How it rates
Chepstow, an historic market town just over the Severn Bridge in Monmouthshire, scores well for its location. Billed as the gateway to Wales, it is 20 minutes from Bristol, 40 minutes from Cardiff and is set in the spectacular Wye Valley. It also has a popular racecourse and, being in Wales, you get NHS medicines free.
Historical gems
It is difficult to miss Chepstow’s impressive Norman castle. There’s also an elegant iron bridge, which opened in 1816 and spans the River Wye, on the border with England.
Travel
There is a cluster of motorways near by — the M4, M5 and M48 — to get you to centres such as Cardiff, Gloucester, Exeter and Bristol. Fast trains to London take 1 hour