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Brecon Beacons & Southeast

Includes  Why Go? Newport Wales’ southeast corner, where the misty River Wye me- (Casnewydd)...... 77 anders along the border with England, is the birthplace of (Caerllion)...... 81 British tourism. For over 200 years travellers have visited this tranquil waterway and its winding, wooded vale, where (Sir Fynwy)...... 84 the romantic ruins of Tintern Abbey have inspired poets Chepstow and artists such as Wordsworth and Turner. (Cas-gwent)...... 84 But there’s more to the region than the market towns and Brecon Beacons rural byways of the Lower Wye. To the west, the dramati- National Park...... 95 cally serried South Wales valleys tell the story of the Indus- South Wales Valleys..... 114 trial Revolution through heritage sites and still close-knit communities. Move north and the landscape opens out to the magnificent upland scenery of Brecon Beacons Nation- al Park, where high mountain roads dip down to remote hamlets and whitewashed ancient churches. The hiking and Best Places mountain-biking terrain here is superb. to Eat ¨¨The Whitebrook (p88) ¨¨St John’s Place (p101) ¨¨Mango House (p116) When to Go ¨ ¨¨Walnut Tree (p94) ¨Outdoor types should consider heading to Brecon Beacons National Park in late spring, early summer ¨¨Tomatitos Tapas Bar (p101) or early autumn to take advantage of what should be reasonable weather (though there’s no guarantee). The narrow country roads may be impassable in winter, and Best Places become congested during school summer holidays (mid- to Sleep July to August). Many hostels and campgrounds don’t open till after Easter. ¨¨The Bear (p100) ¨¨The literary extravaganza of the Hay Festival runs from ¨¨Celyn Farm (p96) late May until early June, the Green Man music festival ¨¨ Court (p106) is in August, while foodies should focus a trip around ¨¨Coed Owen Bunkhouse ’s food festival in September. (p114) ¨¨Pencelli Caravan & Camping Park (p107) 77 Brecon Beacons & Southeast Wales NeSightNEWPwpORTorts (C(CaASNsnEeWwYDDydd))

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01633-656757; 01633-656656; 07933 627594; 07933 The main door leads into the oldest part Theupstairsthe of decor bedrooms On the ground floor, the entrance hall the entrance ground floor, On the % % % 2004, the city’s swish cultural centre takes 2004, the city’s Riverfront ( Kingsway; bers of the medieval ‘wagon roof’).bers of the medieval ‘wagon can You Romanesque to from the see the transition windows of thethe Gothic the pointy in style grafted on later. outside aisles, which were prosperous Victorian period is Newport’s evident in the chancel, while the very end of the building is pure 1960s, including the behind the altar. painted marble effect Art Gallery & Museum Newport ( Sq; St Woolos Cathedral St Woolos ( Hill; Stow stripshopping main the from hill toleads The ancient cathedral. building Newport’s journeyfascinating a provides his through tory of distinct via a succession architectural styles. of the building,a 9th-century stone chapel constructed church to replace a wooden Welsh of burial site the on 500 in here built king-turned-monk St Gwynllyw (Woolos is an English corruption of his name). The next,came by therepresented Normans arch leading into Romanesque magnificent (look up to the curved nave their grand tim cline on the day bed in order to get better a day cline on the there are period another parlour look. In costumes to try games to play. on and board jumps forward the 1930s, in time to when was hosting his fabulous par Morgan Evan Abbey Downton the full For . ties at experience, head ‘below stairs’ to explore numerous preservethe Morgan’s the of servants. Sat, to 8pm Sun) to Sat, the same building as the tourist office and the same building as the tourist office town’s the covers library, history from the prehistoric to the 20th Romans and the Industrial via the century, Revolution. and a twice-married homosexual kept who a twice-married and kangaroo. a boxing dining grand sumptuous the into opens is blanketed Theroom. room’ ‘gilt adjoining paintings of bare-breasted and in goldleaf re to invited you’re figures; mythological

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The seat of the Morgan family for more The of the Morgan seat ; In the second half of the 20th In century, The Morgans, once one of the richestThe Morgans, ) NEWPORT POP 146,000 (NT toric city centre to a redeveloped centre to riversidetoric city interestingof handful A promenade. sights but trip to the city, more than justifya day over. to stay to be tempted unlikely you’re ening itself up, with the shiny new Friars new Friars up, with the shiny ening itself complex shopping up the his opening Walk frey, the second Lord Tredegar, survived the the second Lord Tredegar, frey, Charge of the Light Brigade; and Viscount was an occultist, convert a Catholic Evan p House Tredegar £2; parking £7.20/3.60, adult/child house 1 Newport’s shipbuilding industrydisap Newport’s peared, and the docks declined in impor tance as coal exports shifted to Barry and the 2001 In Talbot. importsiron-ore Port to closed down. steelworks huge cy of these boom times can be glimpsed in the historic St. facades of Commercial ther upstream,ther constructionthe following of times. TheNewport Castle Welsh in Norman name, Casnewydd, actually means ‘new cas many for much the same reason. Like tle’ grewit rich Wales, South in towns harbour industriescoal and iron the of back inthe on the 19th and early 20th centuries. The lega History factthe its name from Newport it takes that port’was built after Caerleon, fur the ‘old at any awards for beauty. However, Wales’ Wales’ However, beauty. for awards any smartof process the in is city third-largest Sitting at the muddy mouth of the River mouth of the muddy at Sitting by the detritus flanked and heavy of Usk industry, (CASNEWYDD) than 500 years, is a stone House Tredegar than 500 years, 17th-centuryred-brick and setbuilding amid extensive of Newport gardens, 2 miles west examples is one of the finest of centre. It city mansion in Britain, the oldesta Restoration parts to the 1670s. dating Trust The National of the property in management took over job bringing and has done a great 2011 late stories of its owners to life. the fascinating an interesting lot. Sir were families in Wales, 17th-centurya was Henry (Captain pirate named after is him); GodRum Morgan’s O Feb- 11am-5pm house year-round, dawn-dusk