Chepstow

Chepstow's clifftop castle, often cited as the oldest surviving stone castle in Britain, rises directly above the tidal River Wye in this small Welsh border town. Founded immediately after the Norman Conquest, the castle anchors a historic core that also includes a Benedictine priory established in 1072 and substantial stretches of the medieval town wall. The town has a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, and the riverside setting draws regular visitors — as it has since the late 18th-century "Wye Tour" made Chepstow an early stop on Britain's tourist trail.

• Population11,900
• Nearest water from center0.4 km
• Nearest mountain from center3.9 km
• UNESCO within 50 km3