Abergavenny

Gateway to the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park

Abergavenny dates back to Roman times when the Gobannium fort was established. However, the first main settlement in the town was built around the Norman castle, by the English king Henry I’s local representative, the impressively named Hameline de Ballon. Henry wanted to secure a route into Wales and evict the hostile local tribes. The castle is most famous for a particularly bloody incident in 1175, when the Norman lord, William De Braose invited local chieftains to the castle and then promptly slaughtered them. Today, the castle is home to the Abergavenny Museum which tells this and many other stories about the town. One of the town’s most notorious visitors was Rudolph Hess, who was kept in the town’s mental asylum as a prisoner after his plane crashed in Scotland during World War II. Because of its proximity to the Brecon Beacons, Abergavenny attracts lovers of the great outdoors, particularly walkers and pony trekkers. You can even hire a narrow boat and explore the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. Food lovers, meanwhile, won’t want to miss the two-day Food Festival which happens every September.