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Shopping | Cycling | Castles & Churches | Wildlife | Fishing | Riding & Pony Trekking | Offa's Dyke | Welsh Gold | Rugby | Golf Shopping in the areaGood shopping can be had in Crickhowell, as well as Abergavenny and Brecon. Cardiff is an hour away for more sophisticated shopping. Its lovely old Victorian shopping arcades are a treat, with many interesting boutiques, and the redeveloped Bay area is great for a good meal, a visit to the superb Millenium Centre, Craft in the Bay, and a breath of fresh air while looking out across the water.Local farmer's markets - The following dates are the normal ones. However, there may be exceptional reasons why one or other is cancelled.
Other markets
Supermarkets - the best supermarket in the area for most things is Waitrose in Abergavenny. Butcher - there is a good butcher in Abergavenny (H&J Edwards, 01873 853110)) in the pedestrianised section of the High Street in the middle of town. There is also a good butcher, Cashels, in Crickhowell. Chemist - the best chemist is Shackleton’s in Abergavenny, situated at 1 Neville Street (in the middle of the pedestrianised section of the High Street). Tel: 01873 853219. There is also a good-sized Boots. The Venison Centre near Bwlch is worth a visit for delectable (and healthy) meat, as well as related food products.
Cycling and mountain bikingCycling is a hugely popular activity, second only to walking for visitors.There is good cycling along the Brecon canal, and, for the more adventurous, excellent mountain biking in the Brecon Beacons.Castles & ChurchesThe Monnow valley forms a break in the natural defences of the southern part of the Welsh border, which is the reason why the Normans built a trio of castles to guard this particular route of communication. There are plenty more in Monmoutshire, Powys and in surrounding counties, but Grosmont, Skenfrith, White Castle and Raglan are spectacular. White Castle, just a few miles from Abergavenny, is very impressive, as it has a full moat and a wonderful view. Formerly a Benedictine priory, Brecon Cathedral is fairly modest as cathedrals go, looking more like an enormous country church. Its cathedral status wasn't in fact granted until 1923 when the diocese of Swansea and Brecon was created as part of the new Church in Wales after its separation from the Church in England. Today, the cathedral boasts many wonderful treasures, including its 12th century Norman font, decorated with carvings of birds and beasts. Above it hangs a brass candelabrum from 1722. Llanthony Abbey, a Cistercian monastery in the Black Mountains just below Offa’s Dyke path, is definitely worth a visit, and conveniently has a pub right within its walls. Interesting little country churches abound, and among the best are at Cwmyoy in the Llanthony Valley and at Partrishow above the Grwyne Fawr Valley, both in the Black Mountains, situated in the eastern part of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
The Brecon Beacons National Park is home to a wide variety of wildlife. Numerous well-kept ancient hedgerows in the area make this the perfect habitat for many species. They also provide sustenance for the birds of prey: kestrels, hawks, merlins, buzzards and red kites thrive here, the latter having increased in number recently. Widen the net to include the South Wales Valleys, and you will find some of the best wildlife reserves in Wales. Between the Llanthony and Grwyne Fawr valleys is a fascinating SSSI, Coed y Cerrig, an important National Nature Reserve. Part of this belongs to The Countryside Commission of Wales, so that some access is possible via raised walkways. It is a rare example of wet woodland or alluvial forest, with indigenous trees historically coppiced for charcoal - hence the origin of the name for the local hamlet of Forest (char)Coalpit. Nothing to do with coal mining! Alder and willow enjoy the wet valley bottom, while the sides are clothed in hazel, birch and ash. Large beech and oak trees crown the tops of the valley sides. The SSSI is rich in fauna and flora: in spring, purple orchids and bluebells can be seen on the drier slopes, while marsh marigolds, mosses, lesser pond sedge and golden saxifrage populate the bogs. The SSSI is an important habitat for the dormouse, and many different kinds of birds and insects. On a fine day, an amble along the board walk is a magical experience.The red sandstone uplands comprise moorland populated by raven, wheatear and red grouse. In parts of the hillscape, where sheep cannot penetrate, some unusual northern alpine flowers can be found. The steeper sides of the fertile river valleys are clothed in wonderful ancient woodlands of oak, ash and hazel. They are alive with the song of woodland birds. The two major rivers, the Wye and the Usk are well-known for salmon, and brown trout is a staple of all their tributaries. A recent early spring visit to the area by the Gwent Ornithological Society revealed sightings of the following: sparrow hawk, buzzard, pheasant, curlew, stock dove, collared dove, wood pigeon, greater spotted woodpecker, skylark, robin, pied wagtail, blackbird, fieldfare, song thrush, redwing, long-tailed tit, marsh tit, coal tit, blue tit, great tit, nuthatch, tree creeper, magpie, rook, carrion crow, starling, chaffinch, greenfinch, bullfinch, and red poll. Later, in June, goldfinches are plentiful and, of course, the regular summer visitors, house martins and swallows nest in huge numbers around farm buildings, as does the wren and the sparrow. Visitors have