Abergavenny Market

Retail therapy

Abergavenny is a bustling town served by lots of buses. The covered market is a great place to browse and then buy when you realise that there are so many things in life you didn't know you needed - but all excellent value! From shoelaces to jewellery, from meat to bread through veggies and chutneys, from CD's to clothing and bric a brac ... I could go on and on. The main market is on Tuesdays but there are also good displays on Fridays and Saturdays.


And afterwards
You could also visit the Tithe Barn - it's free.

Exact money

   On most of the buses in Monmouthshire you have to pay with the exact money which you pop into a little chute machine whilst the driver watches with a keen eye on those tiny 5p pieces. I will not attempt to give the rates - as they change regularly - but you should have a fiver, some pound coins and smaller change. Be sure to leave enough for CAKE. I am pressing for contactless machines - and lower fares. Meanwhile, if you are stuck, other kindly passengers frequently help out.

Microadventure

   This blog suggests small bus outings, even more micro than an overnight stay in most cases, if you live in Monmouthshire. Yet the aim is the same: derive pleasure, fun and appreciation of what lies close to your home. As you go you can consult this blog and learn historical facts - I did as I wrote it. All this can be done so cheaply and without hassle. It will lead to a sense of intimacy with your neighbourhood and the details of your environment. We could call it a mini-microadventure blog! Excursions in time and place. All good then.

A mini-walk near the Usk

A short stroll
   A few minutes' walk from the bus station down the Abergavenny Road in Usk is a turn-off to the left through an iron swing gate. This is Conigar Walk whose history is told here and it leads to the river Usk. It is unusual for a town to have the same name as its river: more common would be Talybont-on-Usk for example.

A living larder
   Rabbits (or coneys) were kept in enclosures to provide some of the food for the garrison and owners of Usk Castle. They would also eat salmon and lampreys from the river as well as eggs and pigeon squabs from the loft in the castle (columbarium). The couple whose marriage was commemorated by the building of this walk in 1858 by J. H. Clark and friends later became the parents of 'Kaiser Bill' of the First World War.

A linguistic tip
  Although this is not a particularly Welsh-speaking area, signs are bilingual and here you can see a feature of the Welsh language which is worth noting. The initial "P" of "Prussia" becomes "B" in "Brwsia", a process known as mutation which makes use of a dictionary tough for learner. It follows strict grammatical rules governing the change of one initial letter to another but helps the sound and makes for fluent speech - in time!

The Savoy Theatre Monmouth

Local entertainment

   Up at the top of town, 10 minutes' walk from the bus station is this delightful little theatre which features live shows, mostly music or comedy, and also presents films: I have just seen Spotlight there in a special afternoon session for £5. It is also host to the films carefully chosen by the local U3A which anyone can attend and which are in the morning on the second Tuesday of the month. 

A little gem

   The interior has a Victorian flavour with red plush seats and reflects the history of the building (summarised in a pamphlet obtainable at the desk). In the past it has been a variety and Magic Lantern theatre and has recently been sensitively renovated. It stands on the oldest known theatre site in Wales but is thriving and popular today whilst retaining a calm and welcoming atmosphere.

Traveline Cymru

Help on hand
If you want further information about bus routes in Monmouthshire - or even travel beyond this lovely county - you can install the app for Traveline Cymru on your tablet and then spend many a happy hour planning your next microadventure. Cymru is Welsh for Wales and pronounced Cumree. They now have a new low-cost phone line: 0300 200 22 23

Usk buses

What IS Usk?
   Usk is either a big village (as the cricket team would have it) or a small town (which their opponents would like as it would move the Usk champions into a different league where they would be safely out of the way).

Enjoy your wait
   It is served by 2 buses: the two hourly number 60: Newport/CaerleonUsk/Raglan/Monmouth and the similar nunber 63: Cwmbran/Pontypool/Usk/Chepstow which goes on to Tintern.  They arrive and depart from Twyn (pronounced Too-in) Square - which is more of a triangle - and there are benches as well as shelters from which you can enjoy the view of the castle behind the trees at the back, the clock tower in its cobbled surround, two pubs, an excellent butcher's and the chapel, now an art gallery.

Also nearby
   Since this is a blog promoting public transport I will not mention the large, free car park in the middle of town, handy for the Rural Life Museum with its cafe (delicious CAKES), 2 doctors' surgeries, the Co-op, toilets and the cleanest dump in Wales (sorry - recycling centre). However, the bus stops are near all those amenities as well as river walks and shops. Enjoy!

