We have just celebrated 30 years of Chepstow’s Archaeological Society with a programme of events from 1-4 October 2026!

Thursday 1 October 2026: Fieldwork Fest: this was an opportunity to find out more about recent, active and future Society digs, including Georgian Piercefield Park, excavation and dating of the Roman bridge and associated roads, and fieldwork in collaboration with Cardiff University and the University of Southampton.

Friday 2 October 2026 at 19.30: We had a free showing of “The Dig” (film about the Sutton Hoo excavation) at the Drill Hall.

Saturday 3 October 2026 @ 10.00 – 15.00: our free Festival of Archaeology in the Drill Hall, Chepstow with interactive activities suitable for adults and children attracted hundreds of visitors. A big thank you to our exhibitors: CAS mini-dig, Churchill Archaeology & Heritage Crime Unit, Heneb, Smashed Ceramics Pottery Pieces, Roman Soldiers from Caerleon, Bronze Age Replicas, Historical medical instruments, Clay tobacco pipe making, Cain y Coed Willow Craft, Tapestry Making Bayeux-style, Copper Engraving, Newport Medieval Ship, Lace-making, Crewel-work, Distaff Spinning, Crafting corn, MoD War Detectives, Young Archaeologists Club, Dean Archaeology Group, Lave Net Heritage Fishing, Medieval Clay tile making, Wye Valley Archery, Shirenewton History Group, The Chepstow Society, Gwent Wildlife Trust, Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA), Monmouthshire Antiquarians, 17th Century Soldier, Guild of Spinners and Weavers and a Medieval Harpist!

Saturday 3 October 2026 @ 16.00: talk by renowned local archaeologist and TV host Professor Mark Horton.
Talk title: Sextus Julius Frontinus: the architect of Chepstow’s first Roman bridge?
Investigations by the Chepstow Archaeological Society had revealed the scale and importance of the Roman bridge crossing the river Wye. The talk argued that it was designed by Frontinus, the Roman Governor of Britannia AD 74-78, and the general that subdued the Silures. His subsequent career in ancient Rome made him one of their leading engineers, and Mark argued that the Chepstow bridge could have become a prototype for other Roman bridges at the time.

Sunday 4 October 2026 @ 10.30: CAS Chair Simon Maddison led a guided walk around the hillforts of Piercefield. Numbers were limited, but there was a lot of interest, so we’ll organise another guided walk soon for those who missed out!