also spotted mistlethrush, jackdaws and dunnocks. Barn owls and little owls are heard calling on still nights, and the eerie sound of the vixen is heard in the cubbing season. Pwll y Wrach, an SSSI, is one of the best wildlife reserves in the area – about half a mile south-east of Talgarth. There are interesting and well-marked walking trails through some of the most significant woodland in the whole of Wales, including the fascinating Geological Trail. Keen birders should visit Brechfa Pool, a small lake eight miles north-east of Brecon. Migrating wading birds visit in spring and autumn, and teal populate it in winter. But it is also a stopping-off point for many an interesting species. A superb site for bird-watching, the Magor Marsh Reserve is the last precious remnant of fenland on the Gwent levels and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is a perfect example of the progression of plant communities from open water to marsh and scrub woodland. It is also an important Bronze-age site. (Situated near Magor Village on the B4245 near junction 23A on the M4.) The Silent Valley Reserve is positioned just south of Ebbw Vale and is one of the best reserves in the area. It proves, interestingly, that beautiful and important countryside can thrive cheek-by-jowel in post-industrial areas of the country, reclaiming what was until recently a landscape left scarred by mining. A large part of this wildlife reserve was designated in 1984 as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is open woodland, interspersed with wet areas and former meadowland. The woods form part of one of the most westerly and highest natural beech woods in Britain. Riding & Pony TrekkingRiding, Horse and Pony trekking is a hugely popular activity in the area and there are numerous riding schools in additional to the famous trekking in the Llanthony Valley. Professional horse racing and point to pointing is also popular, and there are many professional stables: the winner of the Cheltenham gold Cup 2008 Sam Thomas comes from Grosmont near Abergavenny. For those who are happy to go slightly slower and enjoy the scenery ring: Triley Fields Equestrian Centre Upper Triley Farm, New Hereford Road, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire NP7 8DF is an all year showjumping and riding centre with a full range of lessons for all ages. Tel: 01873 890523 Llanthony Pony Trekking Court Farm, Llanthony Grange Pony Trekking Capel y Fin Travelog Farm Trekking Llanthony Offa's DykeOffa, who gives his name to the old Welsh-English boundary dyke, was king of Mercia from 757 to 796 AD. His kingdom comprised a central tranche of England, from the Welsh Marches in the west to the Fens in the east; from the Mersey in the north to the Thames Valley in the south. At his mightiest, his control spread further, including Kent and East Anglia. He also had political alliances with Northumbria and Wessex, created by the marriage of his two daughters to their kings. King Offa was also influential on the continent, having strong political and trading links with Charlemagne. He instituted the use of the penny as the standard monetary unit in England. It had the same silver content as the coins in circulation in Francia, which served to boost international trade. It is uncertain as to exactly why Offa’s Dyke was built, whether as an agreed boundary or as a fortified response to events in the area. Any fortifications, if they were ever there, have long gone. What we know, is that the dyke is a linear earthwork consisting of a ditch and rampart. The ditch part of it is on the Welsh-facing side, appearing to be constructed so that an open view into Wales is possible along its length. It reaches from sea to sea and roughly follows today’s Welsh-English border. Much of the Dyke is still traceable for about 80 miles from its southernmost point. Parts are still very obvious, and parts are no longer visible due to farming practices over the centuries. Whatever the origins of Offa’s Dyke, it is a boon for walkers. It lies in some of the most beautiful and unspoilt parts of the country, comprising dramatic mountain views as well as more bucolic scenery. It connects some charming border towns and villages, such as Hay-on-Wye and, although one can walk through deep countryside, one is never too far from a pub, an inn or somewhere to get refreshment. Some walkers do parts of the Dyke, and others, such as the more ambitious ‘Dykers,’ walk the whole 182-mile length of it from Sedbury to Prestatyn and never stray from the path itself. Welsh GoldBeing in very short supply, Welsh gold is the most valuable of precious metals. Worth three times more than ‘ordinary’ gold, it is more expensive even than platinum. Its rarity makes it an attractive commodity, but it is also the fact that it has always been associated with kings, queens and Celtic chieftains. This tradition has been continued by our royal family: the Queen’s wedding ring is made out of Welsh gold, as are those of the Duke and Duchess of Wessex. Welsh gold was used to fashion the crown for the Prince of Wales’ investiture, as well as a brooch for the Queen Mother. The Welsh gold belt stretches from the Mawddach estuary through the wooded countryside of Coed y Brenin to the Ffestiniog – some of the wildest and most beautiful landscape in Wales. This fascinating area is bristling with abandoned goldmines from the nineteenth-century. Boom times may be over but, on a clear day, the views over to Cadair Idris are probably the closest you will get to pure gold. Only one working mine