Exactly 500 years ago on December 2, 1524, Charles Somerset, the Earl of Worcester gave Chepstow a new charter and the newly rebuilt Town Gate and Arch.
Exactly 500 years to the day, on December 2, 2024, Henry Somerset, the 12th Duke of Beaufort, whose titles include the Earldom of Worcester, visited Chepstow at the invitation of the mayor, Cllr Tudor Griffiths, and the Chepstow Society, to commemorate the event.
During their visit the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort visited the 500-year-old ‘Worcesters’ tomb in St Mary’s Priory Church, and then walked up St Mary Street past the Beaufort Arms and into Beaufort Sqaure.
They finally reached the town council’s offices in the gatehouse and stood inside the room above the road inside the arch given to the Town by his predecessor 500 years earlier.
After meeting councillors and representatives of the Chepstow Society and community groups the Duke and Duchess presented a commemorative parchment, scribed by local calligrapher Keith Underwood, to the mayor in front of the arch.
During lunch at the Gatehouse the Duke and Duchess were entertained by the Chepstow Male Voice Choir and a slide show of the town’s Tudor Day, which was held in May 2024.
In the afternoon the Chepstow Society arranged a visit to Chepstow Bookshop for a book signing of the Duke’s new book, and then a visit to Chepstow Castle (once owned by the Duke’s family for over 500 years), and a walk along the riverfront.
