Discover  our fabulous area- so many interesting places to explore!

We cannot possibly list then all here  so we have confined outselves to the most local and to the ones our guests repeatedly tell us they love. If we have missed one of your favourites  just let us know!

Trellech

Just a mile from Foxes Reach and a couple from Tintern Abbey Cottage a walk or cycle to and round this attractive village  with its standing stones, Virtuaous Well and ancient church as well as the “Terret Tump”makes an interesting outing ( good pub!)

The  small hamlet village of Trellech, between Monmouth and Chepstow was once one of the most important towns in Wales – in its medieval heyday it was larger than Newport and Chepstow. The three standing stones  from which it takes its name indicate that the area was important even in prehistoric times. (The stones may once have been part of an ancient large avenue or stone circle.)

Along the road from Catbrook to Trellech   you can see the archaeological dig of The  LOST CITY of Trellech. It is possible to spend a day working on this site which is a marvellous treat!

The Monmouth to Brecon Canal

The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal draws people, nature and history together. Flowing through the stunning scenery of the Brecon Beacons National Park, making it a must for nature lovers, this canal also shows off its cultural heritage as it traverses the Blaenavon World Heritage Site. Steep green hills, thick woodlands and wild moors are all part of the view. At times, the canal perches high on the hillside above the River Usk.

The towpath is a wonderful way for walkers and cyclists to explore the area at an easy pace.

 Wyndcliffe and the Eagles Nest

Dramatic viewpoint platform with far-reaching views across the River Wye and over the Severn Estuary. The nest was made in 1828 for the Duke of Beaufort when such dramatic viewpoints were fashionable. Part of the historic Piercefield Picturesque Walk runs through here and was essential for Wye tourists of the day- and of today!

Clearwell Caves

This impressive natural cave system was later mined for iron ore and now makes a great underground experience for all the family. The caverns are very atmospheric; nine large caverns are open to the public, linked by winding passageways. Displays throughout the mine reveal how iron ore and ochre pigment has been mined here for over 4,500 years, much of it transported by young children. There is a good gift shop and the café sells a wide range of delicious cakes, with excellent teas and coffee.

Dean Forest Railway

Take a magical 8.5 mile trip through the medieval forest to Parkend on The Dean Forest Railway. Experience the sight, sounds and smells of travel on a rural branch railway operated by steam trains – with some heritage diesel services.

The Railway also runs family events and dining trains.

The Old Station Tintern

(About half a mile towards Monmouth  from Tintern )

Built as a Victorian country railway station, situated in the beautiful Wye Valley (AONB) the station is a quiet haven from the hustle and bustle of daily life. An ideal starting point for numerous waymarked walks.

Has a tea room/cafe. Play area, children’s activities always available.

Chepstow Castle

Chepstow  Castle guards the entrance to the Wye Valley. Century after century from around 1067 , the castle grew and grew along its narrow cliff top ridge. The oldest building is the Norman great tower but building work continued well into the 17th century as medieval battlements  built to withstand bows and arrows were replaced by stronger musket-friendly parapets. The Castle boasts the oldest castle doors in Europe- 800 years old.  Some rooms have been restored to their quite garish authentic colours. Quite a suprise!

Raglan Castle

The great Tower and the great Gatehouse WOW visitors just as its original owner intended.  If, as they say, an Englishman’s home is his castle, then William Herbert’s Raglan is the Welshman’s equivalent. Raglan was begun in the 1430’s, rather late in terms of  castle building and it was modern for its time. Mod cons such as massive mullioned windows flooded rooms in  light. The huge  oriel window is one of Raglan’s defining features.

Built for show rather than with battle in mind, it nevertheless held off Oliver Cromwell’s forces for thirteen weeks in one of the last sieges of the Civil War. The castle was eventually taken and was systematically destroyed by Parliament. Happily enough remains to impress today.

The castle remains up to date with  Bluetooth technology. Use your mobile phone to download audio stories for an insight into castle life and ask at the reception desk for their amazing ipad with interactive explanations of how the castle was destryed by parliamentarians!.

The Shire Hall Monmouth

The Shire Hall is a magnificent Grade 1 listed building right in the heart of Monmouth. Built in 1724 as the Court of Assizes and Quarter sessions, the building has been refurbished to a very high standard. The history and heritage of this very important building has not been lost – visitors can step back in time to the famous Chartist Trials of 1840 in Courtroom number 1 and visit the prisoners in the basement holding cells.

Tintern Abbey

Despite the shell of this iconic grand structure being open to the skies, it remains the best-preserved medieval abbey in Wales.

Guests who arrive into Tintern after dark are blown away by it  lit at night . The views of its beauty are the reason we bought Tintern Abbey Cottage directly across the road.

