Kevin Hicks has spent nearly 30 years leading students through the halls, towers, and passageways of Chepstow Castle. During that time, he has learned far more than the basic history found in most guidebooks.
In this special video tour, Hicks takes us inside one of his favorite castles and shares some of the stories and secrets he has discovered along the way. Hidden rooms, unusual features, defensive structures, and old passageways all help reveal what life may have been like inside this great medieval fortress.
A Castle Built Soon After the Norman Conquest
Chepstow Castle has a remarkable history.
Construction began around 1067, only one year after William the Conqueror’s victory at the Battle of Hastings. That makes Chepstow one of the earliest major Norman stone castles built in Britain.
Its location was no accident. The castle stands high above the River Wye near the border between England and Wales. From this position, its owners could watch the river, control movement through the area, and protect an important route into Wales.
Over the centuries, the castle continued to grow. New towers, walls, gates, living quarters, and defensive features were added as warfare and castle life changed.
Kevin Hicks Brings the Castle to Life
What makes this tour especially enjoyable is Kevin Hicks himself.
Instead of simply walking from room to room and listing dates, Hicks explains how people actually used the castle. He points out features that many visitors might walk past without noticing.
A doorway may reveal how people moved through the castle. A narrow opening may show how defenders protected a wall. A hidden space may tell us something about the daily lives of the people who once lived there.
These small details make the castle feel real.
Instead of seeing Chepstow as a collection of old stone walls, we begin to picture the soldiers, servants, nobles, prisoners, and families who moved through these same spaces hundreds of years ago.
Hidden Rooms and Secret Passageways
Some of the most interesting parts of the tour are the areas that are easy to overlook.
Medieval castles were built for many purposes. They were homes, military bases, political centers, storage areas, and symbols of power.
That meant their design could become surprisingly complex.
Hicks points out hidden rooms, narrow passages, stairways, defensive positions, and other features built into the castle. Some had practical uses. Others helped protect important parts of the fortress.
These details remind us that medieval castles were carefully planned buildings.
Every doorway, wall, staircase, and tower had a purpose.
Nearly 1,000 Years of History
Chepstow Castle changed many times during its long life.
Different owners expanded it. Military needs changed. Living spaces became more comfortable. New defensive ideas appeared.
As a result, walking through Chepstow is almost like walking through several periods of British history at once.
You can see how castle building developed from the early Norman period into later medieval times.
That is one reason the site is so fascinating. Chepstow is not simply a castle frozen at one moment in history. Its walls show how people adapted the fortress over hundreds of years.
Why This Tour Is Worth Watching
There are many videos about medieval castles, but Kevin Hicks brings something different to this one.
Experience.
After decades of visiting and teaching at Chepstow Castle, he knows where to look for the small details that tell the bigger story.
His enthusiasm is also hard to miss.
You do not need to be a historian to enjoy the tour. Hicks explains the castle in a way that is easy to follow while still giving history lovers plenty to think about.
If you enjoy castles, medieval history, archaeology, or simply discovering places with a fascinating past, this tour is well worth watching.
Step Inside Chepstow Castle
Chepstow Castle has stood above the River Wye for more than nine centuries.
Its walls have seen Norman lords, medieval soldiers, powerful families, political struggles, and generations of visitors.
Kevin Hicks helps us look beyond those walls.
He shows us the small clues that reveal how the castle worked and how the people inside it may have lived. In other words, this is more than a simple castle tour. It is a chance to explore the stories hidden inside one of Britain’s great medieval fortresses.