![Abergravenny and Holy Mountain, Abergravenny [i.e., Abergavenny], Wales. 1 photomechanical print : photochrom, color.](https://prod-images.planyourroadtrips.com/img/city-images/abergavenny-gb-518210--30174/1-Abergavenny_and_Holy_Mountain__Wales__1890-1900.jpg?w=1080&q=80&f=webp)
scenic viewpoint
Sugar Loaf (Y Fal)
A 596m conical hill above Abergavenny with a 360-degree view over the Usk valley and the Black Mountains; easy from the car park.
5 km · about 10 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomWales
Abergavenny
Wales, United Kingdom · Europe
About Abergavenny
Abergavenny works well as a base: 10 minutes from Gilwern, 21km from Talybont Reservoir.
Abergavenny is in Wales, United Kingdom, with about 14,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Gilwern, about 5 km away.
Abergavenny ( ; Welsh: Y Fenni, pronounced [ə ˈvɛni], archaically Abergafenni, 'mouth of the River Gavenny') is a market town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a "Gateway to Wales"; it is approximately 7 miles (11 km) from the border with England (Herefordshire) and is located where theRead more
A40 trunk road and the recently upgraded A465 Heads of the Valleys road meet.
Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches. The town contains the remains of a medieval stone castle built soon after the Norman conquest of Wales.
Abergavenny is situated at the confluence of the River Usk and a tributary stream, the Gavenny. It is almost entirely surrounded by mountains and hills: the Blorenge (559 m, 1,834 ft), the Sugar Loaf (596 m, 1,955 ft), Skirrid Fawr (Great Skirrid), Ysgyryd Fach (Little Skirrid), Deri, Rholben and Mynydd Llanwenarth, known locally as "Llanwenarth Breast". Abergavenny provides access to the nearby Black Mountains and the wider Brecon Beacons National Park. The Cambrian Way, Beacons Way and Marches Way pass through Abergavenny whilst the Offa's Dyke Path passes through Pandy five miles to the north and the Usk Valley Walk passes through nearby Llanfoist.
In the UK 2011 census, the six relevant wards (Lansdown, Grofield, Castle, Croesonen, Cantref and Priory) collectively listed Abergavenny's population as 12,515. The town hosted the 2016 National Eisteddfod of Wales.
Where to Stay in Abergavenny
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Explore the Area
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Abergavenny?
Within an hour or so of Abergavenny: Sugar Loaf (Y Fal) (5 km), Skirrid Fawr (Ysgyryd Fawr) (5 km), Waun Fach (18 km), Talybont Reservoir (21 km).
Are there any good drives near Abergavenny?
The nearest famous roads are Gospel Pass, A466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth) and Black Mountain Pass (A4069).
Where is Abergavenny?
Abergavenny is in Wales, United Kingdom, about 5 km from Gilwern.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 13,695
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Wales
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 51.8210, -3.0174
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Abergavenny
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
scenic viewpoint
Skirrid Fawr (Ysgyryd Fawr)
A landslipped 486m ridge above Abergavenny whose split profile gave rise to the legend it cracked at the Crucifixion.
5 km · about 10 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Waun Fach
The highest point of the Black Mountains at 811m, a broad peaty summit above the Vale of Ewyas and the Gospel Pass.
18 km · about 20 min drive
natural wonder
Talybont Reservoir
A wooded reservoir in the central Brecon Beacons with a lakeside cycle route on the old Brecon and Merthyr railway.
21 km · about 25 min drive
natural wonder
Llangorse Lake (Llyn Syfaddan)
The largest natural lake in south Wales, with a reconstructed crannog island dwelling and easy access from the A40.
21 km · about 25 min drive
mountain pass
Gospel Pass
The highest road pass in Wales at 549m, a narrow single-track lane over the Black Mountains between Hay-on-Wye and Llanthony, with vast views across the Wye Valley from beneath Hay Bluff.
22 km · about 25 min drive
natural wonder
Pontsticill Reservoir
A long reservoir beneath Pen y Fan served by the Brecon Mountain Railway, with forest trails along its eastern shore.
24 km · about 30 min drive
cafe
Rattlesnake Biker Cafe
A characterful biker cafe in the Brecon Beacons serving as a popular pit stop for riders exploring the stunning Welsh mountain roads.
26 km · about 30 min drive
Driving roads near Abergavenny
- Right hereSugar Loaf (Y Fal)A 596m conical hill above Abergavenny with a 360-degree view over the Usk valley and the Black Mountains; easy from the car park.
- Right hereSkirrid Fawr (Ysgyryd Fawr)A landslipped 486m ridge above Abergavenny whose split profile gave rise to the legend it cracked at the Crucifixion.
- 18 kmWaun FachThe highest point of the Black Mountains at 811m, a broad peaty summit above the Vale of Ewyas and the Gospel Pass.
- 22 kmGospel PassThe highest road pass in Wales at 549m, a narrow single-track lane over the Black Mountains between Hay-on-Wye and Llanthony, with vast views across the Wye Valley from beneath Hay Bluff.
- 26 kmSymonds Yat RockA famous viewpoint 504 feet above the River Wye, where peregrine falcons nest and the river performs a dramatic horseshoe bend.
- 27 kmA466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth)A wooded riverside road through a designated AONB past Tintern Abbey, gentle and beautiful rather than challenging.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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