Construction of the castle was undertaken by Alan the Red in 1071. Standing fast on a cliff edge above the river, it survived the War of the Roses and the Civil War. Access is via the imposing keep, a Romanesque masonry structure 30m high. Note the fine 11C archway. With the exception of Chepstow's dungeon, it is the oldest building of this kind in England. At the top, a panoramic view reaches from the market place to the moors.