Get down to Abergavenny Leisure Centre for the 25-metre pool, gym, squash courts and Astroturf pitch. Enjoy lovely mountain views from Bailey Park in Abergavenny: pack a picnic and be sure to find the children’s play area. Stay in town for the museum in the grounds of the ruined Norman Castle.
Take a ride on the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway in spacious carriages and tuck in on the buffet car or at the Furnace Sidings Tea Rooms. Shop for railway memorabilia at Eric’s Train Emporium. Cruise the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal on electric-day-boat tours. Or explore the treetops at Llangorse Multi-Activity Centre.
Walk with llamas through Ewyas Harold and see the landscaped pool and tropical fish at Kenchester Water Gardens. See what old-style mining really looked like at the Big Pit Museum. Find vintage tractors and other farm machinery at the Usk Museum of Rural life and go crazy on the zip wires and trampolines at Raglan Farm Park.
Mini-climbers will have a great time scaling the walls at Little Blue Elephant. And every engine, pump and turbine tells its own tale at the Waterworks Museum in Hereford. Try all kinds of cheese (not too close to bedtime) at Monklands Cheese Dairy. Or design your own kiln-fired masterpiece at Manic Ceramics.
Foodie? The Walnut Tree and The Hardwick rank among the finest restaurants in the country and the famous market at Abergavenny will have you salivating on the spot. For those of a literary persuasion, Hay-on-Wye, Britain’s biggest book town, is just seven miles away. Come in late spring for the festival and immerse yourself in culture.
Penderyn Distillery is the home of Welsh whisky. Enjoy a drop of their award-winning single malts in the foothills of the Beacons before moving on to discover how apples are milled and pressed at the Hereford Museum of Cider. Walking? Go from the door through the Black Mountains or stride out for the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain.
Shoot pigeons (clay) at Hereford Laser Clay or shoot for the pin at great golf courses that include Wernddu, Monmouthshire and Alice Springs. Canoe the River Wye past glorious scenery and historic market towns. Or sail at Llangorse Lake or stand-up paddleboard with Adastra Adventures.
Outdoor adventure can be tough on the skin: freshen up with pampering from Hannah Campbell, including facials, waxing and Swedish massage. Dig deep into history at Hereford Cathedral, Raglan Castle, Grossmont Castle and Skenfrith Castle. And discover Hereford Old Town, the September food festival and the Brecon Jazz Festival.
