From the BBC website, 4th October 2006

 

Castle under attack from vandals

 

A castle built to defend a south Wales town against invaders is coming under attack again, but this time by vandals.

 

Barriers have had to be erected at one of the entrances to Caldicot Castle in Monmouthshire after a series of anti-social incidents were reported. Most of the incidents have taken place in the car park next to the town's tourist attraction. It follows similar action at nearby Newport after crime levels rose within the city castle grounds.

 

According to its website, Caldicot Castle was "founded by the Normans, developed in royal hands as a stronghold in the Middle Ages and restored as a Victorian family home". But a new chapter has now been added to its "romantic and colourful history".

 

The barrier has been put in as part of a trial to see if problems fall after the castle has closed for the day. It will be lowered as staff leave in the evening and raised when they return the next day.

 

Monmouthshire councillor Bob Greenland said: "It is a great shame, because of the problems we have had, to impose these restrictions, but a growing number of complaints have led us to take action. The last thing we want to do is prevent appropriate use of the park, but we need to balance the proper enjoyment of the park with the risk of crime or intimidation of the public. If the restrictions cause excessive inconvenience for users or they fail to prevent the problems, we shall have to think again."

 

The trial is being supported by Gwent Police and the Severnside Community Safety Action Team.

From “Discovering Castles in England & Wales” by John Kinross

 

The impressive castle at Caldicot, which is a few miles west of Chepstow between Caerwent and the Severn, was originally a motte and bailey castle built by Walter Fitzroger and his son Milo during the reign of Henry I. Milo’s sons all died accidental deaths and Roger, who succeeded became a monk. His son Walter, the Sheriff of Gloucester, also became a monk. Milo’s daughter Margaret inherited the castle, along with her husband Humphrey de Bohun. The Bohuns added the stone keep and curtain walls.

 

Humphrey, the fifth Earl of Hereford, was godfather to Prince Edward, son of Henry III, and for this reason he was pardoned after his capture at Evesham in 1265 when fighting for Simon de Montfort. The seventh earl refused to go on a military expedition to Flanders in 1297 and although the king threatened to execute him, he lived to become a champion of the baronial cause. The eighth earl, whose coat of arms is above the massive castle gateway, married Elizabeth, daughter of Edward I. He was captured at Bannockburn, and was exchanged, only to die in 1322 at Boroughbridge.

 

The ninth earl was also prominent in the wars of the time, and with his son fought against the French at Crecy. Finally, the tenth earl died young leaving two daughters, Eleanor and Maria. The former married Thomas Woodstock, brother of John of Gaunt and the Black Prince. He added the Woodstock tower and the main gatehouse in about 1385, but he opposed Richard II’s marriage to Isabelle de Valois, and was, by the directive of the Earl Marshal, smothered between two feather beds.

 

Diring the Wars of the Roses, Caldicot was held by Staffords who were Yorkists. On the accession of Edward IV, Caldicot was granted to William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke. He was killed after the battle of Edgecote and once more the castle return to the Crown. Henry VII restored it to the Staffords until Edward Stafford's execution for treason in 1521, when it became part of the Duchy of Lancaster. During the Civil War it was too decayed to be of much use as a stronghold and it was not until John R. Cobb purchased it in 1885 that it was repaired. His son, G. Wheatley Cobb was the owner of Nelson’s frigate, Foudroyant and in the castle are relics of the ship, including the figurehead. Other exhibits at the castle are 18th century costumes and old agricultural instruments. Today, the 19th century banqueting hall can be leased for medieval banquets.

A couple of old postcards from my collection.

Some old prints of Caldicot Castle.

 

In 1801

 

In 1811

 

In 1824

 

In 1832

 

In 1840

 

In 1854

 

 

Site Plan

A few websites on Caldicot Castle.

 

http://www.castlewales.com/caldicot.html

 

http://www.caldicotcastle.co.uk/

 

http://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/Monmouth/E...icot+Castle.htm

 

http://www.greatcastlesofwales.co.uk/caldicot.htm

 

http://www.pictures-of-castles.co.uk/caldicot-castle

... and how could I forget, the print by Samuel & Nathaniel Buck, 1732.

A steel engraving of Caldicot Castle from c1830, and recently added to my collection.

From the BBC Website, 20th November 2008

 

Money for castle repairs rejected

 

A councillor has lost his fight to restore a castle, but says his campaign will go on. Monmouthshire councillors rejected Tony Easson's call for funding to be "sourced immediately" by the authority to make repairs to Caldicot Castle.

 

Problems include the roof of the south-west tower leaking and windows rotting in the banqueting hall.

The council said it would like to restore the castle but there were other priorities, such as schools. But Mr. Easson claimed other councillors wanted to "play around with my words" in the meaning of his proposal. He said he wanted the authority's assistance in finding money from the lottery and other grants, but not necessarily to fund the repairs by itself.

 

'Jewel in the crown'

 

"My campaign will continue - I've got support from my colleagues and the march will go on," he said. "You can't change the world overnight. The way forward is for local people to come forward and push for grants from the lottery."

 

Mr. Easson said he was confident a re-worded proposal in January would be approved.

 

"It's a jewel in the crown of Monmouthshire, a jewel in the crown particularly for Caldicot. It's important for Caldicot because it's all we've really got," he said. "We're a village stuck between two motorways and we've got to try to get people into Caldicot to prime Caldicot's economy."

 

The castle was founded by the Normans, developed in royal hands as a stronghold in the Middle Ages and restored as a Victorian family home. The Cobb family, who bought the castle in the 19th Century, sold it to Chepstow Rural District Council for £12,000 in 1962. It reopened to the public in 1967. The castle, set in 55 acres of country park, now hosts many events including weddings, medieval banquets and film nights.

 

Monmouthshire County Council's corporate director of resources, environment and regeneration Steve Greenslade said the authority would love to restore the castle but the problem was a shortage of cash.

 

"Certainly I agree that there's work there that could usefully be done and that applies to all our buildings," he said. "We've got over a £20m backlog in building maintenance and we can only do what's affordable and what's required for health and safety purposes. You could easily spend £1m on Caldicot Castle and not notice it but equally we've got schools, care centres which need money and they are our priority quite frankly."