Caldicot Castle to Chepstow Castle

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Some walks are about reaching the destination, and others are about discovering that the journey itself has become the destination, and our case, sometimes the destination becomes a little confused.

This walk, from Caldicot Castle to Chepstow Castle along the Wales Coast Path, feels very much like the latter.

Standing beneath the ancient walls of Caldicot Castle, it's difficult not to think about time, after all nearly a thousand years of history are wrapped up within these stones, yet today families picnic on the grass, children play where knights once trained, and life quietly carries on. Retirement can feel a little like this perhaps, the purpose changes, but the value remains.

Leaving the castle behind, the path eventually opens, after some less than glamorous parts, onto the vast Severn Estuary. The landscape suddenly becomes enormous, apparently the tides here are among the highest anywhere in the world, transforming the view every few hours when mudflats become water, water becomes shoreline, and nothing stays quite the same for long.

There is a lesson in that more than likely, but we briefly paused to admire and take some photos before pressing on.

Walking beneath the sweeping lines of the Prince of Wales Bridge, you're reminded how each generation leaves something behind. The engineers who built the bridge, the miners who dug the Severn Tunnel beneath your feet a short distance away, the medieval builders who raised the castles at either end of this walk. They all shaped the landscape in their own time and in their own way.

Continuing north, the small village of Sudbrook reveals a surprisingly rich past with ancient settlements and the ruins of Holy Trinity Church. Nearby, the remarkable Sudbrook Pumping Station quietly performs its essential task, removing millions of gallons of water every day to keep the historic Severn Tunnel operational beneath our feet.

A short distance further lies Black Rock, an ideal place for a rest, with picnic tables overlooking the estuary while sculptures of ‘The Fisherman’ and ‘The Engineer’ celebrate the people whose lives have been shaped by these waters. 

Now at this point there are two paths to consider.

The planned one:

The path then turns inland alongside St Pierre Pill, where tidal waters snake through the landscape. 

Further on the village of Mathern with St Tewdric's Church which is said to be the burial place of King Tewdric, a ruler mortally wounded while defending his kingdom from Saxon invaders. Nearby stand Mathern Palace, once the residence of the Bishops of Llandaff, and the elegant Moynes Court, reminders of the area's ecclesiastical importance through the medieval period.

Beyond Mathern the route heads towards Chepstow, passing beneath the M4 before entering woodland at Thornwell. 

As the path approaches the town, traces of the Bulwarks Iron Age Camp appear above the River Wye. These ancient earthworks once guarded an important strategic position before later occupation by the Romans. Soon afterwards the impressive medieval town walls of Chepstow emerge, leading walkers into one of Wales' most historic settlements.

The finale is unforgettable. Standing proudly above the River Wye, Chepstow Castle dominates the cliffs below, built shortly after the Norman Conquest, it is Britain's oldest surviving post-Roman stone castle and showcases centuries of military innovation.

And I am sure this would have been a great walk, but life and a navigational hiccup meant that other things were planned for us.

And the actual one:

After leaving Black Rock we continued along the coast path walking on top of a sea defence, freshly cut to allow for regular inspection.

This was long hot stretch that ended in confusion as the path seemed to disappear. Crossing the railway once gain we ended up in field after field, with only some cows looking at us in disdain it seemed as we circled around.

Eventually, after crossing two more fields, the railway, and another field we encountered a very high gate but with a view of the sea defence we crossed some time earlier. Considering this our safest option we braved the climb, brambles for added fun, and headed back to Black Rock where our rescue driver was waiting, having originally planned to meet in Chepstow.

A drive back into Chepstow followed, with a view of the castle, and then a most refreshing pint (or two) with lunch at the Boat Inn, built in 1789 and overlooking the river.

Well, they do say that ‘Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans’ and this was very true on this walk. But it was still enjoyable in its own way, and a memory was made that would remain perhaps longer than had we completed the actual full walk.

A few random facts about the walk:

• Pil/Pill - The name is defined as the tidal reach of a waterway, suitable as a harbour, and is common along the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary
• Sudbrook Pumping Station has been operational since 1886 and houses gigantic pumps that draw millions of gallons of water from the Severn Tunnel, protecting the vital railway route connecting England and South Wales
• Caldicot Castle is an extensive stone medieval castle in the town of Caldicot, built near the site of Harold Godwinson's former Saxon castle by the Norman earls of Hereford from about 1100
• The Severn Bridge was opened in 1966 and with increasing traffic, the Second Severn Crossing was built and opened in 1996, it was renamed the Prince of Wales Bridge in 2018
• Building was started in 1067 by Earl William Fitz Osbern, close friend of William the Conqueror, making it one of the first Norman strongholds in Wales