Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Llanthony Priory Hotel
Staying here is a fabulous, fairytale experience.
Originally part of the 12th-century priory, this unique and romantic hotel has four
rooms in its tower, accessed by a stone spiral staircase. The rooms have no en suite
bathroom facilities, but some have four-poster beds. The
dining room,
with vaulted
ceiling and log fire, serves local produce (main courses from £9.50) and the Under-
croft Bar, in the priory cellar, serves real ales. The Offa's Dyke Path passes by, and
there is pony trekking nearby.
Llanthony, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire NP7 7NN. www.llanthonyprioryhotel.co.uk.
&
01873/890487.
4 units. £80 (midweek), £175 (weekends) double. Rates include breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free parking. Head
for Skirrid Mountain Inn, turn left just past inn and continue 5 miles.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar.
In room:
No phone.
Skirrid Mountain Inn
This is the oldest pub in Wales and arguably the old-
est original pub building in Britain. The Skirrid was first noted in 1110 and has
doubled as a courthouse with hangings taking place from the magnificent oak
beamed stairs (wood believed to be salvaged from a Royal Navy ship). There are three
antiques-filled bedrooms (two with four-posters), a simple menu (including Welsh
steak and Hereford chicken), and a bar with regular guest beers.
Llanvihangel Crucorney, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire NP7 8DH. http://freespace.virgin.net/skirrid.inn.
&
01873/890258.
3 units. £90 double. Rates include breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free parking. Just off the
A465, 10 miles north of Abergavenny.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar.
In room:
TV.
Walnut Tree Inn
The Walnut made a name for itself almost 40 years ago,
before the great British food revival, then closed a few years ago and was rescued by
Shaun Hill, whose countryside bounty at the Merchant House across the English
border in Ludlow was renowned. The menu changes with each season but features
partridge with chestnut stuffing, and hot pheasant pudding with bacon and sage, as
well as a selection of fish dishes. It's open Tuesday to Saturday (main courses £12-
£23). The inn has two cottages, Ivy Cottage and Old Post Office Cottage, accessible
through the garden, each sleeping four guests, with king-size beds, terraces, and
gardens. There are also links with Abergavenny's equally charming Angel hotel, whose
proprietor is co-owner here.
Llandewi Skirrid, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire NP7 8AW. www.thewalnuttreeinn.com.
&
01873/
852797.
Fax: 01873/859764. 2 units. £160 for 2 people, £200 for 3 people, £240 for 4 people. Rates
include breakfast supplies. AE, MC, V. Free parking. On the B4521, 3 miles east of Abergavenny.
Ameni-
ties:
Restaurant.
In room:
TV, hair dryer, no phone.
18
BRECON BEACONS
140 miles W of London; 20 miles N of Cardiff
The Brecon Beacons is a
National Park,
but it isn't simply a rural wilderness as you
might expect from the name; it's a lively region of villages and small towns—including
the pretty town of Brecon itself—plus plenty of outdoor activities. The Brecon Bea-
cons is the only U.K. National Park to include an area of such geological importance
that it has been granted UNESCO Global Geopark status. And quite stunning it is,
too: Open, grassy peaks and dense, forested valleys.
The Fforest Fawr Geopark (Fforest Fawr is Welsh for Great Forest) is the range of
mountains between the central Beacons and the Black Mountain to the west and is
home to stunning natural attractions such as the
National Showcaves Centre for
Wales,
Craig-y-Nos Country Park, spectacular waterfalls, and brooding reservoirs, as
