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!