BED
BREAKFAST ABERGAVENNY -
PEN-Y-CLAWDD FARM
Llanthony
Priory |
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It's unlikely that you will come across the ruins
of this ancient Priory by accident, located far up the Honddu
Valley in the remote Black Mountains this remarkable old Priory
is only accessible by a single narrow lane that runs from Llanvihangel
Crucorney over Hay Bluff to Hay-on-Wye.
The Priory dates back to the early 12th Century the site was
said to have been chosen by William de Lacy while out hunting
and a church dedicated to John the Baptist was built. The Priory
itself is believed to have developed around this original church.
It was used at this time by around 40 Augustinian canons but
unfortunately due to it's remoteness and the areas lawless inhabitants
the canons were forced to abandon the Priory and nothing remains
of the original building.
A major rebuilding programme took place in the late 12th century
and supported again by the de Lacy family canons from Gloucester
returned to the Priory. The priory's church was built between
1180AD and 1230AD and was one of the great medieval buildings
in Wales being a mixture of Norman and Gothic styles. Inevitably
the areas turbulent history took it toll and most of the monks
had left the Priory and returned to Gloucester by the time of
Owain Glyndwr's rebellion which devastated the Priory in the
early 15th century. Eventually the Reformation and the dissolution
of the Monastries in 1536 by Henry VIII brought to an end an
era of what must have been one of the most impressive buildings
of it's time.
Today the ruins of the Priory are open to the public and it's
well worth venturing off the beaten track to find it. The Offas
Dyke footpath runs very close by and there is even a pub at
the Priory for weary travellers to refresh themselves. |
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River Usk |
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The River Usk begins life as a peaty trickle on the slopes
of Fan Brycheiniog in the Brecon Beacons National Park. By the
time it reaches the pretty market town of Brecon it is a sizeable
river flowing swiftly along a lush green valley separating the
Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains. At Abergavenny, a bustling
market town dominated by its ruined Norman castle, the river
leaves the National Park and meanders past quaint villages and
the historic market town of Usk before entering the Severn Estuary
at Newport.
The Usk Valley Walk follows the River Usk upstream from Caerleon,
just north of Newport, to Brecon. Never straying very far from
the river, this easy walk follows field, woodland and riverside
paths, forest tracks and the towpath of the Monmouth and Brecon
Canal through an unspoilt landscape of rolling hills, patchwork
fields and woodland. Along the way it visits several charming
villages and little towns including Usk, Abergavenny and Crickhowell;
passes a succession of inviting waterside inns; and takes in
a wide variety of sites of historic interest such as the extensive
Roman remains at Caerleon, the castle ruins at Usk and Abergavenny,
Brecon Cathedral and St Mary's Church at Abergavenny, which
has the finest collection of effigies in Britain. Other highlights
include the wonderful views of the Brecon Beacons and Black
Mountains from the canal towpath, the wildflowers along the
riverbanks and the birdlife on the river. |
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Abergavenny
Castles |
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Monmouthshire was always jointly administered by England and
Wales in times gone by, making it a peculiar mixture of Welsh
and English. This situation also made it tremendously vulnerable
and thus it is packed with Castles, including some of the most
interesting such as Chepstow, Raglan, Skenfrith, White Castle
and Grosmont.
The west of the county is taken up with part of the industrial
Valleys area including the towns of Newport, Ebbw Vale and Cwmbran.
Other towns include Caerleon, Chepstow, Monmouth, Abergavenny
and Usk. Like the English border counties, Monmouthshire is
Castle-hunters paradise and deserves a much closer look than
most who pass by on their way to west Wales bother to give it.
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Abergavenny
Mountains |
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The area of Abergavenny is blessed with excellent rolling
mountains, with some of the most outstanding landscape in Britain.
There are a number of mountain walks to choose from for all
levels of ability. These include The Skirrid (The Holy Mountain),
The Blorenge, The Sugar Loaf and The Bryn Arrow. Further a field
there are the Black Mountains to explore. Hay Bluff near the
tiny village of Capel-Y-Finn overlooking the small town of Hay
on Wye (the second hand book centre of the world) also provides
you with excellent scenery and landscape whilst out roaming. |
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Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal |
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The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal is one of the most scenic
canal routes in Britain. It runs for 32 miles (51.5 km) through
idyllic scenery in the National Park between Brecon and Pontypool.
It then continues to Newport. The canal was built between 1797
and 1812 to link Brecon with Newport and the Severn Estuary.
The canal can be used by the public wishing to hire barges or
as a gentle walk in the Brecon and Monmouthshire countryside.
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Monmouthshire
and Brecon Canal |
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