Chepstow Races- www.chepstow-racecourse.co.uk for information.

Tintern Abbey, Kingstone Brewery and Sculpture Gardens are all within a few miles and the Forest of Dean is on the other side of the river Wye, which also offers excellent canoeing and tow path cycling.

There are many castles in the area - Monmouth, Chepstow, Raglan, Usk, White Castle, Abergavenny, Caldicot, Skenfrith, Goodrich and Eastnor. Cardiff Castell Coch is about an hour away.

www.visitdeanwye.co.uk/things-to-do/attractions/castles-and-ruins

If you are interested in old Ironworks Darkhill and Whitecliff are worth a visit. The nearest National Trust property is Tredegar House, Newport.

Monmouth has a good range of individual shops and cafes and if the weather is inclement the wonderful old fashioned Savoy Theatre is a perfect place to catch up with the latest films.

With so much to do locally it is essential to have a vehicle as there is no immediate local transport. However, cyclists will enjoy the many local cycle tracks, but a little extra electric power is helpful due to the local hilly terrain.