She’d managed to fit in 30 of us in a communal seating arrangement and the suggested donation was £40.00 a head to cover the ‘food and sundry’ costs. Obviously we had to bring our own wine but that wasn’t a problem. The theme of the night was seafood and fish. It was three courses of pure delight. Because you are eating in a persons home and there’s no commercial kitchen or staff on hand the menu structure reflected this. It was just one choice and both the starter and desert were items that could be made in advance and just needed to be prepared.

The starter of crab bisque was so rich and deep in flavour, it was wonderfully presented and there was just enough brandy in the dish to bring out the flavour of the crab but without overpowering it. It’s been a long time since I last had crab and it was a real treat.  From the starter we moved on to a meaty slice of ling that had been slowly baked in a herb and lemon crust. This was served with a red pepper sauce and roasted peppers and courgettes. It was divine. The secret to a good sauce is it’s stock and it was clear that the pepper sauce had a well produced fish stock as it’s base and fitted in very well with the ling. Ling is a great meaty white fish and is greatly underestimated as a fish in Britain. It doesn’t have a substantial flavour in itself but it does carry the flavour of sauces very well and the combination was excellent. The roasted peppers and courgettes were an ideal accompaniment to the fish. The desert was two dishes, the first was a delicious cinnamon cheesecake and it was served with a cup of traditional Spanish granizados which is a semi-frozen coffee and chocolate drink type of dessert – something similar to a grown up slushie is probably the best explanation. Everyone was more than happy to offers the optional suggested donation of £40.00 a head. It seems that there’s a good range of prices in the underground restaurant market with prices ranging from £10 all the way up to over £100 a head but most tend to be around the £30 – £50 a head mark for 3 or 4 courses.

One of the nicest things about the night was that there was no rush. guests started turning up at about 7.30 and mingles before sitting down to eat. Because there was no second sitting or other customers you was not rushed and it was great just to sit and chat to the other diners. This is definitely a dining experience for supporters of the slow food movement. 

The underground restaurant movement is definitely something  I want to get more involved with. There are a few underground restaurants in Wales, mainly around Cardiff and the south west coast, but I wonder whether there’s be a call for it in Abergavenny.

I spent over 20 years as a chef, I qualified from the Birmingham School of Arts and Catering. I spent many years working on the cruise ships and in private clubs. I still enjoy cooking classic French cuisine and other styles but I don’t do it professionally anymore. Chef’s pay in wales is extremely poor and definitely not enough to buy a reasonable house. I did think about buying a restaurant more there’s more to life than working 12 hours a day 6 days a week and in the current climate there’s better and safer things to invest in than a restaurant business.

However the underground  restaurant movement is a great way to carry on with putting some great food in front of people without having to commit full time to a business. Most of these underground restaurants only operate 2 or 3 times a month and have a very close knit following so they normally book out fully well in advance which means there’s no stock to lose or food to waste because you only buy what you  need. I’ve measured up the front room and I can comfortably seat 20 people in a communal fashion which is the ideal number for a small underground restaurant. A well organised and planned menu will enable me to easily cook for 20 people in the kitchen.

I think I’ll go to a couple of these ‘pop up’ restaurants in Wales an get a feel for what the local people want. There’s some great suppliers around and Wales offers some excellent produce. It would be a shame not to look at something like this.

If a few ‘friends’ want to pop round for dinner and help towards the cost with a ‘donation’ then why go for it. I must ask around Abergavenny and see what local people think.

The map above shows some of the places close to Abergavenny that you can go horse riding or pony trekking. If you know of a stables that we have missed of on the map leave a comment below with the address of the horse riding school or stables and I will add it to the map. this is not for horse riding holiday organisers who contract out the horse riding it is for stable operators only.

