The St. Pierre Marriott where the hubby treated all of us to a fancy-fancy hotel stay for my birthday weekend.

Remember when I told you last month about another Neolithic stone circle in England that wasn’t Stonehenge? Well, that same weekend we ventured onwards into Wales. The total drive from London to Chepstow, which is just over the England-Wales border, is just under three hours. In the U.S., we’d regularly drive from three hours from our home to visit friends and relatives in neighboring cities, and here in England, three hours will take us clear across the country to another one.

Chepstow Castle in Wales is dramatically perched atop the cliff edge of the River Wye

Chepstow is a quaint little village town. It’s the kind of town you’d imagine in a sleepy romantic comedy where the heroine retreats from her busy city life and career, only to discover quirky town characters and a rough-and-rugged single guy who at first finds her shrill and high maintenance but eventually falls for her anyway. You know this plot that I’m talking about, right?

As for Chepstow Castle, it’s right in the center of the town and seems fairly unassuming from the street. Once you enter through the castle gates, though, the view changes dramatically. The main part of the castle is actually perched on top of the cliff edge of the River Wye, which runs through Chepstow.

What I love in particular about Chepstow Castle is that walkways have been constructed around certain parts of the castle to give visitors a sense of the height and scale of the castle walls.

As far as birthday celebrations go, this one was one for the ages. I hope every birthday involves Welsh castles from now on (even though I know that’s pretty impossible…)

Chepstow Castle | Chepstow, Wales