Things To Do

Outdoor Activities

The area is superb for all sorts of outdoor activities including:

  • Road biking - take on The Tumble or Llangynidr Mountain or revel in the solitude of the Llanthony Valley.
  • Mountain biking - visit the nearby centres of Dirt Farm, Bike Park Wales or Cwm Carn or explore the local MTB trails.
  • Family cycling - visit the Forest of Dean or explore the beautiful Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal.
  • Hill Walking - climb to the top of Blorenge and enjoy the amazing views from the top of Sugar Loaf.
  • Gentle Walking - amble along level paths next to the Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal or the River Usk .
  • Climbing - the quarries & crags around nearby Gilwern Hill offer great natural climbing opportunities.
  • Waterfall Country - follow beautiful wooded gorges and marvel at the stunning waterfalls in South Wales.
  • Adventure Activities - try gorge scrambling in Clydach Gorge, rock climbing in Symonds Yat and more.
  • Canoeing - hire a canoe or kayak and paddle down the Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal or the River Wye.
  • Pony trekking - venture into the remote Llanthony Valley at Grange Trekking Centre.
  • Golf - Abergavenny is an ideal base for a golfing holiday, boasting 2 18 hole courses

Cycling

Lilac Cottage offers a secure bike store for 6 or more bikes with steel ground anchors for your own bike locks. The cycling nearby ranges from gentle towpath cycling along the Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal and the Clydach Gorge disused railway path (both accessible from nearby Govilon) to epic road climbs and exhilarating mountain biking. The road climb up the Tumble to the summit of Blorenge and the steep climb up Llangynidir Mountain are both featured in the Top 100 Road Climbs in the UK - but the quiet country lane alternatives (25% gradient!) are even harder!

Food and Drink

Abergavenny and the surrounding area offers many options for eating out from country pubs to takeaways to Michelin star establishments.  The local pub, the Bridgend Inn, which is a fifteen minute walk away, does very good reasonably-priced food, offers a selection of real ale and cider and has a warm and inviting fire.  The Towpath Inn in Gilwern is a great venue for canalside drinks or homemade pizza. The Dragons Head Inn in Llangenny is a delightful, traditional country pub with a welcoming atmosphere and delicious food.  The Angel Hotel in Abergavenny has won national awards for its afternoon teas and both The Dragon Inn and The Bear Inn in Crickhowell are real favourites.   For wonderful Italian food with a great family atmosphere, we think that Pizzorante in Abergavenny is hard to beat.

Abergavenny holds its renowned Food Festival every September.

Local Attractions

The Big Pit at nearby Blaenavon is well worth a visit and makes a fantastic rainy day option.  Retired miners take you under the ground into the mines and both entertain and shock you with their own real life accounts of life in the mines.  Amazingly, this fantastic attraction is free - although they do suggest that you make a donation. 

Other options include a mooch around the shops and coffee houses of Abergavenny or Crickhowell, a visit to Abergavenny Castle and Museum, LLanthony Priory, Raglan Castle or Tretower Court or indoor fun at the water slides and swimming pool complex at Ebbw Vale. The many attractions of Cardiff are less than an hour away by car and the Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley are only 30 minutes drive away.  Sugar Loaf Vineyard has attractive grounds for the kids to play in while you enjoy tasting the wine whilst admiring the view from the café terrace.