Wales is a great country to visit. I love the scenery and the small friendly towns. Now that lockdown is being lifted I am delighted that we can again cross the Severn bridge. So when I spotted that a local coach firm was offering a Welsh mystery tour I quickly booked two tickets. It was our first visit for over a year and we knew that restaurants had only been allowed to open for indoor diners the day before. We found they were as unsure about using the NHS track and trace app as we were.

To our relief, the coach driver told us that we did not need to wear masks when we were sitting on the coach but we would still need them inside shops and other buildings.  I was also pleased when he revealed that the route for the day would take us to the small market town of Abergavenny (on market day).  Then we would drive on the heads of the valleys road into the Brecon Beacons, a range of low mountains and finish in the mid-Wales town of Brecon in time for afternoon tea.

Abergavenny

Abergavenny is one of Conde Nast traveller’s top 10 places to visit in the U.K. for 2021. It is famous for its food festival which takes place every September but if you visit any time of year you will find plenty to eat, the town centre is packed with coffee shops and restaurants. It is only six miles from the English border and is often known as the gateway to Wales. It is surrounded by mountains including Sugarloaf Mountain and Skirrid Fawr. It is the only town in the national park with a railway station and has a regular train service from Cardiff.

I loved the Victorian market hall. It might not be so good if you are frightened of spiders.

This mural gives an idea of the surrounding countryside. A lot of people come to the area to climb the nearby peaks such as Sugarloaf.

This monument which is next to the coach park is not prehistoric. It dates to 1912 and was built for the Eistedfordd.

If you want some more authentic history the museum has a permanent Welsh farmhouse kitchen on display and the ruined 11th-century castle gives an insight into the town’s past.

Brecon Beacons

The Brecon Beacons is a national park, one of only four in Wales. It has the highest mountains, Pen Y Fan and Corn Du in Southern Britain and has also been designated as a dark sky reserve. The area is ideal for people who love outdoor adventures such as hiking, climbing, quad biking and wild swimming.  If you want to get away from it all you might like to know that sheep outnumber people by 30 to 1. Visitors do need to be prepared for all weather. The army uses the Brecon Beacons for rough training and even SAS selection tests.

From April 2023 its official name will be Bannau Brycheiniog which translates as the peaks of Brychan’s kingdom named after a fifth century King Brychan.

You can go canoeing on the River Wye, the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, LLangorse Lake or the River Usk.  There are over 600 miles of bridle paths for horse riding. 

Brecon

Brecon is famous for its 11th-century cathedral which was founded as a benedictine priory.  The town also has strong army connections with a military museum and the barracks of the 160th (Wales brigade.) It is also home to the Gurkha Company (Mandalay) and we noticed several Nepalese restaurants. I loved the peace park and the seats which were designed to commemorate the battles the regiments had taken part in.

The high street runs from the cathedral towards Brecon market hall. The site of antique and craft fairs and the monthly farmers market. The river Usk is at the end of Market Street, Christ College is on the far side, while a path on the northern side meanders past old town walls.

If you are feeling adventurous the Brecon Beacons national park is a superb place for a staycation. You can find details of campsites, bed and breakfast establishments and hotels here.