Caldicot Things to Do Tips by M0B1US

Dewstow Hidden Gardens

Probably the most unique gardens I know of, full of character and the best example of Pulham Rock Gardens in the World - Capability Brown eat your heart out!

It really is a wonderous and magical place unlike anything I've seen before and I have nearby Chepstow Museum to thank for bringing it to my attention as it is only really publicised by local museums and word of mouth - or if you're a golfer!

Anyway, it is part of the Dewstow Estate, most of which are two 18 hole golf courses and was the last part bought by the family that owns the course to complete the old estate property. The major exclusivity of this place is the fact that apart from being hidden away (well they are hidden gardens!) with little publicity, it is also only open in Wednesdays for guided tours at 2pm - they don't make it easy to come here! ;-)

The gardens were only discovered again in the last few years by being excavated and are slowing returning to their former glory.

Perhaps the most stunning thing about them are the fact that they are made out of Pulhamite, a sort of Victorian artificial rock made out of cement and shaped to look authentic for rock gardens with shapes 'made to order'...

Dewstow seems to have been the 'piece de resistance' of this particular kind of artificial rock garden being built fairly late on during the Pulham renaissance. So as well as being used above ground, there are extensive tunnels and at least four complete underground grottoes and greenhouses to wander through...

I simply loved this place and I have to admit a tinge of envy for the children of the family that still live here - imagine the games of hide and seek here, they'd last for weeks on end!

Check out the Dewstow website below and the Pulham website for further details of these gardens and of gardens up and down the country...

The tour costs £5 and I felt privileged to have entered this hidden world of grottoes and ferns.

Address: Dewstow House

Directions: South of Caerwent and north of Caldicot.

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Phone: +44 (0)1291 430 444

Website: http://www.dewstow.com/

Venta Silurum

After the Romans defeated the Silures they set about 'civilising' them by creating the city of Venta Silurum to serve as their tribal capital, now home to the modern day village of Caerwent.

Venta Silurum represents the best remains of Roman Walls enclosing a settlement in the UK, with the walls standing up to 17 feet (5.2m) in some places.

It is also here that you will find the only excavated Forum and Basilica on show in the British Isles. Other places of interest include a Romano-British Temple, Shops and Houses and a Villa.

The city was founded in AD75 and was thought to be home to around 3,000 people.

Some of the finds are on show at Caerwent Church, whilst the majority are held in the museums of Newport and Cardiff.

A visit to Venta Silurum would be best enjoyed with a visit to the nearby Roman remains and museum of Caerleon

Directions: Enclosing the village of Caerwent. Parking at CADW visitor centre under construction on the left as entered from W, or car park of Coach & Horses pub if arriving from E.

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Website: http://www.roman-britain.org/places/venta_silurum.htm

Banquets and Shakespeare at Caldicot Castle

Caldicot Castle doesn't exactly broadcast its existence as it isn't in the Lonely Planet and nor is it in the castlexplorer website...

But needless to say I tracked it down after my visit to the Roman city of Venta Silurum which is less than 2 miles away over the M4 Motorway.

Not sure what I was expecting, not much I suppose given its lack of coverage in guide books and the like - but it is an excellent gem of a place!

Castles I find fall into two camps:

Huge windy old ruins where a healthy dose of imagination is needed to try and see how the castle would have looked in their full glory.

OR

Small and perfectly formed, well looked after and restored and packed full of information such as an audio tour...

Caldicot falls into the latter camp and as such I had a great time following the history of the place with its strategic position being used from Roman times.

Its had plenty of action since then with the keep tower being part of a Norman Motte and Bailey fortification before plenty of development during the 13th and 14th centuries.

We have a Victorian antiquarian to be thankful for its present good condition as in 1855 J.B. Cobb bought the castle and rescued it from its parlous condition.

One of my favourite stories is that after WWII the castle was effectively turned into a housing estate with people living in all the towers of the castle. There is no evidence of that time now, except a number of b&W pictures of some of the tenants...

Also here is an attractive Victorian Tearooms, where you can indulge in some tea and Welshcakes.

Or if you fancy something more grand, why not go for a Medieval Banquet in the Great Hall of the castle gatehouse? Or come one evening for a spot of Shakespeare - I am seriously thinking of watching 'Love's Labour's Love' here this weekend...

The castle is set in some 55 acres of country park where there are plenty of opportunities for picnics - or watching lawnmower racing!

Address: Church Road • Caldicot • Monmouthshire • NP26 4HU

Directions: On the road to Caerwent from the town centre. Turn off into the park by the Castle Inn, the castle itself is not that well signposted...

Phone: +44 (0) 1291 420241

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