The town of Chepstow is one of the many Welsh towns that share a sometimes uncomfortable proximity to the English border. While this proximity has served these towns some rough times throughout certain periods of history due to qualms between the two nations, it also allows these border-huggers to have an identity that is decidedly unique from the sometimes repetitive history and culture that permeates the Welsh towns that are closer to the center of the country.
As such, Chepstow has a history that beautifully incorporates the past of the many nations that have struggled amid the tenuous borders of England. There are pieces of Welsh culture that abound in Chepstow but there are also many aspects of the town that lend themselves to the histories of of places like England and Norway. A great example of this is the castle that still exists in Chepstow. It is considered to be the oldest surviving stone castle in Britain and it understandably plays a large part in the tourist industry of the town. While incredibly old, the castle is a mere microcosm in the vast history of the area. Relics have been found in the earth of Chepstow that suggest that the land has in fact been inhabited in some form or another for nearly eight thousand years. In other words, Chepstow has had some manner of civilization since 5000 B.C. Naturally, in those days the area was populated by sparse tribes that probably died out fairly early but there have been findings that suggest that it was a very important location during the days of the Roman Empire. This is in league with the other towns in the vicinity of Chepstow that have also been populated since around that time but it still means that Chepstow is far older than its neighbors.
The Castle, however, dates back to the days of Norman rule and this is definitely a feature that nearly every Welsh border town shares. The Norman Empire was definitely a strong and threatening force during the early years of the first millennium and it is the main reason why the Welsh towns that are closer to England have more Anglo-Saxon sounding names than the towns that are closer to the center of Wales. Most Welsh towns have one vowel at the most in their names and this is due to the fact that the truly Welsh areas have origins in the Celtic culture. The more English sounding names derive their origin from that of the Normans and Danes and thus Chepstow sounds like more of an English town than a Welsh one. The truth, however, is that Chepstow is not an English town nor is it a Norman town. Geographically one might be right in calling it a Welsh town but by all accounts it would be hard to classify Chepstow as any of these. It is simply a town and one that has far too many influences to pigeonhole into one identity. Perhaps the best way to describe Chepstow is as a town that subscribes to no one outlook or influence. It is simply, for better or worse, the town of Chepstow located in the county of Monmouthshire.
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