Usk Valley and Abergavenny

Abergavenny and the Usk

Level riverside loop from the castle, with the Blorenge, the Sugar Loaf and the Skirrid all visible from the meadows.

Distance: 3.1 mi / 5 km
Time: 1 hr 35
Ascent: 60 m
Difficulty: Easy
Shape: Circular

Where it is

The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.

The route

From the castle, drop to the Usk and follow the bank downstream through the meadows, returning by the lanes or the linear park. Flat throughout.

Worth knowing

Abergavenny is the gateway to the Black Mountains and all three of its hills are climbable in a day from the town.
The food festival in September takes over the whole place.
The castle museum is free and covers the town’s history well.

What you’ll see

The Usk, the castle mound, and the three hills surrounding the town.

Background

A massacre of Welsh nobles took place in the castle in 1175 when William de Braose invited them to dinner and had them killed.