Lorentz Gullachsen
The town of Abergavenny, which is known as the "Gateway to Wales"
Getting Started: Abergavenny
I began with the Wales I thought I knew, my hometown of Abergavenny and the surrounding area of the Brecon Beacons National Park in southeastern Wales. Abergavenny is called the “Gateway to Wales,” and upon arriving there one feels as if one has passed through some kind of portal. There’s the language, of course, abruptly appearing on the road signs, and I may be biased, but I’m always struck by how straightforward and welcoming the people are here. I think it has something to do with a connection to the land, to feeling rooted and secure. There’s also a shift in landscape, from the flat English plains to the seven rounded hills around Abergavenny’s cluster of streets, shops, and the town hall’s prominent oxidized copper spire.
Unlike the nearby industrial and mining valleys, this is farm country, famous for livestock, produce, and dairy, all of which can be sampled next to the town hall at the thriving Tuesday and Friday farmers’ markets (www.abergavennymarket.co.uk), or at the annual Abergavenny Food Festival (September 19-20, 2009; 44-18-7385-1643, www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com), when the entire village is overtaken by stalls selling local lamb and beef, regional beers like Breconshire Brewery’s Ysprid y Ddraig (Spirit of the Dragon), and delectable cheeses. Local varieties range from sharp farmhouse cheddar to soft, creamy Pantysgawn goat cheese and Y Fenni, Abergavenny’s famous cheddar infused with mustard seed and ale.
Britain has witnessed a culinary revolution over the past decade with the rise of the gastropub, where high cuisine meets traditional country ingredients. The rural pubs familiar to me as the destinations of Sunday family walks have become hot stopovers: The Foxhunter in Nantyderry (Nantyderry; 44-18-7388-1101, www.thefoxhunter.com), The Hardwick outside Abergavenny (Old Raglan Rd., Abergavenny; 44-18-7385-4220, www.thehardwick.co.uk), the isolated Bull’s Head in Craswall (44-19-8151-0616, www.thebullsheadcraswall.co.uk), and The Crown (Old Hereford Rd., Pantygelli; 44/18-7385-3314, www.thecrownatpantygelli.com), nestled under the slopes of Sugarloaf Mountain in Pantygelli. The most established local star is The Walnut Tree (Llanddewi Skirrid; 44-18-7385-2797, www.thewalnuttreeinn.com) overseen by chef Shaun Hill. The spruced-up farmhouse is warm and inviting, from its flagstone fireside bar to the low-ceilinged, dark-wood dining room. I dropped in midweek to order off the set lunch menu and had choucroute garnie comprised of a perfectly succulent ham hock, smoked sausage and bacon, and mashed potatoes, followed by a bitter chocolate torte with crème fraîche, all for $23.
This area may be newly recognized for its food, but has always been famous for the eminently hikeable Brecon Beacons (www.breconbeacons.org), a landscape of sheep-cropped hills and mountains throwing dramatic shadows from their bladelike ridges. I began exploring on the Skirrid, a narrow mountain by The Walnut Tree. My reward for scaling the steep incline came 40 minutes later: stunning 360-degree views of Abergavenny and its environs. Heading west and deeper into the Brecon Beacons, I was determined to tackle the highest peak, Pen y Fan (Head of the Valley). Despite having climbed it many times, I discovered a fantastic new route, away from the crowds, that started beside a woodland river at Cwm-llwch, an old farmhouse about 6 miles southwest of the town of Brecon.
The Abergavenny area has a number of lovely country hotels. The Angel Hotel (15 Cross St., Abergavenny; 44-18-7385-7121, www.angelhotelabergavenny.com), in the center of town, is a 32-room Georgian inn once frequented by stagecoach travelers. It serves a cream tea (tea, scones, clotted cream, and jam) to die for. At the bar I met a racehorse owner, a local farmer, and an author of no fewer than 48 books on the Spanish Civil War. For a smart splurge outside town, stay at the elegant country manor Llansantffraed Court (Clytha Llanvihangel Gobion, near Abergavenny; 44-18-7384-0678, www.llch.co.uk). Located in the heart of the Beacons, The Bear Hotel (44-18-7381-0408, www.bearhotel.com) in Crickhowell is another historic coaching inn with a recently refurbished restaurant. Summer visitors might encounter Brecon’s world-renowned jazz festival, usually held in August
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