Chepstow - Origins of The Name

Origins of The Name

The name Chepstow derives from the old English ceap / chepe stowe, meaning market place or trading centre. The word "stow" usually denotes a place of special significance, and the root "chep" is the same as that in other placenames such as Chipping Sodbury and Cheapside. The name is first recorded in 1307, but may have been used by the English in earlier centuries. However, the name used by the Normans for the castle and lordship was Striguil (in various spellings, such as Estrighoiel), probably from a Welsh word ystraigyl, meaning a bend in the river. The Welsh name Cas-gwent refers to the "castle of Gwent", a placename which itself relates to, and may derive from, the Roman name Venta which was used for the settlement at Caerwent, 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Chepstow.

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