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Caldicot Castle. By John Bellows. 



Although the magnitude of its ruins attest its former import- 

 ance, very little indeed is recorded in history of Caldicot Castle. 

 Some have hazarded the conjecture that the present building 

 stands on the site of a more ancient one, erected by King 

 Harold ; but there is no reason to suppose that Hakold built in 

 this spot at all. He did erect a hunting lodge at Portskewett, in 

 1065 (one year before the Conquest), and the "Saxon Chronicle" 

 gives an account of his inviting King Edwaed (Edward the 

 Confessor) to come to it for a grand hunt and feast ; for Harold, 

 we are told, had stored much good there, ready for the occasion, 

 Caradoc ap Griffith, Lord of Caerleon, did not see the advan- 

 tage of this arrangement, and during Harold's absence in 

 Wentwood made a descent on the lodge, killed the workmen 

 and servants he found there, appropriated the " much good" 

 that was stored up, and pulled the house down. This event 

 occurred exactly 810 years ago. (Written in 1875.) 



No mention is made of the Castle in "Domesday," though the 

 estate of Caldicot is named in it,— "Durand the Sheriff holds 

 of the King one land in Caerwent, called Caldicot. He has in 

 demesne there three ploughs, and 15 half villeins, and four 

 bondmen, and one knight. All these have 12 ploughs. There 

 is a mill worth 10s. The whole is worth £6." This Durand 

 was Sheriff of Gloucestershire. 



The first date at which we find mention of the Castle is 1221, 

 when, according to Dugdale, " Humphrey, Earl of Hereford, 

 did homage, and had Hvery of his Castle of Caldicott." This 

 must have been in the reign of Henry the Third. The Saxons 



