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Home , Blaengarw, Bridgend, Bridgend (community), Chepstow Castle, East Wales, Llanthony

South-east itinerary: follow the story of the Lords of the Southern March

The Lords of the Southern March played a vital – but changing – part in the history of Wales following the Norman Conquest. You can follow the story of the start of the conquest of and the struggle to maintain supremacy at a cluster of sites.

The first to be built by the in Wales, , the nearby Abbey, and Castle were powerful statements of intent to subdue and stabilise Wales. The three of Grosmont, White and Skenfrith were built in the Monnow Valley to control the route between and Monmouth. Discover how together the sites formed part of a robust boundary between Norman and the Welsh kingdoms and explore the development of a different culture and society as a frontier land. Just 13 minutes drive from Chepstow you’ll find Tintern Abbey, the best-preserved medieval abbey in Wales. Founded by Walter de Clare as a spiritual base for the Norman lords on the England Wales border, Tintern was only the second Cistercian foundation in Britain. The present-day remains are a mixture of building works covering a 400-year period between 1131 and 1536 until the abbey was surrendered to King Henry VIII’s officials. Very little remains of the first buildings but you can marvel at the vast windows and later decorative details displayed in the walls, doorways and soaring archways. If you’re feeling energetic, take a strenuous uphill walk to the ‘Devil’s Pulpit’ for a wonderful bird’s eye view of this great Gothic abbey.

Monmouth Castle White Castle Travel up the and the next site you’ll see is commissioned by William Fitz Osbern at the same time as Chepstow, to be one of the key strongholds of the . The remains of the great tower date to the first half of the Chepstow Castle is one of the oldest stone fortifications in Britain. twelfth century and was the birthplace of Henry V. Further west Established by William Fitz Osbern just a year after the Battle of you’ll find White Castle surrounded by powerful round towers. In Hastings, it was so powerful that it continued in use until 1690, 1138, King Stephen united White Castle with Skenfrith Castle and including an epic Civil War . Century after century, the castle Grosmont Castle to create the lordship of the Three Castles. In grew and grew along its narrow cliff-top ridge. This huge complex, 1201 they came under the control of a single lord, Hubert de Burgh, grand castle deserves to be explored; it boasts the oldest castle who knew a great deal about military architecture from his time doors in , all wood and all of 800 years old, and the colourfully fighting in . He rebuilt White as a fortress for military work decorated Earl’s chamber is a feast for your eyes. It’s been the subject whereas he added domestic apartments to Skenfrith and Grosmont. of many artists, the most famous being Turner. While you are in the area, veering away from the

1 A59 A565 3 26 M58 A570

7 M6 A58 6 A580 23 5 LIVERPOOL Amlwch M57 Birkenhead A5025 2 Capel 1 M62 1 Caer y Twrˆ r Hillfort Lligwy 5 7 2 6 A57 Lligwy 2 Holyhead Mountain Hut Group Tregwehelydd Standing Stone Burial Chamber Great Ormes A551 3 1 Din Lligwy Head 3 Caer Gybi Roman Fortlet Prestatyn Penmon Priory 2 3 Hut Group Maen Achwyfan M Holyhead Benllech and St Seiriol’s Well Llandudno A558 Rhyl Cross 4 e A56 4 Penrhos Feilw Standing Stones Presaddfed r Puffin Island Colwyn s e 5 Burial Chamber Beaumaris y 11 4 Bay Basingwerk M53 5 Tyˆ Mawr Standing Stone B5109 Penmon Cross Abergele A5151 A548 12 Castle Abbey 5 6 B5109 and Dovecote 6 Trefignath Burial Chamber Holy Island A5 Llangefni A55 Rhuddlan Castle A540 M56 Plas Conwy Castle Flint 9 A55 Bryn Celli Ddu and Twthill Ty Newyddˆ Burial Chamber A545 Mawr and Town Walls Castle 14 A56 Burial Chamber Bangor St Winifred’s Chapel Llanfairfechan St Asaph A55 and Holy Well 11 Barclodiad y Gawres 7 A541 A550 Burial Chamber 10 Denbigh Friary, A55 A54 Lord Leicester’s Church Clwyd 7 Din Dryfol A4080 8 A470 and St Hilary’s Chapel Ewloe Castle 12 Burial Chamber Bethesda B5106 A544 A525 A51 9 Segontium Chester A49 8 Bodowyr A548 A549 Chester Burial Chamber Roman Fort Denbigh Castle Mold Roman Amphitheatre A5118 Chester Gwydir Uchaf and Town Walls A55 9 Castell Bryn Gwyn Llanrwst Castle Llanberis A5 Chapel A51

