Discover Monmouthshire: Castles, Trails and Holiday Rentals

The Offa's Dyke National Trail runs through the borderlands of Wales. In Monmouthshire, it offers views across the Wye Valley from Chepstow and Tintern to Monmouth, across the hilly landscape to Abergavenny and towards the Black Mountains.

History and culture

Tintern Abbey was founded in 1131 by Cistercian monks. The abbey church built later developed into a masterpiece of British Gothic architecture. Construction of Chepstow Castle began in 1067 under Earl William fitz Osbern, a close friend of William the Conqueror, making the castle one of the first Norman fortresses in Wales.

Other historic sites also give Monmouthshire its multifaceted character: Llanthony Priory is a ruin around 900 years old and is one of the significant medieval buildings in Wales. Raglan Castle was transformed under various Earls of Worcester into a magnificent country residence with a formal gallery and a Renaissance garden. Monnow Gate and Bridge in Monmouth is the only surviving medieval fortified river bridge in Great Britain whose gate tower is still standing. Usk's Rural Life Museum is housed in a 16th-century malt house in Usk.

Tintern Abbey is 300 metres from bus route 69 between Chepstow and Monmouth and 250 metres from the regional NCN Route 32.

Nature and landscapes

The Gwent Levels are a lowland area in the south of Monmouthshire. They consist of land reclaimed from the sea as early as Roman times and include eight ecologically significant Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). Magor Marsh is the last relatively natural wetland and lowland bog area on the Gwent Levels.

The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal is a diverse habitat for wildlife and provides a long-distance route for walkers and cyclists. The wider landscape around Monmouthshire includes the wooded Wye Valley. The rugged terrain of Brecon Beacons National Park is also located in the surrounding area.

There are five official Dark Sky Discovery Sites in Monmouthshire.

Walking and cycling

The Three Castles Walk is a 19-mile circular route connecting the medieval castles of Grosmont, Skenfrith and White Castle. The Monmouthshire section of the Wales Coast Path runs for 14 miles from Chepstow to Magor and is mostly flat, apart from a few steeper sections in Chepstow. The Monmouthshire section of the Wye Valley Walk is around 17 miles long and runs almost entirely along paths through woodland.

The Wye Valley Greenway is a shared-use path for cyclists, walkers and wheelchair users. It connects Wyedean School, Sedbury and Chepstow with the picturesque village of Tintern and passes through the 1 km-long Tidenham Tunnel. The section through Tidenham Tunnel is closed at night because of the bats living there and from 1 October to 31 March.

Dirt Farm Wales is a centre focused primarily on downhill and freeride mountain biking.

Water and regional experiences

Llandegfedd Lake near Usk offers windsurfing, dinghy sailing, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking and open-water swimming. Guided canoe or kayak tours on the tidal section of the River Wye pass Tintern Abbey and Chepstow Castle.

Food and events

The Abergavenny Food Festival takes place every year over a weekend in September and offers hands-on food workshops. The Abergavenny Baker runs practical courses in which participants mix two or three doughs by hand and bake four or five different breads.

Getting there

Monmouthshire has railway stations with long-distance connections at Severn Tunnel Junction, Caldicot, Chepstow and Abergavenny.

Places

The selection of places: Gilwern, Usk, Monmouth, Caerwent, Chepstow, Abergavenny, Llangybi, Raglan, Llangattock-Vibon-Avel, Caldicot, Skenfrith, Magor, Llandogo, Llanishen, Mamhilad, Govilon, Llanarth, Llandenny, Portskewett, Penrhos, Penperlleni.

For the main travel overview: Wales.