Chepstow Wassail and Mari Lwyd

What to expect

From around midday, morris sides from Wales and the borders dance around the town, while Mari Lwyds roam the streets snapping their jaws at passers-by. In the afternoon the wassail takes place in the community orchard by the castle, with songs, cider and toast for the trees. The Maris then sing for entry at the castle gates in a pwnco, a rhyming battle of verses. Later the English and Welsh sides meet near the old Wye bridge, before community singing and a final Mari Lwyd and mulled cider at Chepstow Museum.

The story behind it

The Mari Lwyd, the grey mare, is a midwinter tradition from south Wales: a horse's skull decorated with ribbons, carried on a pole by a hidden bearer under a sheet. The party goes from house to house, challenging those inside to a contest of insulting verses for the right to come in for food and drink. Wassailing, meanwhile, blesses the apple trees for a good harvest. Chepstow's event in its current form has run for around two decades, returning after the pandemic in 2024 under new organisers. Chepstow, sitting on the border, makes a fitting place for Welsh and English customs to meet.

Getting there and home

Chepstow station is around ten minutes' walk from the castle and town centre, on the line between Cardiff, Newport and Gloucester. By road, Chepstow is just off the M48 near the Severn crossing. Town centre car parks fill up, so arrive early or come by train. The tourism listing for a past edition placed the English–Welsh meeting outside the old Bridge Inn and instructed visitors to stay off the closed bridge. Check the next programme and follow stewards’ directions; do not assume a crossing is available.

Watching, taking part and tips

The event is free, though donations are welcome and programmes with song sheets are sold on the day, so you can join in the singing. Children love the Maris but some may find them scary up close. Wear warm, waterproof clothing and comfortable shoes, as the action moves around the town. The orchard wassail and castle gates are the moments not to miss. Bring cash for donations and a mug of mulled cider later in the day.

Where to watch

Chepstow’s celebration roams around town, so work out which part you care about most. The tourism listing splits it into town-centre dancing, the wassail in the community orchard, the Mari at the castle gate and singing later on. If it’s the sung challenge you’re after, be ready at the castle or museum rather than chasing every dance team; with children, an earlier dance stop makes a manageable first taste.

Let the new programme guide you. The timetable currently on the tourism listing belongs to an event marked as passed, so treat it as background, not next January’s schedule, and don’t plan a tightly timed arrival around it. Give yourself time to move between venues and room to stand back if a spot gets crowded. Catching one ceremony from start to finish usually beats arriving at several just as each one wraps up. Keep a clear way out of wherever you’re standing, especially if you’re leaving before the final singing.

Taking part

The organiser’s heritage notes describe the pwnco as a negotiation: the Mari’s party asks to come in, the household answers back, and the exchange ends with admission and good wishes. Listen for those stages rather than thinking the skull’s arrival is the whole show. The Mari may look fierce, but the verses and banter are playful, so give the singers the time and room to land the jokes.

The tourism listing says programmes include song lyrics; if they’re on offer again, grab one — it helps you follow the communal singing and supports the event. Hear a verse before adding your voice, and follow whoever is leading. You can enjoy the wassail without touching the cider, as joining in the song doesn’t depend on a shared drink. For younger visitors, explain the hidden bearer and the decorated head before you get close, and let them decide whether they’d rather watch from further back.

Accessibility and families

The old Wye bridge looms large in stories of this celebration. The earlier event website describes English and Welsh groups approaching with flags before greeting each other — lovely symbolism, but not current access advice. The more recent tourism programme says plainly that the bridge is closed and visitors shouldn’t go onto it, and places the meeting outside the old Bridge Inn instead.

On the day, follow the new programme and the stewards rather than trying to recreate a photo from an earlier year. Don’t assume you can approach from the English bank or stroll across. If you need to be on a particular side of the river for your journey home, check the permitted route before the celebration starts. That matters most if someone’s collecting you: give your driver an agreed spot they can actually reach, rather than just saying you’ll meet at the old bridge.

Make a day of it nearby

Chepstow Castle is the obvious partner to the outdoor ceremonies, but watching a performance at its gates isn’t the same as going inside. Cadw describes a fortress stretched along a limestone cliff above the Wye, begun in 1067 and altered by a string of powerful owners. To explore it, check winter opening and admission and plan a separate visit ahead of the day’s later events.

Across the road, Chepstow Museum occupies an eighteenth-century merchant’s house. Its displays cover the town’s port and market history — shipbuilding, salmon fishing and the wine trade — along with paintings and prints of the Wye Valley. Monlife’s page lists wheelchair access to the ground floor and WC, though that doesn’t confirm arrangements during a busy outdoor ceremony, so check if access is essential. Both help explain the town beyond the festival; time your visit so you can enjoy the collections, not just shelter in them between performances.

Questions people ask

Where it is

Map pin shows the approximate area where the event happens. Open in OpenStreetMap ↗

Go straight to the source

Independent research. The organiser’s own information always wins — we have not visited or tested the journeys.

• Monmouthshire Beacon: 2026 event ↗
• Tradfolk: Customs uncovered, Chepstow Mari Lwyd and Wassail ↗
• Visit Monmouthshire listing ↗
• Visit Monmouthshire: recent programme and bridge restriction ↗
• Chepstow Wassail Mari: background to the ceremonies ↗
• Cadw: Chepstow Castle ↗
• Monlife: Chepstow Museum ↗