of the Duchy of Lancaster and later granted into the stewardship of the Herbert family for much of the 15th century, and then leased to the Somersets in the 16th century. Eventually it was neglected and fell into ruin until in 1857 it was sold and then sold again in 1885 to Joseph Cobb, who then began to restore the castle into his family home. From the 1940's to 1960's the current owners opened up the castle to young married couples and families who rented furnished apartments in three of the towers and parts of the gatehouse. It remained in the Cobb family until 1964 when it was sold to Chepstow Rural District Council for £12,000 and in 1965 it was opened to the public.

What is there From the car park you can walk all around the outside of the castle walls, for FREE this is part of the country park. Over a wooden bridge and through the large gatehouse, which can be hired for medieval banquets, behind the curtain walls you will find:- A finely manicured courtyard with  a canon looking directly at you and a formal garden to your left. 3 towers to explore, one of which you can climb and get some aerial views of the site The building which contained some of the apartments, which also houses a small gift shop You can also walk along some of the curtain wall. Chequer Boards for playing outdoor chess. Events and Activities There is always a wide programme of events and activities taking place at Caldicot, some of which appear from time to time in our photographers diary. Such events as St David's Day Open Day - a one day opening with FREE admission, Opera, St George's Weekend Medieval Tournament, activity trails; Carnival Spring Fair; workshops; concerts; medieval tournaments and events; open air theatres; Easter, Halloween, firework and Christmas events as well. The great gatehouse is home to popular medieval banquets, a lavish and appropriate setting for such whimsical entertainment, within the castle walls there are chequer boards set out for play chess or draughts with large playing pieces.

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Further information Grid   Location: Caldicot Castle, Monmouthshire Ceremonial County: Monmouthshire Grid Reference: ST487885 Map Link: Multimap Aerial photo: Multimap Aerial       Google Aerial  Route(s):   Best Times to Visit:   E-mail: caldicotcastle@monmouthshire.gov.uk Website: www.caldicotcastle.co.uk Other useful websites: Castles of Wales Wiki ecastles.co.uk Nearby Locations:   Other Relevant pages: Caldicot Castle Castles of Wales How to photograph a castle

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By: Tracey Park	Section: Castles	Key:
Page Ref: caldicot	Topic: Castles	Last Updated: 03/2009

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