Usk park

Somewhere quiet to picnic
   This plaque tells of the history of the park which is a short walk from the Usk bus stops in Twyn Square and children can play whilst you lounge here as well as taking a look at the wild flower garden dedicated to Jane Hathaway. Brynbuga is the Welsh for Usk and the final part can be pronounced "beega" so as not to sound rude.

Possible Roman connection
   During the 1960's and 1970's excavations in Usk revealed the remains of two groups of granaries used to store the provisions needed to feed the Twentieth Roman Legion whilst it was stationed in Usk. Since these foundations were of wood, they were covered over again to avoid rot and it is difficult to find out where they were. Some knowledgeable local residents believe they may have been here, in this field, and say there interesting remains of occupation under the grass. If you Google the excavations you will see a photograph showing how huge these stores were by comparison to the diggers working on them. However, the size of the site suggests to some historians that the granaries were in the field behind the Sessions House. Later, because of flooding in Usk, the soldiers were moved to Caerleon.

Bus etiquette

Read before you travel  
   In Monmouthshire there is a subtle but important code of conduct for bus travel. No-one will be offended if you do not adhere to it but it is always better to blend in. It has 5 parts:

   1) When waiting at the bus stop you may talk to fellow passengers about the weather and the recent punctuality or otherwise of the buses. After a while you can discuss the personalities of the various drivers and who is likely to be on duty that day.  If you become friendly with someone, you can risk stating a preference for a particular driver.

   2) When the bus appears, you should look astonished (even if it is on time) but pleased and offer all the others the chance to board ahead of you. Even if there are 2 of you and an empty bus you should still spend time on this courtesy with the appropriate hand gestures. With several people the ritual can last many minutes and come to resemble a stately minuet.

   3) When on the bus you do not need to sit next to the people you have been talking to: you can spread your bags and look absorbed in the views - which are beautiful. Avoid digital devices; those are for trains.

   4) On arrival, do not hasten to descend. Again, look surprised that you have reached your destination and progress slowly down the aisle in bridal fashion. Bend to put your used ticket in the little box specially for it as this is a votive bow and not to be omitted.

   5) As you descend the steps you should express your deep gratitude to the driver. Here there is a gender divide (even if the driver is female): women should say, "Thank you, driver" in a carefully modulated voice; men use the expression, "Thanks drive!" in a low but matey tone as if male bonding has occurred en route. Why the final "r" has vanished here is a mystery that has puzzled local linguists for decades.

Symonds Yat

Two walks up the Wye
     From Monmouth town you can walk up the west side of the Wye past a lovely church and on to Symonds Yat but I also like to go as follows.

A good yomp on the east bank
  I walk to this beautiful place from the bus station in Monmouth, through town, right over the Wye Bridge, turning left down Hadnock Road and yomping along the atmospheric east side of the river until I arrive exhausted after a couple of hours. Those with more stamina might walk back but I cheat and get a taxi to the bus - or cafe! It is a cycle route also and feels safe for the lone walker who likes a flat yet picturesque hike.

Time for restoration
  Before leaving I feel I have deserved a delicious lunch at the Saracen's Head where you can sit outside or be cosy indoors. Then I go back into Monmouth and revisit its history as birthplace of Henry V, looking at the castle ruins as I do so. Many buses serve Monmouth including the no 60 to Newport via Raglan, Usk, Llangybi and Caerleon all of which have posts on this blog - you can find them by using the Search button at the top of the right hand side column.

Sent from Samsung tablet

Newport excitement

It had been a long wait

  Last November, on a dull and otherwise cheerless morning, the new shopping centre in Newport South Wales opened with a new bus station at its rear. The people of Newport had been sceptical for years about this promised development but here it was - and better than all expectations. Quite a crowd gathered and waited before surging in and it has been busy ever since, despite being an apostrophe-free zone: Friars Walk. I will reveal its other attractions in future posts.

Doing without a car

Goodbye to my four wheels
   This time last year I sold my trusty old Honda: it had never given me much trouble but the alloy wheels had a tendency to eat into the tyres and I became frustrated by trips to the garage and the overall cost of running a car - over two and a half thousand pounds a year. I'd had my Antique Person's Bus Pass for a long time already and decided to rely on it for almost all travel. In doing so, I discovered fun, friends and health on the local Monmouthshire buses. All that money saved pays for a lot of retail therapy and reduces my carbon footprint to tiny.