Abergavenny and Lampeter
4 Aug
Abergavenny
After leaving Pontypool, I headed to my first campsite stop of my travels just outside of Abergavenny as this was the next location of a Gorsedd Stone Circle. However, due to the lateness of the day on my arrival I had to go straight to the campsite, meaning I would see the stone circle the next day. This campsite was called Blossom Touring Park, and was absolutely lovely as your spot is separated by luscious fruit trees and I was lucky enough to be parked near enough to the toilet block but not too close. The price was reasonable also, and I paid £28 for the night, with the price for the electrical hook up being settled the following day as you only pay for what you use.
Here’s the van in place at the campsite
I had been to the shops earlier that day after Pontypool and proceeded to make myself some very nice food for dinner.
My recipe for this meal is:
Garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, fried together with margarine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix in spinach before adding the pasta. Goes wonderfully with a beer also!
I attempted to do some work afterwards but got distracted by the view out of the back of the van as the sun went down. I didn’t feel bad about not doing work as I knew that the more I enjoyed this travelling, the better I would be able to describe the things I did, as well as make nice memories for myself. I got a good night sleep and woke up the next day to another gloriously sunny day. You have to pay 50p for 4 minutes of water in the shower on the campsite, and I would recommend taking two 50ps or else you may run out of time and be stuck with soap all over your body! Luckily I just about managed to avoid this and set off for the Gorsedd Stone Circle in Abergavenny.
Entering the town via the A40 from the south, you will drive past an Aldi on the left and come across a car park on the right hand side. It is located next to a bus station and the car park cost £1.10 for 2 hours. This car park is not located on maps but once driving into Abergavenny it is hard to miss. I parked in this car park as it said on maps that the stone circle was around the corner and got out of the van and headed south towards the bus station and past a hydrogen refueling station and a cafe before coming across a fence. The stone circle is located in the park next to the bus station and is relatively easy to find. The park itself was lovely, with a stream running alongside it.
This stone circle is interesting due to the tall, sharp nature of the stones that are used, with there being another few stones creating an external ring, as well as the trees that are present being slightly in the way of the outer circle being completed. Perhaps the organisers wanted to use the tree on the left as a replacement for a stone? Unfortunately we won’t know due to the lack of informative signs at the site.
After leaving this site I went back to the car park and realised I still had another hour and a half to spend in Abergavenny for the car park and so I headed into town. There are some other very interesting looking sites in the town, with the main one being St. Mary’s Priory just off of the car park. This church is described as the ‘Westminster Abbey of Wales’, and has been running for well over a thousand years and houses medieval carvings. It seemed to be closed when I arrived and I wanted to go into the town to have a look and get the feel of the place. It seems well worth a look though! I walked into town and found a present for a family member in a boutique shop and sat outside a hotel to have a drink and make some notes and read my book. I didn’t stay long however, as I had to carry on with my travels to Lampeter and onto Aberaeron to camp.
Lampeter
The stone circle in Lampeter was one of the most engaging and interactive site I have been to yet! The warm welcome to this space is only helped by the presence of a box placed there, with thanks to Lampeter Town Council and Incredible Edible Lampeter, of plants and herbs that you are free to take and taste. As it says on the sign in the picture below, this is just a taster for a bigger herb garden that is going to be built soon, and this type of community spirit is something that is wonderful to see, especially around such a significant historical site.
This site was a bit tricky to get a full picture of the stone circle, but as I walked around I noticed there was a wonderful way that the council has created interaction with the stone circle itself for children (and admittedly myself, a big kid) where one stone is replaced with a plastic version with climbing holds so people can climb all over it!
I had a lot of fun trying this out, although I only managed to get a foot off the floor, it still hit me how fantastic of an idea it was and how much kids must enjoy interacting with it. I also, feeling adventurous, went on the obstacle course that was nearby and laughed at myself swinging about everywhere. This site really brought out my inner child and I felt a sense of communal understanding that this space was very important.
However, one important thing to note about this site is that the parking situation is not ideal as I had to park up the hill and walk down, and even then I was lucky to find a space for the van! It is very much worth a slightly longer walk from one of the town’s car parks however, and so I very much recommend visiting this site.
