Crossing The Wye Bridge

Isle of Wight Auctions recently enjoyed a very fleeting visit to Chepstow.  This small, charming town straddles the border between England and Wales and we really enjoyed the few hours we spent there.

The Wye Bridge marks the gateway between the two nations; on one side you are in Wales, walk across the bridge and you are back in England.  It also spans a natural gorge which sees the second highest tidal range in the world and can exceed 14 meters in a day.

The cast iron bridge has to withstand massive, twice daily flows of water.

Sadly, we didnt have time to properly explore Chepstow Castle, the Medieval fortress dominates the landscape and is one of Britains oldest surviving stone castles.   Dating back to 1067 it has witnessed Norman Conquests to Civil War sieges.

In spite of the fact that our time in Chepstow was short, the mix of history, engineering and natural wonders made it an enjoyable and interesting few hours; although probably best not to mention Nigel’s lunch choice; the chef was experimenting with the ‘soup of the day’, I think its safe to say that sweet potato and marmalade was not a success!