Download pdf of map and walk directions

Go to printable map and directions

1. At Tescos cross the main Brecon to Abergavenny road and walk up the road called Pen y pound. It is the road that runs to the right of the Abergavenny Baptist church. Continue walking along this road until you come to some lights. Keep to the right and start the long moderate climb up the road. The playing fields should be on your left. Continue walking up the old Hereford Road until you come to the end of the footpath. From here if you look slightly ahead and to the left you should see some stone steps that lead you up to the footpath. take the steps and climb the stile. Follow the field boundary and climb the stile at the other side of the field. Cross the land and climb the stile. You need to cross this field going up the hill in a straight line to reach the hidden stile at the far side. You may be able to spot a patch of worn ground to give you a guide on where to head. Climb this stile with care and turn right.

2. Follow the track until you come to a fork and take the right fork that drops down the hill. This will quickly take you to another fork in the track where you need to take the left folk that takes you back on to the climb up the hill. Stay on this green lane that runs up hill until you come to a garage directly facing you. As you face the garage there is a footpath that runs to the leftside of the garage. Take this path. Follow the path that continues the climb up the hill until you come to a junction of paths. To the right you should see a stile that leads down the hill. You want to turn left and take the path that continues the climb through the woods.

3. Follow the path until you join a small forestry track where you need to turn left. There is one place on the path that you may easily take the wrong path this will lead you to a track that you will need to turn right on and go up hill to join the track. You will know if you have taken the wrong path because when you come to turn left onto the forestry track if the track is going down hill then you’ve gone wrong and you need to turn right to go uphill to join the original path.

4. Follow the forestry track around the edge of the woodland until you come to a junction with a more established and defined track. Turn left and follow this track to the summit of Twyn-yr-allt. After spending some time taking in the views rejoin the forestry track that heads down the hill. Pretty soon this track become a path and the descent down Tywn-yr-allt is very steep so take care. You will cross over a number of other paths and tracks that intersect the one you are on but remain on the path that is heading down hill.At a couple of locations the path forks and you should take the left hand fork. At the end of the forestry track you come to a junction with an established footpath. Turn left and continue along this footpath passing through the swing-gate and style. The path briefly leads out on to a track, if you look down and to your right you will see footpath leading down to a stile. Cross this stile which is one that you crossed earlier on the way up. Cross straight down the field to the couple of stiles with the lane running between. Cross these stiles and retrace you earlier steps down the field boundary. This leads you out on to the road, cross the road and follow the road back down the hill until you reach the junction opposite Tescos’

Pictures:

some nice view points on the long climb up are ideal for a breather.

Believe it or not there is a footpath to the left of this garage.

There's plenty of bracken on the top of twyn-yr-allt

The woodland paths offer needed shade in the summer.

View of sugar loaf from summit of Twyn-yr-allt

Views over the town of Abergavenny from summit of Twyn-yr-allt

The views are the reason for this walk - this one is down the Usk Valley

While the Lyme disease is on the increase it is still pretty rare but it is still worth taking basic preventative measures. Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria that is carried by ticks, when ticks feed on your blood the bacteria can pass into your body and cause serious infection. The good news though is that most ticks do not carry the Lyme disease bacteria and  as long as you know what to look out for it can be dealt with using anti-biotics.

Ticks are small insects about the size of a poppy seed, if you have been bitten by a tick these are some of the symptoms you need to look out for.

• a slowly expanding rash that spread out from the tick bite – it could be circular with a clear centre
• tiredness
• headaches
• aches and pains in muscles and joints

The rash itself tends not to be painful or itchy and will disappear of it’s own accord over a few weeks.

How do you prevent or reduce the chance of being infected by Lyme’s disease?
The best way is to regularly check for ticks feeding on your body. If you can spot them and remove them relatively quickly then you can prevent the bacteria entering your bloodstream. If you manage to remove the tick within 24 hours of it first attaching to you then the chances of the bacteria having entered your bloodstream is very low. Remove the tick by using  thin nosed tweezers, grip the head as close to the skin as possible and gently pull the tick away from the body to prevent the mouth parts from detaching. If you are a regular hiker then you can buy specialist tick removal kits from vets or pet supply shops.

