Visit Abergavenny Places

Welcome to Visit Abergavenny Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Abergavenny

  

Abergavenny Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Abergavenny

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Abergavenny history

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Roman period

Gobannium was a Roman fort guarding the road along the valley of the River Usk. It linked the legionary fortress of Burrium (Usk) and later Isca Augusta or Isca Silurum (Caerleon) with Y Gaer, Brecon and Mid Wales. It was also built to keep the peace among the local British Iron Age tribe, the Silures.

11th century

Abergavenny grew as a town in Norman times under the protection of the Baron Bergavenny. The first Baron was Hamelin de Balun, from Ballon, a small town with a castle in Maine-Anjou near Le Mans. He founded the Benedictine priory, now the Priory Church of St Mary, in the late 11th century.

12th and 13th centuries

In 1175, Abergavenny Castle was the site of a massacre of Seisyll ap Dyfnwal and his associates by William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber. The town was frequently embroiled in the border warfare and power play of the 12th and 13th centuries in the Welsh Marches.

15th to 17th centuries

In 1404 Abergavenny was declared its own nation by Ieuan ab Owain Glyndŵr. The town was celebrated for the production of Welsh flannel and the manufacture of goats’ hair periwigs.

19th to 21st centuries

Station opened on 2 January 1854 as part of the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway. The station is on the Welsh Marches Line and is mostly served by Transport for Wales services. The Baker Street drill hall was completed in 1896.

Abergavenny etymology

The town derives its name from a Brythonic word Gobannia meaning “river of the blacksmiths” It relates to the town’s pre-Roman importance in iron smelting. The name is related to the modern Welsh word gof (blacksmith) and so is also associated with the Welsh smith Gofannon from folklore.

Abergavenny geography / climate

The town originally developed on the high ground to the north of the floodplain of the River Usk. The high ground at either side is formed by a legacy of the last ice age, the recessional Llanfoist moraine which underlies both the village which gives it its name, the town centre and the. older parts of the town north of its centre are built upon a relatively flat-lying alluvial fan extending west from the area of St Mary’s Priory.

You can visit Abergavenny places with Walkfo Abergavenny to hear history at Abergavenny’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Abergavenny has 37 places to visit in our interactive Abergavenny map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Abergavenny, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Abergavenny places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Abergavenny & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 37 audio facts unique to Abergavenny places in an interactive Abergavenny map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Abergavenny Places Map
37 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Abergavenny historic spots	Abergavenny tourist destinations	Abergavenny plaques	Abergavenny geographic features
Walkfo Abergavenny tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Abergavenny

  

Best Abergavenny places to visit

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Abergavenny has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Abergavenny’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Abergavenny’s information audio spots:

Nevill Hall Hospital Nevill Hall Hospital is a district general hospital in Abergavenny, north Monmouthshire, Wales. It is managed by the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.

Church of Our Lady and St Michael, Abergavenny The Church of Our Lady and St Michael in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, is a Grade II* listed building. It was built between 1858 and 1860 to a design by Benjamin Bucknall.

Abergavenny Town Hall Abergavenny Town Hall (Welsh: Neuadd y Dref Y Fenni) is a Grade II listed building. It also houses the town’s market. The town hall is located in Monmouthshire, Wales.

Burton’s, Abergavenny Burton’s, 16–18 High Street, Abergavenny is listed Grade II* for its “exceptional interest and rarity” The design, by Burton’s in-house architect, Nathaniel Martin, is Art Deco in style.

Gobannium Gobannium was a Roman fort and civil settlement or Castra established by the Roman legions invading what was to become Roman Wales. It lies today under the market town of Abergavenny, Monmouthshire in south east Wales.

St Peter’s Church, Llanwenarth The Church of St Peter, Llanwenarth, Monmouthshire is a parish church with reported origins in the 6/7th centuries. The current building dates from the early 14th century. Rebuilt in the 19th century, it was listed Grade II* in 1956.

The Angel Hotel, Abergavenny The Angel Hotel is an AA 4-star Grade II listed hotel and inn in Abergavenny, Wales. It lies on the corner with Lower Castle Street and the main commercial street, Cross Street.

The Tithe Barn, Abergavenny The Tithe Barn, Monk Street, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire is a Grade II* listed building. It forms part of a group of historic buildings in the centre of the town.

Gunter Mansion Gunter Mansion, 37–39 Cross Street, Monmouthshire is a Grade II* listed building. It was built around 1600 and mentioned in 1678 in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom as a place of public Catholic worship. It the final place of prayer for Saint David Lewis before his execution on 27 August 1679.

Grove Farm House, Llanfoist Grove Farm House, Llanfoist, Monmouthshire is a farmhouse dating from the late 16th century. The house was greatly extended in the 18th century, and further work was undertaken in the 19th. It has been the site for a number of major planning applications, for housing and for a retirement village.

Visit Abergavenny plaques