Tintern was only the second Cistercian foundation in Britain, and the first in Wales. The present-day remains are a mixture of building works covering a 400-year period between 1131 and 1536. Very little remains of the first buildings but you will marvel at the vast windows and later decorative details displayed in the walls, doorways and soaring archways. The hospital wing  and the kitchen even had flushing water drains hundreds of years ago.

The main abbey buildings were contained within a walled precinct of 11h within which there were many other secular buildings, including Tintern Abbey Cottage.. The remains of some, including the guesthouse, have been exposed to the west of the church, between the car park and the main road. The arch of the water-gate leading to wharves and a ferry over the river remains next to the Anchor Hotel, and the gatehouse chapel, clearly visible above the main road, has been converted into St Annes, a private house. Sections of the precinct wall remain on the west and south, parts in a ruinous state, parts incorporated into garden walls.

Henry the  8th was responsible for the damage when he dissolved the Abbey  in 1536, but in the 19th Century the Dule of Beaufort had the interior turfed and the  lumps of “untidy” stones  and debris cleaned up and thrown in the river to make it appealling to visitors! . The Abbey was loved by Wordsworth ” Lines written above Tintern Abbey“, and painted by JMW Turner in 1792-3. No wonder.

Try to go early in the day when all is quiet. It is magical when there is a slight river mist and the Abbey appears to float . Open air events occasionally in summer and the Carol service by torchlight first Friday of December. Don’t miss them

Visit Tintern , its not just the Abbey!

More than the Abbey , its packed with eventful history – from the bronze age to your visit.

Tintern (early spelling Tyndyrn: Fort of the King – perhaps King Tewdrig) is situated in the beautiful lower Wye Valley on the  ancient border between Wales and England, in the county now known as Monmouthshire, a territory long disputed between them and hence full of castles and other places of historic interest. It is also an area which saw the beginnings of the industrial revolution of which some preserved traces are still visible.

Roman settlement –  established at Tintern Parva (Little Tintern, at other end of village from Abbey), remains of river crossing by ford at Fryer’s Wharf by St Michaels church visible at low tide, undergoing archaeological investigation.

King Tewdrig – 6th c., retired to hermitage in Tintern Parva, but emerged to defeat Saxon invading force in battle at Pontysaison  “the Saxon Bridge” near the Fountain inn..

Offa’s Dyke – massive earthwork running for 170 miles along Welsh-English border, built in 8th c., path along dyke passes near Tintern.Dont miss the Devels Pulpit!

St Michael’s parish church – built in 8th century on site of earlier Celtic church, rebuilt over the centuries, currently undergoing restoration, Wye Valley Walk passes through its ancient churchyard, church open to public.

St Mary’s church – ruined remains of Victorian church, rebuild of mediaeval church, and ancient churchyard, visible above Abbey, can be visited

River Wye – became important commercial highway in Middle Ages carrying coal, wood, charcoal, iron ore, stone. Famous for flat-bottomed trows weighing up to 100 tons. Several weirs still visible built at Tintern to trap fish.

Brassworks – established near the ruined Abbey by Queen Elizabeth  Ist in 16th c. for production of cannon and wire, shares were held by Herbert Family and Sir Francis Bacon, leading philosopher and Lord Chancellor under James I, produced wire for the first transatlantic cable in 19th century.

Blast furnace – one of the earliest in Europe began construction near Abbey in 1590 for production of iron for making household goods, driven by water power, ceased production in 1828, now excavated as heritage tourist site in Angiddy Valley where several other furnaces were located.

Thomas Gray – of Gray’s Elegy fame visited Tintern in 1769 as one of its earliest tourists.

William Gilpin – following visit to Tintern and River Wye Valley published Observations on the River Wye in 1782 which started fashion for tourism in the area and for ‘picturesque’ style of landscape painting.

William Wordsworth – stayed in Tintern 1798 when he wrote one of his most famous poems, Lines Written Above Tintern Abbey.

William Turner – one of many painters who visited Tintern and painted the Abbey and surrounding landscape in the early 19th century.

This is  a strongly recommended walk  around Tinterns Hidden Histories  which you can download and which allows you to open all sorts of interesting facts to view as you walk- right on your phone!

 The Big Pit.

One of the National Museums of Wales and so FREE

Wonderful surface level exhibitions of mining life but for most visitors the highlight is the underground tour ( wear a coat and sensible shoes. There is a minimum height and age limit)

Prepare to be lowered 90 metres (300 feet) down the Big Pit mineshaft for the  famous underground tour – a captivating journey around a section of original underground workings. Visitors wear the very same equipment – helmet, cap lamp, belt, battery and ‘self rescuer’ – used by miners.

Once underground, you will be guided (a 50-minute walk) around the coal faces, engine houses and stables in the company of a former coal miner.

 Blaenavon World Heritage Centre

The ideal starting point for your visit to the South Wales Valleys,it provides an overview of how the stories of Blaenavon Industrial Landscape are of global importance.