Caernarfon Castle A494 10 Caer Lêb Dolbadarn Capel Curig A543 A541 A41 and Town Walls Alyn A4086Castle Ruthin

Dee Beeston Betws-y-Coed Castle C a e r n a r f o n Capel Garmon A534 A4085 Derwen Burial Chamber Conwy Churchyard Cross Dolwyddelan A525 B a y A498 Castle A49 A499 A5014 A483 Beddgelert Blaenau Alwen Rug Ffestiniog Chapel Valle Crucis St ’s Eliseg’s Corwen Pillar Abbey Well A525 A5 Nefyn A4212 A525 Dee Whitchurch Llangar Llangollen Fawr A497 Old Parish Church Chirk Dee B4417Medieval House Porthmadog A41 Criccieth Llyn Bala Castle Trawsfynydd A495 South-eastPwllheli Wales itinerary: A494 A528 Harlech Bala Lake Old Oswestry A470 Castle Hill Fort A499 follow the story of the Lords of the Southern March Oswestry Abersoch Dyffryn Ardudwy Burial Chamber Moreton Corbet Aberdaron A5 Castle Tanat A496 Lake Vyrnwy Bardsey Cymer Abbey A49 A53 Island Haughmond Abbey Dolgellau A470 Severn Barmouth Pont A495 Minllyn Vyrnwy A458 Shrewsbury Castell y Bere A458 A5 Banwy A483 Welshpool Wroxeter Cantlop Roman City A493 Llanfair Caereinion Bridge B4405 Dyfi A458 A488 Acton Burnell A490 Castle Tywyn A489 A470 Machynlleth Montgomery Castle Mitchell’s Fold Langley Motorway M4 Prehistoric Site Stone Circle Chapel Dolforwyn Castle A49 Aberdyfi Dyfi Furnace lords of the southernB4386 March, make sure you also check out Raglan A470 A489 Primary Route Roman Site B4518 Church Newtown Stretton Bryntail Castle, built for show ratherB4385 than with battle in mind, it still held off A488 A487 Main Road Castle, Historic House, Palace Lead Mine Borth ’s forces for 13 weeks during the Civil War. From C a r d i g a n Bishop’s Secondary Road B4518 Religious Site Castle Severn the great tower to the great gatehouse, everything is impressive Clun Llanidloes A488 Other Road Historic Industrial Site B a y about . Castle A44 A483 Craven Arms Ponterwyd Wye Passenger Railway Other Historic Site Rheidol Llangurig Stokesay B4340 Castle Route English Heritage Site A4120 A4117

Ithon Tourist Information Centre Cadw sites charging for admission are Teme Ludlow Ystwyth (open all year) shown in green; all other sites are free Knighton A4113 B4343 A485 Visit cadw.wales.gov.uk to discover the stories and people behind Wigmore 0 5 10 Kilometres Rhayader A488 A456 Tourist Infomation Centre B4356 Castle Pontrhydfendigaid our 128 historic sites. (seasonal opening) 0 3 6 Miles A44 A487 A470 A49 ‘Like’ Cadw on Facebook and follow @Cadwwales on TwitterA4112 or Strata Florida Mortimer’s Cross B4362 Water Mill New Quay Abbey download our smartphone app to stay up to date. Llandrindod Wells Leominster

