The village of St Briavels in Gloucestershire lies on the east bank of the river Wye, 11 Km (6 1/2) miles upstream from Chepstow in Monmouthshire. The name St Briavels is thought to derive from the Celtic saint-Brieuc. It is a small rural village with two public houses, a garage and two small stores, one which is the local Post Office. Adjacent to St Briavels castle is St Mary's Parish Church, built in 1089 from local sandstone. Each Whit Sunday after the evening service, St Briavels parishioners wait outside to receive the 'dole', small pieces of bread and cheese which are thrown into the air from large baskets and are caught by the waiting crowds. In past times each person who claimed the 'dole' had to pay a penny which then entitled him to cut and take wood from the Hudnalls or the Free Woods. The event is said to date from the time of Milo, Earl of Hereford, in the twelfth century but was first recorded in 1779.
St Briavels Castle
In the historic village of St Briavels, lies St Briavels Castle, once a Norman fortress and a Royal Castle, prison Manor Court and the Administrative and Judicial Centre for the Forest of Dean. Later it became a school, private house and today a Youth Hostel. It was the official residence of the forest's constables and wardens. It was built in 1100 ad of local red sandstone. The castle stands high on a circular, artificial mound, almost on the summit of a hill 800ft (280 m) above the river Wye. It was not a large fortress, but its position was strategically more important because of its rising ground from the south and the undulating ground to the north and northeast. The position chosen made it untenable against any warring factions in that era. It has tremendous views to the west and northwest over the Welsh mountains and Herefordshire and to the north and northeast to the Forest of Dean. On a clear day you can see the river Severn and beyond.
Milo fitz-Walter
St Briavels Castle was built by Milo fitz-Walter in 1131 in Little Lydney, as it was known until the year 1166; it was built to check the inroads of the welsh. Milo became the first constable of St Briavels and held office as Keeper of the Forest, in which he guarded the King's rights and collected the taxes in the Forest of Dean. Milo was killed in 1143 by a stray arrow whilst out hunting in the Vale of Castiard (Flaxley Valley)
Henry II and King John
Henry II made St Briavels Castle the Administrative Centre of the Forest of Dean and is recorded as having visited the castle on three occasions Under the rule of King John, the castle became his favourite Royal castle and hunting lodge and between 1209 and 1211 considerable money was spent on building the Great Hall and Solar, the main function of the hall being a courthouse for forest and civil offenders. King John visited the castle on at least five occasions.
Arrowheads and Crossbolts (Quarrels)
The castle served as an arms factory, or munitions base, storing and producing huge quantities of Arrowheads and crossbolts (Quarrels), which were forged in the castle from iron mined out of the forest. It's recorded that over a 50 year period in the 13th century, half a million Quarrels were made, all by one man, John de Malemont, at a daily rate of 4d. In 1172, Henry II received 100 axes, 1,000 picks, 2,000 shovels and 60,000 nails for his Irish campaign and in 1190, 50,000 horseshoes and spare fastenings were sent with Richard I on his crusade to the Holy Land. Henry III used 6,000 arrowheads in the year 1223. Quarrels were produced for either 'one foot' or 'two foot' bows, with the shaft of seasoned yew or ash and the flights of feathers or leather strips.
Interesting Facts about St Briavels Castle
- In 1276, during the reign of Edward I (1272-1307), the towers on either side of the gateway were added.
- It is said that a long pole hung outside the courtroom on which nine men could be hung at the same time.
- One form of execution that took place was 'oubliette', which means to forget, the prisoner was thrown down a 24ft shaft, the trap door was closed and death was from starvation, if the fall itself wasn't enough.
- The courtroom still remains and graffiti on one of the walls of the gatehouse, which was a prison, says: Robin Belcher. The day will come that thou shalt answer for it for thou hast sworn against me, 1761.
- The 'Keep' collapsed in 1752 and only fragments of it remain (it was about 900ft high), but the chapel, rebuilt in the 14th century still stands against a building with a 13th century doorway.
- A 'Moat Society' was formed to clear the moat and because of the enormity of the task, it was decided to fill it in. The only reminder of it is the small pond on the north side, set in the well kept gardens.
- The castle apparently has its ghosts also. A white lady and a man in armour are said to walk around the buildings.
- A 20ft deep hole under the watch- tower was found to be full of bones, but they were the bones of sheep and cattle. Since the hole was emptied, people say that they have seen a reflection of lights from down in the hole showing through the watch-tower windows.
What Kelly's Directory 1931 says about St Briavels
Download a PDF file for St Briavels 1931.
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