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7<br />
There are coaches to the primary school in Rogiet and to<br />
Caldicot, Chepstow and Monmouth secondary schools.<br />
We are lucky to have two community spaces in the village;<br />
the village hall and the community centre. Between them<br />
they host classes for all ages and interests, from archery to<br />
Zumba, short mat bowls to historic sword fighting. The<br />
community centre also has a newly-refurbished meeting<br />
room, with excellent facilities. Both spaces are available to<br />
hire for parties and sporting events.<br />
Describe the vibe in your favourite local café<br />
or pub…<br />
The Coach and Horses is the only pub left in the village. It is<br />
good for relaxed evenings and meals and also caters for wakes<br />
and wedding parties and celebration afternoon teas.<br />
The Baptist Chapel runs a village café on Friday mornings. It<br />
is incredibly friendly and inclusive and brings young and old<br />
together for a chat and some lovely food.<br />
The Church runs a Community café on Monday mornings,<br />
whose aim is the same, as well as running craft classes.<br />
Further afield is The Marmalade House in Chepstow, which<br />
has a vintage feel with excellent choices of tea and cakes, and<br />
the Cwtch Cabin in Langstone which is very cosy, especially<br />
in winter.<br />
What leisure pursuits do you enjoy locally?<br />
Eating out, walking, and volunteering.<br />
So, where are your favourite places for eating<br />
out?<br />
For a celebration, Panevino in Chepstow. For a more casual<br />
occasion, Ego at The Groes Wen Inn, Penhow; Los Reyes<br />
Tapas & Wine Bar, Caerleon or the Rock and Fountain in<br />
Penhow.<br />
And your favourite walks?<br />
I enjoy walking in Wentwood Forest, with a stop for a<br />
yummy hot chocolate at The Glade Tearooms. I also like<br />
walking in the Wye Valley around Tintern, with a stop at the<br />
Wild Hare for excellent hot chocolate and some immense<br />
sandwiches.<br />
In what ways are you involved in your local<br />
community?<br />
I was a community councillor for two years and currently<br />
serve on the Caerwent Village Hall and Playing Fields<br />
Association committee.<br />
As postmistress I am the collector of ‘things’. I sell tickets<br />
for local events, collect items for tombolas, take in<br />
donations for the food bank and collect subs for the village<br />
newsletter, the Caerwent Meadows Project and the Church<br />
200 club. The Post Office is the hub for anything local<br />
that helps the village. We also recycle batteries and crisp<br />
packets.<br />
We always have a painted window for the living Advent<br />
calendar and the Scarecrow trail and are a place to leave<br />
donations of surplus produce to reduce waste.<br />
What’s been the most exciting recent<br />
development in the area?<br />
Fibre!<br />
Connectivity issues really came to the fore with the<br />
blossoming of remote working in recent years. Half the<br />
village now have it and it is gradually being laid in the other<br />
part.<br />
It will be amazing to have reliable, fast Broadband.<br />
What’s the social life like in Caerwent?<br />
Well, the Coach and Horses is open for food and drink<br />
most days and evenings and the Caerwent Village Hall<br />
and Playing Fields Association run monthly events at the<br />
village hall. This year we have had a quiz night, Macmillan<br />
cake and book fair, the village summer fete, family Friday<br />
socials, car boot sales and coming up in November is our<br />
Christmas shopping night and then two Christmas parties<br />
in December for the over 60’s and the village children.<br />
There is also the Caerwent Meadows Project which has<br />
leased the CADW land around the roman ruins and has<br />
managed this to make an old fashioned meadow. It was<br />
recently awarded a Green Flag Award for environmental<br />
excellence.<br />
Which village events have you most enjoyed<br />
recently?<br />
One was the Caerwent Village Fete and Produce show in<br />
the summer, for which we were blessed with beautiful<br />
weather. As a committee we managed to pull off the right<br />
mix of free and very low cost activities to draw in families<br />
from the village and surrounds and it was a lovely relaxed<br />
day with loads of smiley faces – an incredible team effort<br />
that was appreciated by everyone.<br />
I also enjoyed the Chapel wreath making event for the ladies<br />
of the village, back in December. I am really looking forward<br />
to this one again.<br />
How would you advise someone new into the<br />
area to get to know the locals?<br />
Come to the Post Office! We advertise all the local events<br />
and businesses in the window. Everyone is also very friendly<br />
and chatty in the queue!<br />
You could also go to one of the coffee mornings run by the<br />
church and chapel or to the pub, where again people will<br />
chat and make you welcome.<br />
Tell me one fascinating fact about<br />
Caerwent…<br />
Roman Caerwent, or Venta Silurum, was established in<br />
about 75AD as a settlement for the finally vanquished local<br />
Silures tribe. The town was dissected by the Roman road<br />
from Gloucester to the legionary fortress at Caerleon.<br />
Photos of Caerwent: Sharon Chilcott and courtesy Angelique Gittings.<br />
Photo of Angelique: Jacob Gittings<br />
Villagers are very happy to give up their free time to help, especially for the<br />
youngsters…<br />
Sharon Chilcott<br />
Share the love<br />
If you would like to share what makes your<br />
home town or village a special place to live, then<br />
Sharon would be delighted to hear from you. You<br />
can get in touch by emailing: core.concepts@<br />
btinternet.com, putting I Love Where I Live in<br />
the subject line.
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