Cadwaladr, the last Welsh Prince known as the King of the Britons & Palace of the Bishop of Llandaff

St Cadwaladr Church, Bishton. ©Louise Wyatt A church dedicated to St Cadwaladr is quite rare but in a small, unassuming area of South Wales in what is now Newport, yet completely rural, is the small village of Bishton. Bishton - a disruption of Bishop's Town/Bishopston (Welsh Llangadwaladr Trefesgob) - was once the home of a …

Caerphilly Castle – a military medieval castle considered one of the greatest in Western Europe

According to the Castles of Wales website, Caerphilly Castle is not only one of the greatest feats of castle building in Western Europe, but also the second largest in Britain (after Windsor), the first true concentric castle built in Britain and a 'revolutionary masterpiece of military planning' when it was built in the late 13th …

The Link Between Monmouth, Wales and Monmouth, New Jersey

A snippet from Secret Monmouth, released yesterday and available HERE   A son of Tintern, Colonel Lewis Morris fought for Oliver Cromwell and was allegedly second in command during the Parliamentary attack on Chepstow Castle. At the Restoration of King Charles II, he left for family estates in Barbados and then to America to care for his …

Secret Monmouth

Well, that came round quick! Release date of 15th June is looming for my third book in Amberley's Secret Series, a collection of local history books that aim to uncover little-known facts about towns, cities etc - here's the link to their page SECRET SERIES   Monmouth, the historic county town of Monmouthshire in Wales, …

Chepstow Presentation and Book Signing

Ten years ago, whilst doing my nursing Teaching & Assessing qualification, I had to do a ten-minute presentation (on the diabetic foot ulcer of all things) to six people, including my tutor. The build-up of nerves was awful, I spoke too quickly and exhaled a huge sigh of relief afterwards. I now find myself partaking …

The Ancient Port of Chepstow

To celebrate the release of Secret Chepstow, here is snippet from the book It is hard to believe Chepstow was once such a busy, bustling, international trading port. According to the booklet The Chepstow Story by The Chepstow Society, a port developed in Chepstow shortly after the Normans came to power and early shipping is mentioned …