Chepstow Museum

Located opposite the magnificent Chepstow Castle, Chepstow Museum offers a fascinating journey through the history of one of Wales’ oldest and most important border towns. Housed in the elegant Georgian Gwy House, built in 1796 for a prosperous local merchant family, the museum is a historic attraction in its own right and retains many original architectural features. The museum tells the story of Chepstow’s development from a Norman stronghold into a thriving port and market town. Visitors can discover how the town’s strategic position on the River Wye helped create a bustling economy based on trade, shipbuilding, salmon fishing, and the import of wine. Atmospheric displays bring these industries to life through artefacts, photographs, and historical objects that reveal how generations of local people lived and worked. One of the museum’s most interesting themes is the famous Wye Valley landscape. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Chepstow became a key destination for travellers undertaking the celebrated Wye Tour, one of Britain’s earliest tourism experiences. Inside the museum, visitors can admire paintings, prints, guidebooks, and illustrations that show how artists and writers were inspired by the valley’s dramatic scenery.