Monmouthshire Group Travel Guide Blaenau Gwent Blaenavon Bridgend Caerphilly Cardiff Merthyr Tydfil Monmouthshire www.visitsouthernwales.org Newport Rhondda Cynon Taf Vale of Glamorgan Monmouthshire is the Food Capital of Wales and we have a smorgasbord of award-winning Contents food and drink attractions and culinary courses. Ancre Hill Vineyard, Silver Circle Distillery, Humble by Nature, Monmouth. NP25 5HS Catbrook. NP16 6UL. Nr Monmouth. NP25 4RP Go on a guided tour, eat a Welsh cheese platter Meet the producers of Wye Valley Gin, find Based on a working farm in the Wye Valley. lunch or stay at our on-site accommodation. out how the gin is made and the locally Offers: Cookery, foraging & rural skills 04 06 Offers: Accommodation, Vineyard Tours, foraged botanicals that go into it classes, private dining. Gift Shop, Tastings Offers: Distillery tours and tastings, Distil www.humblebynature.com 01600 714152 your own gin courses [email protected] www.ancrehillestates.co.uk www.silvercircledistillery.com [email protected] [email protected] The Abergavenny Baker, Abergavenny. NP7 7PE Regional Overview Attractions Apple County Cider Co, Sugarloaf Vineyards, In her one day classes, baker Rachael near Skenfrith. NP25 5NS. Abergavenny. NP7 7LA Watson shares her knowledge, skill Taste award winning ciders with Ben This picturesque vineyard nestles amongst & enthusiasm for baking beautiful & buy homemade jams, cordials, local the rolling Welsh hills above Abergavenny. breads from around the world. ales, honey & ice creams. Offers: Accommodation, Vineyard Tours, www.abergavennybaker.co.uk Offers: Tastings, shop, catering. Gift Shop, Tastings [email protected] www.applecountycider.co.uk www.sugarloafvineyard.co.uk 08 10 12 [email protected] [email protected] The Preservation Society, Chepstow. NP16 5QW. Baa Brewery, Untapped Brewing Co, Learn how to make delicious jams, Chepstow. NP16 5PF Raglan. NP15 2BX. chutneys, pickles and sirops packed with Our expert brewers boast over Learn everything you need to know flavour in the heart of the Wye Valley. 35 years in the brewing industry. about our real ales and about us, www.thepreservationsociety.co.uk Offers: Tours & tastings (by appointment). Martyn and Owen, the two man [email protected] Activities Accommodation Refreshment Stops www.baabrewing.com team that creates them. [email protected] Offers: tours and tastings Wye Valley Meadery, www.untappedbrew.com Chepstow. NP16 5PF. Green & Jenks Gelato House, [email protected] We take pride in crafting the very best Monmouth. NP25 3DY mead. From the hive to your hand, we care Discover how we make our gelato (from White Castle Vineyard, for it tenderly until we release it into the Monmouthshire milk) on our tasting tours. Abergavenny. NP7 8RA . world. Learn how to make mead / how to Offers: Tours & tasting. Catering. Afternoon Produces a variety of quality welsh wines. keep bees. 13 15 Tea. Delicious gelato. Visit & experience the beauty & tranquillity www.wyevalleymeadery.co.uk www.greenandjenks.com of our rural setting. [email protected] [email protected] Offers: Vineyard Tours, Gift Shop, Tastings www.whitecastlevineyard.com Kingstone Brewery, Tintern, [email protected] Explore Near Chepstow. NP16 7NX Monmouthshire Event Highlights Real ale that is unfiltered, uncompromised & unashamedly real. Courses for groups Offers: Tastings, Brewery Tours, Meals in Tintern Taproom Culinary Cottage, www.kingstonebrewery.co.uk Abergavenny. NP7 8DL. [email protected] Selection of residential and one day cookery courses, catering for students Parva Farm Vineyard, Tintern, of all abilities. 16 17 18 Near Chepstow. NP16 6SQ Offers: Half Day, Full Day and Multi-Day Visit Wales’ oldest vineyard, overlooking cookery courses historic Tintern in the Wye Valley. www.theculinarycottage.co.uk Offers: Vineyard Tours, Gift Shop, Tastings [email protected] www.parvafarm.com [email protected] Maps & Travel Coach Parking Tour Guides Information For more producers, pubs, restaurants and foodie events such as the Abergavenny Food Festival, go to www.visitmonmouthshire.com/food-and-drink Monmouthshire 3 Hello… Shwmae…. Bonjour….. Guten Tag…. Hallo… Dia duit Welcome (or Croeso as we prefer to say) to Southern Wales You may already have an idea what to expect from a trip to Southern Wales. We are split into ten distinctive areas, each with their own character and charm. The areas of Blaenau Gwent, Blaenavon, Caerphilly, Merthyr and Rhondda Cynon Taf are well known for their history and heritage, whilst nearby Monmouthshire is more rural Discover Monmouthshire and famed for its fabulous food Nestled between the Brecon Beacons (all offering tours and tastings), and drink. Newport and Cardiff are National Park and the Wye Valley as well