TOWNS
MONMOUTH – Distance from Part-y-Seal, 11 miles, about 23 mins. County Town of Monmouthshire. Find out more…
ABERGAVENNY – Distance from Part-y-Seal, 12 miles, about 26 mins. Market town known as the ‘Gateway to Wales’. Find out more…
ROSS ON WYE– Distance from Part-y-Seal, 16 miles, about 29 mins. Market town in Herefordshire. Find out more…
HEREFORD – Distance from Part-y-Seal, 16 miles, about 30 mins. Cathedral city in Herefordshire. Find out more…
CRICKHOWELL – Distance from Part-y-Seal, 18 miles, about 36 mins. Market town in Powys, named best UK high street in 2018 Find out more…
ACTIVITIES
THE VIKING GAMES traditional nordic games adapted for twenty-first-century fun. Try your hand at Axe Throwing, Archery, Bullrings, Kubb, Molkky or Stige. Come and test your ability and agility to see whether you have what it takes to become a true Viking warrior.
WALKS
THREE CASTLES WALK (Total-19 miles) This circular route, linking the Norman castles of Grosmont, Skenfrith and White Castle takes the walker through an undulating landscape of wooded hillsides and hidden valleys across NE Monmouthshire. It can be undertaken as a whole, or in 3 separate sections. Read more….
MONNOW VALLEY WALK (Total-40 miles, Monmouth to Skenfrith – 7.5 miles) This linear walk follows the valley of the River Monnow, from Monmouth, near its confluence with the River Wye, to its headwaters below Hay Bluff. Read more…
GARDENS
DEWSTOW GARDENS AND GROTTOES – (Distance from Part-y-Seal, 31 miles) Built in 1895, these gardens were buried just after WW2 and rediscovered in 2000. They contain ponds and rills and, interestingly, a labyrinth of underground grottoes, tunnels and sunken ferneries. The rock gardens are made up of a mixture of real stone and faced stone using various types of pulhamite. Read more…
COUNTIES
MONMOUTHSHIRE – Find out more
HEREFORDSHIRE – Find out more…
CASTLES
The ‘Three Castles’ of Grosmont, Skenfrith and White Castle were built to control the border country, known as the Marches, between Herefordshire and Wales.
GROSMONT (1 mile from Part-y-Seal) Grosmont castle, built by the Normans was originally an earth and timber stronghold that was later rebuilt in stone. In the 13th C the castle was redesigned to include the gatehouse and circular towers and in the 14th it was restructured again to provide apartments fit for a noble household. In the 15thC the castle was besieged in the rebellion led by Welsh leader Owain Glyndŵr. Read more…
SKENFRITH (4 miles from Part-y-Seal) Skenfrith castle was originally a Norman motte and bailey, built beside the river to defend the border. In 1220 the site was leveled and rebuilt with 4 corner towers, a gatehouse and round keep. Modifications were made in the 13th century to the residential buildings by Hubert de Burgh.
WHITE CASTLE (9.5 miles from Part-y-Seal) White Castle, the best preserved and most imposing of the trio of castles was originally constructed from wood and earth. A series of renovations transformed it into the significant defensive structure we see today. Its medieval name might derive from the white rendering used on its masonry. Read more…
FESTIVALS
CRICKHOWELL WALKING FESTIVAL March 7-15th Read more…
HAY FESTIVAL May 21-31st Read more…
MONMOUTH FESTIVAL July 25-2nd Read more…
ABERGAVENNY FOOD FESTIVAL September 19-20th Read more…