Abergavenny Museum & Castle

Southeast Wales


Abergavenny castle's keep was converted into a hunting lodge during the Victorian era and now houses a small museum. It tells the history of the castle and the town, and includes re-creations of a 19th-century Welsh farmhouse kitchen, a saddlery workshop and Basil Jones' grocery shop. The shop was transferred when it closed in the 1980s and makes a fascinating display, with many items dating back to the 1930s and '40s.

Not much remains of the castle itself except for an impressive stretch of curtain wall on either side of the gatehouse on the northwest side. It was the site of a notorious event in 1175 when the Norman lord William de Braose invited his Welsh rivals for a Christmas dinner and had them massacred. Frequently besieged but never taken, the castle was wrecked by royalist forces in 1645 during the Civil War in order to keep it out of parliamentary hands.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Southeast Wales attractions

1. Tithe Barn

0.14 MILES

The large blocky building next to the church is the former abbey's 12th-century tithe barn, the place where people brought their obligatory contributions…

2. St Mary's Priory Church

0.16 MILES

Although you wouldn't guess it from the outside, this large stone church has been described as the 'Westminster Abbey of South Wales' because of the…

3. Sugarloaf Vineyards

1.46 MILES

Established in 1992, this vineyard on the northwestern edge of town produces a variety of white and red wines, including an award-winning sparkling. You…

4. Blorenge

1.84 MILES

Of the three mountains encircling Abergavenny, Blorenge (561m) is the closest to town – the round trip is only 5 miles – but it is a steep and strenuous…

5. Ysgyryd Fawr

3.32 MILES

Of the glacially sculpted hills that surround Abergavenny, Skirrid (486m) is the most dramatic looking and has a history to match. A cleft in the rock…

6. Blaenavon Ironworks

4.26 MILES

When it was completed in 1789, this ironworks was among the most advanced in the world. Today the site is one of the best preserved of all its Industrial…

7. Blaenavon World Heritage Centre

4.39 MILES

Housed in an artfully converted old school, this centre contains a cafe, a tourist office, a gallery, a gift shop and, more importantly, excellent…

8. Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway

4.91 MILES

Built to haul coal and passengers, this railway has been restored by local volunteers, allowing you to catch a train from the town centre to Furnace…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "wales/mid-wales/abergavenny-y-fenni/attractions/abergavenny-museum-castle/a/poi-sig/473628/360959",
      "destination": "Southeast-Wales",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Wales",
      "region": "Southeast-Wales",
      "position": "superzone"
    }