England–Wales border after Harold's death at the Battle of Hastings, Wales was again divided without a leader to resist the Normans. Immediately after the Norman conquest of England, King William installed one of his most trusted confidants, William FitzOsbern, as Earl of Hereford. By 1071 he had started the building of Chepstow Castle, the first castle in Britain built of stone, near the mouth of the Wye. It served as a base from which the Normans continued to expand westward into south Wales, establishing a castle at Caerleon and extinguishing the Welsh kingdom of Gwent. William also installed Roger de Montgomerie at
Newbridge-on-Wye with which the school is linked. The school holds festivals and services in the church throughout the year. Newbridge-on-Wye Newbridge-on-Wye () is a small village in Powys, Wales. It lies, as its name suggests, on the River Wye, just downstream from the market town of Rhayader. Newbridge-on-Wye is located roughly in the middle of Wales, and lies 7.1 miles south of Rhayader. The main road running through the village is the A470, running from Rhayader to the north and Builth Wells to the south. The B4358 also passes through the village; it runs from Beulah in the west through to