Forbidding Fortress to Pleasure Palace: Castles on the Welsh Marches

An Alumni Summer Study Trip

Friday July 5th to Sunday July 7th 2024.

Recapture something of your time as a student at ASE with our first Alumni Summer Study Trip.

Explore four exciting and evocative castles on the Welsh border, with a small group of fellow alumni, under the expert guidance of ASE tutor and Alumni Association Coordinator Rob Jones.

Goodrich castle; seat of the de Valences.
Hereford Cathedral, home of the Mappa Mundi.
The door to Kilpeck church, with its beautiful twelfth century carvings.
Chepstow castle; home of William Marshal.
The formidable gatehouse of White Castle.
The awe-inspiring ruins of Tintern Abbey.
The Tudor interior of Raglan castle.

Itinerary

Friday 5th July

Arrive in the city of Hereford, and perhaps take the chance to visit the magnificent cathedral, home of the Mappa Mundi.

In the evening the group will meet for informal drinks, where Rob will set the scene for the weekend’s trips.

Saturday 6th July

Departing Hereford by minibus, we’ll stop off at Kilpeck church - a beautiful Romanesque chapel with world-class sculpture, and its own motte and bailey castle - on the way to Chepstow castle, William Marshal’s formidable fortress at the southern end of the Wye Valley.

We’ll then travel up the picturesque Wye, stopping for lunch in the lee of beautiful Tintern Abbey, before continuing on to Goodrich Castle, the stunning baronial seat of the de Valence family.

We’ll return to Hereford to freshen up, before gathering for dinner.

Sunday 7th July

This morning, we travel down to late-medieval Raglan Castle, the grand palace of the Herbert family, stopping off en route at White Castle, a formidable fortress looking out across towards Wales and the Brecons.

We’ll then return to Hereford by around 2.30pm, leaving folks enough time for their onward journeys.

Cost

The tour costs £185 per person.

This includes:

  • air-conditioned minibus travel from Hereford to all of the sites

  • the entry fee for each castle

  • the expertise of ASE’s Rob Jones as your guide

  • dinner on Saturday evening

Travel

The trip includes all travel between Hereford and the sites that you will visit. However, you will be responsible for you own transport to and from Hereford.

There is a direct rail service from London Paddington, and regular trains from Bath Spa via Newport. There is also a direct coach service with National Express from London Victoria.

Accommodation

You will need to book your own accommodation in Hereford. It is well served with a range of hotels and guest houses, including a Travelodge and Premier Inn, as well as the Green Dragon, or Castle House hotels.

Food

The tour price includes a dinner for guests on the Saturday night (venue to be confirmed). Guests are responsible for all other meals and snacks.

We are aiming to keep the feel of an ASE study trip, and so numbers are limited to just 15 guests.

To secure your place on the tour, click here.

Once we are certain we have sufficient interest to run the event, we will contact you for payment.