How to prevent tick bites

Obviously preventing ticks from biting is much better than dealing with the consequences or removing them. The best ways to stop ticks from biting you are;

• cover up – wear long trousers and long sleeved shirts. tuck your trousers into your socks
• wear light coloured clothing as it makes it easier to see ticks before they get to your skin
• if you are walking with your dog then check it does not bring ticks into the home
• check your hands and arms if you stoke livestock such as horses
• use insect repellents to discourage ticks
• when you finish your walk double check your clothes and body for ticks so you do not take them home

While I’m happy to use chemical insect repellents on clothing such as trousers and outer-socks I’m a little more careful about what I  spray on my skin if I’m wearing shorts or short sleeved shirts, so I tend to use an aromatherapy insect repellent if i spray directly onto my skin.

I use a fine mist spray holder with distilled water with some essential oils. The recipe I prefer and usually use is

• 90 mls distilled water
• 15 drops Citronella
• 10 drops Lavender
• 10 drops Eucalyptus
• 5 drops Lemongrass

Always try and use a good quality essential oil for best effect. You can also use a massage oil base if you want and rub the oil onto your arms and legs.

Getting infected by a tick is still a  very rare occurrence and not something you need worry about if you take some very basic precautions.

 photo credit: NIOSH

It’s just a selection and if you have any favorites that are not on the map then post a comment with it’s name and location and I’ll plot it on the map.

The following is a list of nature reserves around Abergavenny that are ideal for wildlife watching.

• Goytre Hall Wood
• Talybont Reservoir and Forest
• Strawberry Cottage Wood Reserve 
• Priory Wood Reserve
• Kitty’s Orchard Reserve
• Cwm Claisfer Nature Reserve
• Dyffryn Crawnon Nature Reserve
• Coed Cefn
• The Punchbowl
• Great Triley Wood
• Coed y Cerrig Nature Reserve

Within 15km of Abergavenny there are over 150km of caves and tunnels to explore. Enough for that weekend away or a full caving vacation. Check out our map above for caves in the Abergavenny area. We’ll increase the number of caves shown shortly and include locations of potholes.

Download pdf of map and directions

Go to printable map and directions

1.Starting in the car park of Castle Meadows we go through the gate at the bottom and take the left hand path down to the river. Turn right and continue along the River Usk until the bridge. Cross the river over the bridge and take the right turn up the lane sign posted cemetery. Continue up the lane to the brow of the hill and turn left following the lane down under the subway and past the garden centre. Continue up the lane until the crossroads. Go straight across and follow the lane signposted to the Blorenge. Just before you go under the tunnel take the flight of steps to your right and join the towpath at Llanfoist Wharf. Turn left along the towpath.

2. Follow the towpath until you come to the first stone bridge. Leave the towpath here and join the lane going over the bridge. Follow this steep lane up past Castell Prydyyd. Once you have gone round the bend in the lane at Castell Prydydd continue up the lane keeping a look out for a stile on your right. Probably about 100 yards past Castell Prydydd. Climb the stile and enter the field. Take the steep path up the field to the top keeping to the left. Climb the stile and turn left joining a track in the field. continue climbing along this track until you come to a gate. Go over the stile turning right and follow the track signposted Lower Pen-y-craig.

3. You will come to a stile on your right shortly before coming to some houses. climb the stile and cross the field diagonally to the other stile at the far side. Climb the stile and follow the path down to the right where there is another stile in the corner of the field. climb this stile and follow a fairly well defined path through the trees. Once through the trees continue along the path and watch out for a small pond – depending on the time of year there are some incredible dragonflies to be seen here. Just beyond the pond is a stile to your left. Cross the stile and continue across the field. You will eventually see the ruined cottage of Lower Pen-y-craig.

4. A little way past the cottage the tracks forks in two. Take the right hand fork and follow the track through the trees. Eventually you will come to a gate with a signpost pointing down the hill towards Llanfoist. go through the gate, turn right and continue down the hill. The track will turn into a steep forest path so take care coming down. When at Llanfoist Wharf go through the tunnel and rejoin the lane that brought you up to the canal.

5. Retrace your steps along the lane down past the nursery and under the subway. At the top of the lane turn right and go down the lane past the cemetery. and recross the bridge onto Castle Meadows. Once you have re-entered Castle Meadows you can take the diagonal path leading through the trees back to the car park where the walk started.

