The Gloucester Hole near Chepstow

When you stand on the Chepstow (Wales) bank of the River Wye and look across at the Gloucestershire (England) bank, you notice, in the limestone cliffs, an unnatural looking square hole with sides of about five and a half feet. It is accessible only from a boat at high tide. This hole leads into a large chamber whose origin isn't entirely clear. It is said to have been an enlarged natural feature that may have been a store for tea or explosives, though a more likely purpose was as a transhipment site for goods brought by sea-going ships that would be put into smaller boats for carriage up the Wye to Monmouth, Hereford and other destinations.

The painted Union flag nearby originated in connection with the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935. It has been repainted periodically.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Castle Terrace, Chepstow

Castle Terrace, on Bridge Street, Chepstow, gets its name from the fact that the medieval castle is immediately behind the row. It is a late Georgian development, dating from the early nineteenth century. Its principal interest lies in the 24-pane Georgian bow windows on the ground floor. Remarkably, nearly all of them remain. To the casual passer-by, as opposed to those interested in architectural history, the fact that no two adjacent houses are painted the same colour is what catches the eye.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Old Wye Bridge, Chepstow

The River Wye, at 134 miles, is Britain's fifth longest river. Between its source on Plynlimon in mid-Wales, to its confluence with the River Severn near Chepstow, it is bridged at 55 points. Three of these bridges are Grade 1 Listed, including the Old Wye Bridge near Chepstow Castle. This elegant work in cast iron on stone piers dates from 1814-16 and is the work of John Rastrick of Bridgnorth who modified original designs by John Rennie. It forms one of the road links between England and Wales bridging the Wye where the tidal range is one of the highest in the world.


photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Time and stone stairs

There is a dilemma concerning the stone stairs of Britain's cathedrals, castles and other historic buildings: are they to be left alone to show, through their wear, the passage of time and many feet; or are they to be restored, made safe and level, and consequently never cited in a court case involving an accident to one of the many visitors who pass up and down them? The stairs above, can be found in Chepstow Castle. They appear to be untouched since being installed. But have they been so expertly renovated so that the wear appears to be the result of centuries?

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

The Five Alls

English pubs have names that are often of long standing. The Golden Lion, The Red Dragon and The Talbot all refer to heraldic creatures. The Devonshire Arms and the Prince of Wales are named after nobility and royalty respectively, but the Blacksmiths Arms can be seen as poking a little fun at such pretension. Walk through any town or city and you will see names that are many and varied, from Lord Nelson (national hero) or The Mayflower (ship of the Pilgrims) to the Slug and Lettuce (probably a new concoction) and the Railway Hotel (next to the train station). However, this example in Chepstow, Wales, seems to take its inspiration from some of the seats of power in Britain and may be a Victorian invention, hanging as it does on an establishment built in 1849.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Europe's oldest castle doors

It is remarkable how well-made wooden doors can survive the ravages of weather, man and wood-boring beetles. During my travels I've come across several church doors that date from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and one that may be even earlier. Castle doors, of course, have more to contend with than zealous parish clerks pinning notices on them. Battering rams, cannon shot and more mean that not only do they have to be strongly made, they must also be ready for an onslaught at all times. The doors in today's photograph hung in Chepstow Castle's main gateway until 1962 when they were replaced by copies and the originals displayed under cover. Dendrochronology dates them no later than the 1190s, making them the oldest castle doors in Europe.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Boats by the River Wye at Chepstow

The River Wye flows into the River Severn at Chepstow. Both of these watercourses are navigable and consequently, until the advent of the railways in the nineteenth century, they carried significant river traffic. Evidence of this can still be seen in Chepstow in the form of warehouses etc. Today all the boats on the River Wye (seen above near its confluence with the Severn) are engaged in pleasure of one form or another. Shortly after taking this photograph we saw two mud-covered canoeists who had travelled down the Wye and scrambled up the tidal mud with their craft - pleasure of sorts I suppose.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Earthenware jars

Today's containers are made in large factories, often shipped to customers in different countries, and betray little of their origins. Not so with vessels of the Victorian period. They often proudly proclaim either their maker's name, the place of their manufacture, the name of the recipient, the place of the recipient's business, or a mixture of some or all of these - as in the examples above photographed in the town of Chepstow, Monmouthshire.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10