Things to do in Abergavenny (Y Fenni)
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Beacon Park Boats
The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal runs along the foot of the Blorenge mountain, southwest of town. You can take to the water with Beacon Park Boats which rents out electric-powered boats (up to six persons). In a day, you can cruise south to Goytre Wharf, or north to Llangattock and back.
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St Mary's Priory Church & Tithe Barn
Relatively modest-looking, St Mary's contains a remarkable treasury of aristocratic tombs within. It was founded at the same time as the castle (1087) as part of a Benedictine priory, but the present building dates mainly from the 14th century, with 15th- and 19th-century additions and alterations. In the northern transept is one of the most important medieval carvings in Europe – a monumental 15th-century wooden representation of the biblical figure of Jesse.
The priory's 13th century tithe barn has recently been restored and converted into an excellent heritage centre and a food hall focusing on locally sourced Welsh products.
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Blorenge
Abergavenny sits amid three glacially sculpted hills - Ysgyryd Fawr (Skirrid; 486m) to the northeast; Sugar Loaf (596m) to the northwest; and the Blorenge (559m) to the southwest. Each has rewarding walks and fine views of the Usk Valley and the Black Mountains. Although the summit of the Blorenge is closer to town than Sugar Loaf - the round trip is only 5 miles - it is a much steeper and more strenuous outing, and good walking boots are recommended.
Cross the bridge over the Usk on Merthyr Rd and immediately turn right and follow the lane past the cemetery and under the main road. Cross the B4269 road in Llanfoist and follow the lane beside the church until it bends lef…
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Sugar Loaf
Abergavenny sits amid three glacially sculpted hills - Ysgyryd Fawr (Skirrid; 486m) to the northeast; Sugar Loaf (596m) to the northwest; and the Blorenge (559m) to the southwest. Each has rewarding walks and fine views of the Usk Valley and the Black Mountains. Easiest of the three is the cone-shaped Sugar Loaf, which offers a 9-mile return trip from the centre of town to the summit via heath, woodland and the superb viewpoint of Mynydd Llanwenarth.
You can cheat by driving to a car park about halfway up on Mynydd Llanwenarth; from here it's a 4-mile round trip. Head west on the A40, and at the edge of town turn right for Sugar Loaf Vineyards, then go left at the next tw…
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Nantyffin Cider Mill
One of Mid-Wales' gastronomic pioneers, this 16th-century drovers' inn takes great pride in using local produce to create simple, unfussy dishes that allow the quality of the ingredients to shine through. The dining room is a stylish blend of bare stone, exposed roof beams, designer chairs and white table linen, set around the original 19th-century cider press. Nantyffin is a mile northwest of Crickhowell on the A40.
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Abergavenny Castle & Museum
Not much remains of Abergavenny Castle except for an impressive stretch of curtain wall on either side of the gatehouse on the northwest side. The castle keep, converted into a hunting lodge by the Victorians, now houses a small museum devoted to the history of the castle and the town.
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Foxhunter
An old Victorian pub with flagstone floors and wood-burning stoves that's been given an elegant contemporary makeover, the Foxhunter brings an adventurous approach to fresh, seasonal produce with dishes such as sautéed duck liver and foie gras on toasted brioche, brown trout with beurre blanc, sorrel and wild garlic, and (in season) deep-fried wild elvers (baby eels from the River Wye) with wild garlic mayonnaise.
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Welsh Airsports
The Blorenge, rising above Abergavenny to the southwest, is one of Britain's finest paragliding and hang-gliding sites. In fact, it is so important that the Southeast Wales Hang-Gliding and Paragliding Club purchased the mountain in 1998. Several records have been set from here, and the mountain regularly hosts competition events. Welsh Airsports offers instruction in paragliding seven days a week, weather permitting.
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Bear Hotel
A fine old coaching inn with low-ceilinged rooms, stone fireplaces, blackened timber beams and antique furniture, the Bear serves top quality bar meals as well as having a more formal restaurant. The menu ranges from heart-warming home cooking (sausages and mash with onion gravy, faggots with peas and chips) to the finest black beef steaks and Welsh seafood. The Bear is in Crickhowell, 6.5 miles west of Abergavenny.
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Hardwick
The Hardwick is a traditional pub-style restaurant with an old stone fireplace, low ceiling beams and terracotta floor tiles. Ex-Walnut Tree alumnus Stephen Terry has created a gloriously unpretentious menu that celebrates the best of country cooking; save room for the homemade ice cream. The Hardwick is 2 miles south of Abergavenny on the B4598.
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Walnut Tree
Established in 1963, the legendary Walnut Tree remains one of Wales' finest restaurants despite a change of ownership, with a Michelin star to prove it. Fresh, local produce dominates, and with wood pigeon and hare on the menu last time we visited, we wouldn't be all that surprised if some of it was once scurrying around the backyard. The Walnut Tree is 3 miles northeast of Abergavenny on the B4521.
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Market Hall
The 19th-century Market Hall is a lively place, hosting a general market (food, drink, clothes, household goods) on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, a flea market (bric-a-brac, collectables, second-hand goods) on Wednesday, regular weekend crafts and antiques fairs, and a farmers market on the fourth Thursday of each month.
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Trading Post
Housed in a 16th-century town house that was formerly the Cow Inn (check out the carved cow's heads on the outside), the Trading Post is a pleasantly old-fashioned café serving a wide range of teas and coffees as well as a bistro menu of light meals.
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Sugar Loaf Vineyards
On the western edge of town are the Sugar Loaf Vineyards, established in 1992 and producing around 12,000 bottles a year of award-winning Welsh wine. You can take a self-guided tour before sampling the goods at the café and gift shop.
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Hill Education & Conference Centre
Franco Taruschio (who founded the Walnut Tree Inn) and Lindy Wildsmith run one-/two-day cookery courses at the Hill Education & Conference Centre teaching Italian cooking with Welsh ingredients. Courses run once or twice a month.
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Bayleaf
Abergavenny's best curry house, the Bayleaf specialises in Northern Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine, with dishes such as gustaba (a hot and sour lamb curry) and aam achari chicken (cooked in mango chutney).
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La Brasseria
This lively little bistro has a warm, sunny Mediterranean vibe, with a French-inspired menu that includes the likes of garlic mushrooms, roast duck (with chunky, home-made chips), and roast sea bream.
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Hen & Chickens
A traditional real-ale pub tucked down a pedestrianised alley, the Hen and Chickens hosts live jazz sessions on Sunday afternoons (outside when it's sunny), and fortnightly folk music.
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Coffee #1
Wales' answer to Starbucks is a cosy nook of dark wood, brown leather and chilled music, and offers an extensive menu of organic and Fairtrade espresso, cappuccino and latte.
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Borough Theatre
The small Borough Theatre in the Town Hall stages a varied programme of drama, opera, dance, comedy and music; The Beatles played here in 1963.
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Abergavenny Bookshop
Abergavenny Bookshop sells local interest books and Ordnance Survey maps.
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King's Arms
Cosy and atmospheric, the King's Arms is a great old tavern (at least 14th-century) where you can down a pint in the bar accompanied with a quality steak-and-ale pie or bangers-and-mash. The restaurant menu (Brecon venison, Swansea Bay sea bass) takes dining to the next level of sophistication, while still keeping a rustic edge.
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