Known as the gateway to Wales, Chepstow is a border town steeped in history.
It boasts a 12th-century Norman castle overlooking the River Wye but was seen as a strategic stronghold long before those battle lines were drawn.
That's because archaeologists have previously uncovered evidence of prehistoric, Roman and Anglo-Saxon fortifications — and now something else.
It turns out the town was once home to an ancient bridge that linked England and Wales before the two countries came to be.
This wooden structure – believed to have been built by the Romans 2,000 years ago – was found preserved in mud following a race against time to uncover it during an 'extreme low tide event'.
An ancient bridge – believed to have been built by the Romans 2,000 years ago – was found preserved in mud in the River Wye near Chepstow
Archaeologists had just a two-hour window to dig it out and had to be assisted by specialist rescue teams because of the perilous nature of their task
Samples were taken from the timbers, which will now undergo carbon dating to determine the bridge's exact age.
Archaeologists had just a two-hour window to dig it out and had to be assisted by specialist rescue teams because of the perilous nature of their task.
The ancient crossing links a route between Wales and England from around half a mile upstream of Chepstow to the village of Tutshill in Gloucestershire.
Simon Maddison, of the Chepstow Archaeological Society (CAS), said: 'The team were able to locate upright timbers in a tidal pool on the location of the Roman crossing.
'Until the results come back we won't know for sure the period of the structure.
'We are thrilled with what we were able to achieve and await dating results with keen anticipation.'
Experts from CAS were given assistance by members of the Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA), who helped some of the team down off the bank using mud stretchers taken to the site by boat.
Mr Maddison said: 'The mud was very dense and very sticky, and we frequently got stuck in it. Without SARA it would have been impossibly dangerous.'
SARA Beachley posted photos of the muddy dig, saying: 'Something different last Friday! A small SARA team provided safety cover and other muddy assistance to a group from the Chepstow Archaeological Society, investigating the site of the Roman bridge across the Wye just above Chepstow Castle.
'With amazing results, as these photos show!
'This was our second such outing, and followed a visit in May which was something of a detailed reconnaissance.'
They added: 'Both visits were arranged for the bottom of spring tides, to give the maximum exposure of the area.
'And this meant that both outings provided a lot of good training value for us, with boat handling in shallow and pretty fast moving water as well as operating in the mud, as well as helping with the archaeology.'
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Simon Maddison, of the Chepstow Archaeological Society (CAS), said: 'The team were able to locate upright timbers in a tidal pool on the location of the Roman crossing'
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He added that 'until the results come back we won't know for sure the period of the structure'
The bridge was previously discovered and partially excavated in 1911 by Dr Orville Owen.
It also appeared on an old Ordnance Survey map at around the same time but has been buried in mud ever since.
'It was recorded but we did not know exactly where it was,' Mr Maddison said.
'Detective work on the drawings in Chepstow Museum enabled us to pinpoint its likely location and this proved to be correct.'
Another bridge, called The Old Wye Bridge, was later built close to the 950-year-old Chepstow Castle.
This was constructed in 1816 using cast iron and stone in 1816 and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.