as a wide range of high quality thriving cities with some world class Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, eating places - including traditional attractions whilst along Bridgend the stunning landscape will take your country pubs and cafés as well as and the Vale of Glamorgan is a mix breath away. So too will the majestic hotels offering award winning teas. For more information visit our website of coastal resorts, market towns and castles, dark starry skies, mountain There are also nationally acclaimed www.visitsouthernwales.org fabulous countryside. climbs, fabulous food and 360° views. restaurants, two of which are Michelin or contact the tourism team: starred. We have plenty of castles and museums Situated on the Wales/ England tel - +44 (0)1633 644842 but we also have a National Park, the border, this area was once fiercely With such great food on offer email - [email protected] start of the Wales Coast Path and an fought over. Thankfully it’s more it’s no surprise that we have our Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. To order group travel brochures for other areas peaceful today, although reminders own internationally recognised of Southern Wales please contact of the past turmoil remain with Abergavenny Food Festival, held We also have some things you may +44 (0)845 6002639 or e-mail nine castles dotted across the annually in September. not associate with us. There are the [email protected] rolling countryside. remains of a Roman amphitheatre and Look out too for some hidden gems, barracks, vineyards producing award There are plenty of other historic including Dewstow Gardens (buried Rhondda Cynon Taf winning wine and a great big sculpture, Bridgend County Cardiff buildings. Not least the romantic ruins under tons of earth for over 50 Blaenavon Group Travel Guide Group Travel Guide Group Travel Guide Blaenau Gwent Group Travel Guide soaring 20 metres into the sky and Group Travel Guide of Tintern Abbey and the restored years until being rediscovered and Newport Caerphilly Monmouthshire Shire Hall in Monmouth, scene of the restored), the Tithe Barn, home of standing guard over the Valleys below. Group Travel Guide Group Travel Guide Vale of Glamorgan Merthyr Tydfil Group Travel Guide Group Travel Guide Blaenau Gwent Group Travel Guide Blaenau Gwent Blaenavon Blaenau Gwent Blaenavon Blaenau Gwent Bridgend infamous Chartist trial of 1840. the Abergavenny Tapestry, and St Blaenavon Bridgend Blaenavon Caerphilly Bridgend Caerphilly Bridgend Cardiff Blaenau Gwent Caerphilly Caerphilly Cardiff Each of our areas has its own guide. Merthyr Tydfil Bridgend Cardiff Merthyr Tydfil Cardiff Mary’s Priory Church with its historic Monmouthshire Caerphilly Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil Monmouthshire Newport Monmouthshire Monmouthshire Monmouthshire Newport You can’t visit this area without tasting Blaenau Gwent Blaenau Gwent Rhondda Cynon Taf Newport Blaenau Gwent Newport Newport Rhondda Cynon Taf So have a flick through this one and Blaenau Gwent Blaenavon Blaenavon Vale of Glamorgan e4438 Cardiff Council artwork for SW RhonddaGuide v3.indd Cynon 1 Taf Vale of Glamorgan Blaenavon Rhondda Cynon Taf Rhondda Cynon Taf Blaenavon monuments and medieval carvings. Bridgend Blaenau Gwent Bridgendwww.visitsouthernwales.orgwww.visitsouthernwales.org 18/09/2015 17:04 Vale of Glamorgan Bridgend Vale of Glamorgan Bridgend visitsouthernwales www. Caerphilly.org Caerphilly Blaenavon Caerphilly some of Wales’ best food and drink. Caerphilly Cardiff Cardiff Bridgend www.visitsouthernwales.org Cardiff then take a look at the companion Cardiff Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil Caerphilly Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil www.visitsouthernwales.org Monmouthshire Monmouthshire Cardiff Monmouthshire Monmouthshire Newport Newport Merthyr Tydfil Newport Known as the Food Capital of Wales, Newport Rhondda Cynon Taf Rhondda Cynon Taf Monmouthshire brochures and before long you’ll be Rhondda Cynon Taf Rhondda Cynon Taf Vale of Glamorgan Vale of Glamorgan Newport Vale of Glamorgan www.visitsouthernwales.org Vale of Glamorgan www.visitsouthernwales.org www.visitsouthernwales.org Rhondda Cynon Taf planning your trip to Southern Wales. www.visitsouthernwales.org Vale of Glamorgan Monmouthshire has four vineyards www.visitsouthernwales.org 4 www.visitsouthernwales.org Monmouthshire 5 Attractions There’s lots to see and do in this corner of Southern Wales. Castles, abbeys, museums and delightful country parks set in some truly breath-taking scenery. Black Rock Lave Net Fishery Caerwent Roman Town Monmouthshire Castles Rockfield Studios Visit the Black Rock Lave Net Tribal capital of the Silures Monmouthshire’s history has