Browse the traditional displays and videos that illustrate the extraordinary history of the area and  delve deeper into the history of Blaenavon by using interactive touch screens to explore a range of topics, including standards of living, geology, transport systems and World Heritage.

One of the National Museums of Wales and therefore FREE

Roman Legion Museum- Caerleon

A MUST for those interested in history and especially if you have children “doing” Romans or learning Latin , the museum has all sorts of lively activity days too.

In AD 75, the Romans built a fortress at Caerleon. Today at the National Roman Legion Museum you can learn what made the Romans a formidable force and how life wouldn’t be the same without them.

There is  a great collection of artefacts ,an amazing Roman garden,. The most complete Amphitheatre in Britain, beautifully presented Fortress Baths, and the only remains of a Roman Legionary Barracks on view anywhere in Europe.

Constructing barracks to house over 5000 meant systematic and detailed planning was essential. The barrack blocks are long, narrow L-shaped buildings. Twelve pairs of rooms can be seen at Caerleon, fronted by a verandah, with a larger suite at the end to house the Centurion.

The fortress baths were an especially ambitious undertaking with novel architecture and massive vaults. Located under a modern cover, you can view reconstructions, a detailed model of the building and hear spoken commentaries.

The eye-catching excavations include an open-air swimming pool (natatio) and cold bath suite (frigidarium), which represent only a portion of the vast original structure.

The National Museum of Wales – Cardiff

One of Europe’s best collections of Impressionist works is within the  art collection  of the National Museum – itself  one of Europe’s finest. Five hundred years of magnificent paintings, drawings, sculpture, silver and ceramics from Wales and across the world.

Like to meet a dinosaur or a basking shark , or a giant earthworm 1.2 meters long? Dip into the museums Natural History section. Your, and your children will be transfixed!

One of the National Museums of Wales and therefore FREE

Puzzlewood

Puzzlewood is a magical day out in the Forest of Dean. You can explore one mile of pathways winding through deep gulleys of mossy rocks, over wooden bridges and through fantastic tree and rock formations, all set in 14 acres of ancient woodland. It has an atmosphere quite unlike any other wood and is often used as a TV & film location for ‘Merlin’ and ‘Dr Who’ as well as Warner Bros. ‘Jack the Giant Slayer’. JRR Tolkien is reputed to have taken his inspiration for the fabled forests of Middle Earth from Puzzlewood, and it is easy to see why.

More recently Star Wars was filmed here and fans  can easily recreate one of the scenes for your own photos!

There are childrens play areas , a cafe, and animals to meet. A lovely family  outing.

 St Fagans Museum of Welsh Life

The museum stands in the grounds of the magnificent St Fagans Castle and gardens, a late 16th-century manor house donated to the people of Wales by the Earl of Plymouth. During the last fifty years over forty original buildings from different historical periods have been re-erected in the 100-acre parkland, among them houses, a farm, a school, a chapel and a splendid Workmen’s Institute.

Traditional crafts and activities bring St Fagans alive, in workshops where craftsmen still demonstrate their traditional skills. Their produce is usually on sale. Native breeds of livestock can be seen in the fields and farmyards, and demonstrations of farming tasks take place daily. Visitors gain an insight into the rich heritage and culture of Wales, and the Welsh language can be heard in daily use amongst craftsmen and interpreters.

St Fagans explores all aspects of how people in Wales have lived, worked and spent their leisure time. Like generations of visitors, you will be inspired by its celebration of Welsh traditions and lifestyles.

The Museum is one of the UK’s top ten FREE attractions as voted by users of TripAdvisor

Usk Museum of Rural Life

The museum houses a unique collection of over 5000 artefacts from the smallest handtools and household items through to large agricutural machinery and vintage tractors.

It  portrays rural life in Monmouthshire covering a period of approximately 100 years from 1850 – 1950. The collection is housed in a 16th century malt barn and an extensive collection of adjoining buildings.

Specialist collections include a Victorian cottage, a forge, carts, a cobbler, cheese making, WWII (including a bomb!), a stable, a hardware shop and many more. Sometimes its scary that things in a museum are still in daily use in our own home. How many are still in yours?

Free parking adjacent.

Hay on Wye

Hay-on-Wye is a small border town nestled just into Herefordshire on the border with Wales. It is surrounded by hills which make it  a lovely places for walkers or cyclists to recover after a good outing. Dont miss the spectacular route from Hay to Llanthony over Hay Bluff.

Hay has become world famous for its secondhand and antiquarian bookshops. At present there are approximately thirty major bookshops in the town some specialising whilst others carry general stock. The town also has a number of attractive little boutiques. In general its quirky shopping is not possible to resist!

The last week of May each year sees the excellent International Festival of Literature  when  the town is jam packed with famous writers, broadcasters and their fans. Accommodation in the busy town is at a premium at this time but if you are willing to drive a little further, or if you only want to attend a  select few events,  Monmouthshire Cottages are ideally suited. We go to the Festival ourselves and its and easy day trip.