remains: the Gwynfynydd mine. There, underground mining has stopped and entry is barred to the public, but some gold is still being retrieved from the surface. They reckon that there is only two more years’ worth of Welsh gold left. If you are desperate for a piece of jewellery made out of Welsh gold, all is not lost. A company called the Cambrian Goldfields Ltd have managed to obtain a license to scour the area around the old mines for remains of Welsh gold. They have found enough to produce a range of pure Welsh gold jewellery. Beware, though, of companies who produce pieces made ‘with a touch of Welsh gold’ and similar phrases. Their products are very diluted. A short history of Rugby, Rugby Union, Welsh Rugby Union and the Millenium Stadium, CardiffThe South Wales valleys have a very strong tie to the game of Rugby Union. It was a game played by ‘ordinary people’, including miners - unlike in England and Scotland, where it was very much dominated by public school graduates. And even though Welsh Rugby Union was the last of the home unions to be formed (in 1880), this localised element tied the game to the area, making south Wales a spiritual home to the game. The early form of what we now know as Rugby (League as well as Union) began, so it is widely told, at Rugby School. A pupil at the school, William Webb Ellis, purportedly picked up the ball during a soccer match in 1823 and ran with it towards the goal. It is not known how this behaviour was received at the time, but this ‘freer’ kind of play obviously appealed to his contemporaries and, no doubt, his teachers, as the game developed from there. The game in its early days was more static: the thrower could not run with the ball while throwing, and the catcher, as well as all the other players, had to stand still until the ball was caught. By the 1840s, however, the game had developed to the more fluid version it is today where throwing and catching can be done while running. The game spread from Rugby school to other public schools and throughout the world via the colonies. By 1870, rugby was a popular game, but played to a variety of rules. This created confusion when schools and clubs played each other. In order to create a formalised code of practise, the first Union, the Rugby Football Union, was born on the initiative of Edwin Ash, Secretary of Richmond Club. Cardiff Millenium Stadium, one of the most spectacular in the world, it is located on the site of the old Cardiff Arms Park in Cardiff city centre and a short walk from the railway station as well as all the other attractions of city centre activity. As you enter the stadium to witness a Wales home match, you can’t fail to be impressed by the drama of the place: the stands rise steeply up from the pitch so that the view of the action is second to none - no matter where you are seated. The singing sea of red is a riot of sound and proves that a Welsh crowd has perfect pitch. Welsh rugby is emerging out of the doldrums, so a visit to a rugby match in the Millenium Stadium is now well worth it. GolfGolf has traditionally been closely associated with Scotland and, as a result, many golfers rush off to the famous courses there without thinking of the alternatives. Wales has some stunning courses in very pretty countryside – and the climate is a great deal better than Scotland’s, especially in the south-east. Golfers travel from all over the world to visit Celtic Manor in Newport. Less than seven years after it was founded in 1955, it was chosen as the host course for the 2010 Ryder Cup. One of the most important golfing complexes in Europe, Celtic Manor’s three splendid courses are complemented by a £10,000,000 clubhouse and a floodlit golf academy. The courses were designed by the Robert Trent Jones family. Robert senior built golf courses in 600 locations the world over before returning to his roots and celebrating his Welsh nationality by concentrating his energies at home. He designed two of the existing Celtic Manor courses, the Roman Road and the Coldra Woods courses, before Robert Junior created the impressive and difficult Wentwood Hills course on the slopes overlooking the Usk Valley. The Rolls of Monmouth Golf Club is a prestigious club. One can safely call it the Rolls Royce of golf courses, as this was where the Rolls Royce engine was in fact built! Such big names as Greg Norman and Tony Jacklin have both enjoyed this testing course surrounded by the beauty and tranquillity of the Monmouthshire countryside. Under the distant gaze of the Black Mountains and the occasional deer, this course has a rare tranquil atmosphere. The clubhouse is situated in the former workshop and garage of the 18th century house, which belonged to Charles Stuart Rolls, the early aviator and motoring pioneer. The Marriott St. Pierre Golf, Hotel & Country Club near Chepstow is on what was originally the estate of St. Pierre of Caen, one of William the Conqueror’s most faithful lieutenants. As a reward for his loyalty he was given a domain overlooking the Severn Estuary which became the site of a 14th century manor house. It was here that King Henry V, who came from nearby Monmouth, stored the Crown Jewels during the battle of Agincourt. The house now forms the heart of the Marriott St. Pierre Hotel, and two golf courses were created around it amongst the ancient specimen trees in the 400 acres of beautiful parkland. St. Pierre has hosted the Dunlop Masters and the Curtis Cup and, in 1996, staged the Solheim Cup between the USA and Europe. |
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