Pictures:

Llanfoist Bridge at Abergavenny

We leave the canal at the first stone bridge

The view of Abergavenny from Lower Pen-y-craig

We keep to quiet country lanes for most of the climb

Gentle woodland and pasture paths

View of Cwm Craf on the Blorenge

There are campsites, hotels and guest-houses along the route and while the canal does have some opportunities for refreshments in local pubs it is not over developed so ensure you always carry drinks and food.

The canal runs through the Brecon Beacons National Park and rarely runs through any urban areas – the place is towards the one end at Pontypool.  There are a couple of places that you will need to portage your canoe -some locks and a tunnel – but mainly it is an easy canal to canoe.  There is good car parking at some of the entry and exit points, particularly the more developed wharfs.

For those who do not want to bring their own canoes or kayak there are hirers along the canal who provide a pick up and drop off service.

As this route is a quiet canal it is suitable for novices and young children but there is some paddling involved as there is no river flow to help move you along.

The Wye and Usk Foundation website provides a live web-cam feed of the Brecon Gauge. If the web-cam shows that the river is above the red line of 2′ 6” then the river is open for canoeing and kayaking. Before you canoe on the River Usk you should read the details on the Wye and Usk Foundation web site and pay particular attention to the bio-security measures to protect wildlife in the River Usk.

The river is a great place for canoeing it gently winds through the Brecon Beacons National Park and offers some great wildlife spotting opportunities. While the stretch open for navigation is not particularly long it does offer a good weekend away or short break canoeing holiday.

photo credit:  TheLizardQueen

Download the Abergavenny to Ysgyryfd Fach pdf

Go to printable page with map and directions

1. At the Tourist Information Centre turn left and walk down the main out of the town . After passing the Plas Derwen restaurant look for the Plas Derwen Lodge – just before the green road directions sign and opposite a bus shelter. turn up the driver, go through the green bollards and go through the gate onto the footpath. follow the footpath under the railway line. the path runs alongside the rail track until the signal where it will bear to the left and head up to the road. Cross the road with care – it is a fast road – and go through the metal gate turning right.

2. For those in shorts this is a nettles and bramble section! Keep in the main field but stay to the right and cross the field. As you get close to the end of the field look for a partially hidden stile to your right- before going under the second set of pylons. Climb this stile and turn left. Keep to the top of the bank and walk along the fence-line until you enter a field. turn left and cross field. Cross over driveway and enter the next field. walk across the field to the stile in the top left corner of field. climb stile and turn left onto the lane.

3. Stay on this lane passing a junction with a track on the right. Go up the hill and past the farm on the right. At the brow of the hill, just after walking under the second set of pylons turn to the left and follow the footpath sign along the track. When the track forks in the road take the right fork through the gate. and follow track up hill. At the top of the incline the track bears to the left and is joined by another track to the right. The footpath leaves the road and enters into the woodland at the footpath sign. Stay on this path – it is reasonably well identifiable if you are used to woodland walks. Follow the path up to the peak.

4. Keep to the path which takes you down the other side of Ysgyryd Fach. This is a steep and uneven path so take care. Cross over the first track you come to and continue downhill. Cross over 2nd track and continue down hill.At the bottom of this path you will come to a stile. Cross the stile and enter the field. Keep to the right of the field and head to the stile at the bottom. Cross the stile and look for a gate at the bottom of the field. Head for this gate and once there look to your right for the stile and footpath. Follow this path through the thicket and into the field. Keep to the right and cross the stile at the bottom of the field. Once you climb the stile you will be at a main road.

5. Take care crossing this road – it is a fast road – the footpath continues on the other side of the road a little to the right of where you came out of the field. Follow the footpath alongside the railway track and cross the track at the bridge at Abergavenny Station. After crossing the bridge turn left and walk to the main road. Turn right and continue up the road till you get back to the tourist information centre.

Pictures:

We leave the roads of Abergavenny by going under the railway line.

part of the walk takes in cross country paths

most of the uphill climb is undertaken along quiet country lanes

We get some nice views down the valley on our climb up.

we take the short steep path back down from the summit

the down hill section also offers some nice views