Best Places to Visit in Monmouthshire & Newport
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best places to visit in Monmouthshire & Newport are Keeper's Pond, Duchess Ride Viewpoint, Ogof Craig a Ffynnon, White Castle, Cleddon Shoots, Tintern Abbey, Grosmont Castle and Usk Castle.
Monmouthshire and Newport spread castles, abbeys and quiet uplands across the Welsh border country and the Wye Valley. The great ruin is Tintern Abbey, its roofless Cistercian church standing nearly whole above the Wye, and the county holds three of the border castles besides: White Castle with its moat, Grosmont with its decorated chimney, and lived-in Usk on its hill.
The Wye Valley offers the wooded viewpoint of the Duchess Ride above Trellech and the tumbling Cleddon Shoots waterfall above Llandogo. On the higher ground, Keeper's Pond sits on the moor below the Blorenge, with wide views and dark skies, and deep in the Clydach Gorge the cave system of Ogof Craig a Ffynnon runs for kilometres behind its locked gate.
Some are grand set pieces of stone, others quiet woodland walks and hidden falls. Here are eight places to visit across Monmouthshire and Newport.
Keeper's Pond
Photo: Alan Bowring via Geograph.org.uk
Keeper's Pond is an upland pool on the open moor between Blaenavon and Abergavenny, below the hill of the Blorenge in south Wales. It was dug in the early 1800s to feed water to an ironworks below, and takes its name from a former gamekeeper's cottage nearby.
Now it is a well-used spot for walks up the Blorenge and along the moor, with wide views and dark skies for stargazing. Rough grazing and heather surround the water.
Duchess Ride Viewpoint
Photo: Ros Hallett via Geograph.org.uk
The Duchess Ride Viewpoint sits at the end of an avenue of tall Scots pines in the woods above Trellech, in the Wye Valley of Monmouthshire. It looks out over the wooded gorge of the River Wye, with a bench set to take in the view down the valley.
Waymarked forest paths lead to it from the car park at Whitestone, on mostly level tracks. It is a quiet woodland spot managed by Natural Resources Wales.
Ogof Craig a Ffynnon
Photo: Nick Chipchase via Geograph.org.uk
Ogof Craig a Ffynnon is a major cave system in the Clydach Gorge, on the flank of Llangattock Mountain near Llanelly Hill in the Brecon Beacons. Its Welsh name means the cave of the rock and fountain, and behind a small entrance at the foot of a quarried face runs about seven kilometres of passage, first entered in 1976.
It is known among cavers for lavish mud and calcite formations, and for large chambers such as the Hall of the Mountain King. This is a place for experienced, permit-holding cavers only, gated and locked, not a show cave with lit walkways.
White Castle
Photo: Fabian Musto via Geograph.org.uk
White Castle is a ruined medieval castle near Llantilio Crossenny in Monmouthshire, one of the group known as the Three Castles alongside Skenfrith and Grosmont. It takes its name from the white render that once coated its walls, traces of which survive.
A water-filled moat rings the inner ward, crossed by a bridge, and visitors walk among a twin-towered gatehouse, four round towers and the outer curtain wall, much of it rebuilt in stone by Hubert de Burgh in the early thirteenth century. Cadw looks after it, and entry is free.
Cleddon Shoots
Photo: David M Clark via Geograph.org.uk
Cleddon Shoots is a waterfall tumbling down a steep, wooded slope above Llandogo in the Wye Valley, on the Monmouthshire side. The stream drops through a ravine of sessile oak and beech toward the River Wye below.
The wood is a site of special scientific interest, damp and mossy, with rough paths leading down from car parks on the higher ground. It is a quiet, out-of-the-way fall reached only on foot.
Tintern Abbey
Photo: Roy Parkhouse via Geograph.org.uk
Tintern Abbey is the great roofless ruin of a Cistercian monastery on the Welsh bank of the River Wye, in the wooded Wye valley near Chepstow, one of the finest monastic ruins in Britain. The huge shell of the abbey church still stands nearly whole, with its soaring window openings and tall arches open to the sky, along with the remains of the cloister and the ranges around it.
It was founded in 1131, the first Cistercian house in Wales, and closed under Henry the Eighth in 1536. Its romantic setting drew early tourists and inspired Wordsworth and Turner.
It is cared for by Cadw.
Grosmont Castle
Photo: Jeremy Bolwell via Geograph.org.uk
Grosmont Castle is a ruined medieval castle in the village of Grosmont in Monmouthshire, one of a group of three castles built to hold this border country. A ditch crossed by a timber footbridge rings the inner ward, where a gatehouse, round towers and a hall block survive.
Its most striking feature is a tall, decorated octagonal chimney rising from the old living quarters. Cadw keeps the ruins, which are free to walk into.
Usk Castle
Photo: Pauline E via Geograph.org.uk
Usk Castle stands on a hill just north of Usk town in Monmouthshire, a ruined medieval castle with a stone keep, towers, curtain walls and a gatehouse. Unusually it is also a lived-in family home, with gardens set among the ruins.
Visitors can walk the ruins and grounds, over steep steps, low doorways and uneven ground. The grounds open on Sunday and bank holiday afternoons through spring and summer, with a small donation asked for entry.
FAQs
What are the Three Castles of Monmouthshire?
The Three Castles are a group of three medieval castles built to hold this stretch of the Welsh border: White Castle near Llantilio Crossenny, with its water-filled moat and round towers; Grosmont, with its decorated octagonal chimney; and Skenfrith nearby. White Castle and Grosmont are both free Cadw sites open to walk into.
Why is Tintern Abbey worth visiting?
Tintern Abbey, on the Welsh bank of the Wye near Chepstow, is one of the finest monastic ruins in Britain, its roofless Cistercian church still standing nearly whole with soaring windows and arches open to the sky. Founded in 1131 and closed in 1536, its romantic setting drew early tourists and inspired Wordsworth and Turner.
Which places in Monmouthshire are good for a quiet walk?
The Duchess Ride viewpoint above Trellech is reached on mostly level forest paths to a bench overlooking the Wye gorge, and Keeper's Pond on the moor below the Blorenge is a well-used start for walks with wide views and dark skies. The Cleddon Shoots waterfall above Llandogo is a quieter, rougher walk on foot.
Conclusion
Monmouthshire and Newport spread castles, abbeys and quiet uplands across the border country and the Wye Valley. Tintern Abbey stands nearly whole above the Wye, and the county holds the Three Castles besides: moated White Castle, chimney-topped Grosmont and lived-in Usk on its hill.
The Wye Valley offers the wooded Duchess Ride viewpoint above Trellech and the tumbling Cleddon Shoots above Llandogo, while on the higher ground Keeper's Pond sits on the moor below the Blorenge and the cave system of Ogof Craig a Ffynnon runs for kilometres behind its gate. From roofless abbey to hidden fall, these are the places to seek out across Monmouthshire and Newport.