A44 Aeron A44

A4110 Wye A482 A481 A485 B4343 A4111 A4112 A417 Aberporth Raglan Castle B4337 B4567 Teifi Builth A480 A487 A486 B4459 Wells B4546 A438 Cardigan B4570 Lampeter Irfon St Dogmaels A465 A483 Llanwrtyd Wells Abbey A484 A475 A49 Carreg Coetan Arthur B4350 Arthur’s A4103 Burial Chamber Stone Hay-on-Wye Wye Strumble Cilgerran Hereford A438 Tywi Rotherwas Head Castle Newcastle A482 Chapel Newport Emlyn

A485 Llandovery Pentre Ifan Gaer Burial Chamber Bronllys A484 Roman Fort Longtown Cothi A40 A470 Castle A487 Llynfi B4313 Llanwrda Honddu Castle Wye

W A479 St Davids A478 Talley Sennybridge Usk e s t u A465 e a Abbey A49 Bishop’s Palace r dd n le Llanthony Grosmont C C Llangadog l n ed r A40 Brecon Priory Castle d te Dinefwr A4069 au B4329 s a A4215 A40 Skenfrith A487 E Dryslwyn Castle Monnow Court Castle Castle Llandeilo B4347 and Castle A40 Ramsey St Non’s Llawhaden Tywi Island Chapel Castle White Goodrich

A466 Castle Wiston Castle A4067 B4521 Castle 4 Hen Gwrt A48 Carreg Cennen S t B r i d e s St Clears A40 A40 Moated Site Castle B4233 Broad A40 Llansteffan B4312 B a y Narberth Brynamman TrothyMonmouth Haven Haverfordwest Castle A4068 Brynmawr Castle B4341 A470 3 A4115 Skomer Priory A4221 A4059 A465 A4136 Laugharne A483 Ammanford Island A4076 A478 B4248 Raglan Wye A477 Castle Ebbw A476 Castle A40 A4075 A4066 Vale Milford A477 Carew A474 5 St Briavel’s 49 Glyn- A467 Haven Loughor Cross Pendine A4048 Castle Merthyr Usk A4046 Raglan A484 Tawe Kidwelly A466 Saundersfoot Cynon Tydfil A469 Castle Burry Pontardawe A4109 A465 Tintern

Skokholm A4043 48 Neath Aberdare Port A4061 A472 Abbey Island M4 A4059 Usk Offa’s A4042 2 Pembroke Tenby C a r m a r t h e n A4054 A449 Dyke Carswell 47 45 Lamphey Llanelli 46 Medieval House Chepstow Bishop’s Palace B a y Loughor 44 A4233 Castle Castle 43 Afan A472 Chepstow Caldey Island Neath Ebbw Runston 1 B4295 42 Llanmelin Wood Bulwarks A4107 Rhymney Chapel Weobley A483 A469 Hillfort Camp B4271 Roman Fortress Castle A4064 A4058 A48 Taff 2 Swansea Port 41 M48 Parc le Breos Burial Chamber 26 Castle Talbot 40 A4061 A470 24 A4118 Margam Stones A468 A467 1 Worms Head Museum A4093 23 Roman Town A4063 The Mumbles 28 NEWPORT M4 21 Oxwich 38 Castle Newport 22 Port-Eynon Castle 29 M4 Newcastle M4 30 S w a n s e a 36 Castle A48 Castle () 29a M49 32 17 B a y 37 35 Avonmouth 34 33 A4106 A48 St Quentin’s Castle 18a y Portishead r () a u 19 Ogmore t s

Castle Priory Burial Chamber E

Cowbridge M5 Penarth n Clevedon 20 A4055 r Old Beaupre Castle e

v Burial Chamber e A370 S B4265 Barry Stanton Drew A38

Circles & Cove 21 Weston-super-Mare

The journey time from Chepstow – Tintern Abbey is approx. 15 minutes, 30 minutes Chepstow – Monmouth, 15 minutes Monmouth – Skenfrith and Skenfrith – Grosmont and 20 minutes Grosmont - Raglan. 2