Podcast: Looking for the first signs of spring in Silent Valley in Wales<\/strong><\/a><\/li>

Guide to Anglesey: best places to visit and coastal walks<\/strong><\/a><\/li>

Best walks in Pembrokeshire<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul>
<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>
$\"\"$
South Stack, Anglesey \u00a9Alamy<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
2<\/p>
Tintern Abbey<\/h3><\/div>
Simply put, Tintern Abbey is one of Britain\u2019s most dramatic ruined buildings and is even more evocative when you visit than in the photographs (or indeed, Wordsworth\u2019s poem) that may have inspired you to come here. Founded in the 12^{th<\/sup> century, this Cistercian abbey sits hard by the river Wye where its arches, abbey and cloisters glower over the border between Wales and Gloucestershire. A 3-mile return walk upstream can see you change countries up to half a dozen times.<\/p>}
$\"The$
The dramatic ruins of Tintern Abbey in Wales (Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>
3<\/p>
Abergavenny<\/h3><\/div>
Located at the confluence of some important trunk roads, Abergavenny is an easy place to skirt around rather than linger: that would be a mistake, for this old market town has plenty of appeal.<\/p>
Architecturally and historically it is of great interest with a ruined castle. A traditional high street hosts independent shops offering an eclectic range of music, model-making and books. Be sure to explore Castle Meadows, 20 hectares of grazing land that abuts the River Usk.<\/p>
$\"Rural$
View across to Abergavenny (Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>
4<\/p>
Caldicott Castle<\/h3><\/div>
Once past the (now removed) bridge tolls, you simply cannot miss Caldicott Castle. Above all, this looks like the genuine article, with a near-intact wall linking gate house and towers with almost seamless brickwork to encircle a green motte to create a stirring medieval fortress. Climb the battlements for superb views.<\/p>
$\"Castle$
Caldicot Castle ruins in Monmouthshire (Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>
5<\/p>
Tredegar House and park<\/h3><\/div>
The red-brick Tredegar House, on the western edge of Newport, is a 17^{th<\/sup> century mansion and regarded as one of the finest Restoration properties in Britain. The parkland is one of Newport\u2019s green lungs and much loved amid a post-industrial landscape. Wander down the park\u2019s last surviving oak avenue, hug a giant redwood and look out for grebe on the lakes.<\/p>}
$\"Country$
Tredegar House near Newport in Gwent. Popular tourist attraction and set in a beautiful 90 acre park, Tredegar House is one of the best examples of a 17th century Charles II mansion in Britain. (Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>
6<\/p>
Chepstow<\/h3><\/div>
Positioned dramatically by the River Wye, Chepstow is the archetypal border town with a magnificent castle at its heart. Close by, you will find the High Street of Victorian and Georgian buildings well worth exploring (\u2018Chepstow\u2019 translates as \u2018market place\u2019 in Old English), a fine museum and 11^{th<\/sup> century St Marys church. Don\u2019t overlook the Old Wye Bridge, a Regency splendour of wrought-iron arches.<\/p>}
$\"Castle$
Chepstow Castle and the River Wye, Gwent, Wales (Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>
7<\/p>
The Blorenge<\/h3><\/div>
Located to the south of Abergavenny, the Blorenge (561m) is a magnificently crumpled mountain that resembles a sagging Christmas pudding. Even so, its moorland flanks are easy on the eye and inviting for walkers. The summit is popular with hang-gliders, its western flanks with cyclists, its wooded glacial cwm with green woodpeckers while ring ouzel and (in summer) wheatear nest on its upland heaths.<\/p>
$\"River$
View across to The Blorenge near Abergavenny, Wales (Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>
8<\/p>
The Sugarloaf<\/h3><\/div>
One of the most iconic and easy climbs in Wales, Sugar Loaf\u2019s conical summit towers 596m above the valleys, to the west of Abergavenny. Named for its perceived resemblance to a traditional cone of sugar, the mountain can be climbed from all sides, though the two most accessible approaches are from Llanwenarth. One involves a gently ascending route that arcs in a clockwise direction towards the summit from the southwest; alternatively take the more direct – and acutely steep \u2013 ascent via a magical valley – due north from the car park.<\/p>
$\"Countryside$
Sunrise over the Sugarloaf and town of Crickhowell, Brecon Beacons National Park, Powys, Wales (Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>
9<\/p>
Gwent Levels<\/h3><\/div>
One of the great unsung wildlife reserves of Britain, the Gwent Levels seem to shiver in the shadow of the second Severn Crossing (they are clearly visible as you head across the bridge into Wales). Yet visit here and a landscape reclaimed from the sea in Roman times emerges, one where a marshland of grazing pasture is annotated by lines of woodland. Look out for the shrill carder, a rare bumblebee along with a sizeable winter starling roost and flocks of goldcrests.<\/p>
$\"Wetlands\"$
The Gwent Levels are wetland and intertidal mudflats adjoining the north bank of the Severn Estuary (Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>
10<\/p>
Symonds Yat<\/h3><\/div>
Yes, Symonds Yat is emphatically in England rather than Wales but, unless you\u2019re coming from the north, the original Severn Bridge crossing saves you a long detour via Gloucester. High drama is always available at Symonds Yat Rock, which sticks it jaw out into thin air more than 150m above the river Wye, right at the point where the river performs a screetching u-turn. The viewpoint is a good place to look out for peregrine falcon while the keen-eyed may spot a heron on the marshy banks far below. Work your way down to the water\u2019s edge for a delightful wooded walk.<\/p>
$\"River$
A riverside view from Symonds Yat in the Forest of Dean (Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure> <\/body><\/html>\n
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With the Severn bridge toll recently scrapped, make the most of free travel into Wales with our guide to 10 of best places to visit near the Welsh border <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":31754,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"6"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/10-of-the-best-days-out-near-the-welsh-border-scaled.jpg",2560,1709,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/10-of-the-best-days-out-near-the-welsh-border-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/10-of-the-best-days-out-near-the-welsh-border-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/10-of-the-best-days-out-near-the-welsh-border-768x513.jpg",768,513,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/10-of-the-best-days-out-near-the-welsh-border-1024x684.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/10-of-the-best-days-out-near-the-welsh-border-1536x1026.jpg",1536,1026,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/10-of-the-best-days-out-near-the-welsh-border-2048x1367.jpg",2048,1367,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"With the Severn bridge toll recently scrapped, make the most of free travel into Wales with our guide to 10 of best places to visit near the Welsh border","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/31753"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}