Why is Abergavenny great? Residents have their say

Among the popular answers were the friendly community, the picturesque walks available in the countryside right on the doorstep, the range of independent businesses and the varied event and entertainment scene. 

Brian Witney, who has lived in the area since 1965, says he loves to get out and enjoy some of the walks.

Retiree Brian Witney says he loves the walks available in Abergavenny and tries to get out every day (Image: Newsquest)

He said: "I like to get out a lot, and it's got lots of lovely walks, up over the hills, the rivers, the canals and the parks. I'm out most of the day really, which is a change when I used to work six days a week.

"It's a really nice set-up here in Abergavenny - a really nice market, which is really popular. I go there a lot. I do a lot of visiting and voluntary work here, which is a really nice aspect of the community. I do voluntary work with trees and ancient woodland and wildlife. One of my groups recently planted our quarter of a millionth tree!"

Ann Mudd regularly brings her young puppy Moose to Abergavenny to help with his training, and with the constant flow of people around, she believes it's a massive benefit. 

Ann Mudd with her puppy Moose, who she regularly brings to busy Abergavenny to help with his training and to enjoy the atmosphere (Image: Newsquest)She said: "There's always something  going on - there's buskers around a lot, and the market's always busy. There's lots of dogs we can introduce Moose to, and we can take him to the meadows. We see a lot of dog-friendly cafes here too, so it's lovely to be able to take him on a nice walk and then come into town and go for a coffee."

A number of independent business owners, including Steven Tranter, owner of Mother Nature's Goodies, believe it's the community that makes Abergavenny such a lovely place. 

The Linda Vista Gardens are among the dozens of walks available on the doorstep of Abergavenny (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Tranter said: "It's got a village feel even though it's a town, and I think people really enjoy that. We get a lot of tourism from that, about 50 per cent of our business - we reflect what people love about Abergavenny, the natural feel and staying true to local sources. 

"My most favourite thing is the rural nature of around here - you're never more than five minutes from a great view, which is really important to me. There's loads of opportunity to do physical activity, which my daughter does, and I can't think of a more lovely place to raise a family - I moved from London to do that, and I now love it here. 

Published writer, Owen B Lewis adores the community feel and variety of independent businesses. 

Writer Owen B Lewis adores the community vibe felt throughout Abergavenny, and finds it a very relaxing and therapeutic place to be (Image: Newsquest)

He said: "I love the community vibe here - people just seem to be open to helping people, everyone just wants to help everyone, which is really great. 

"I find it relaxing to be in this environment, and very therapeutic to be so close to the countryside. I think there's a real community aspect to Abergavenny, that's reflected in the variety of independent businesses here which put on some amazing events throughout the year. It's really nice to see because you feel happier with your mental wellbeing as you can feel that you're supporting people and businesses that need it."

Coffee shop worker Diane Bugler, who has lived in the town for more than 20 years, believes Abergavenny is a perfect place to raise a family with the friendly people.  She says this is reflected in the number of regulars they get coming for coffee every day, whom she's able to greet as old friends. 

Diane Bugler, who has lived in Abergavenny for 21 years, adores the friendly community and the beautiful scenery (Image: Newsquest)She added: "My favourite things about this place are the mountains, the walks, the friendly people. It's just such a perfect place to bring your children up. 

"What I've really noticed over the years is the town is really up and coming from back when I first moved here - there's been a real improvement. The big thing for us is the walks and the access to beautiful places for running."

Young mums Harriet Price, Jackie Batkin and Harriet Atkinson have cited the scenery, community, coffee shops and the excellent school communities as the reasons why they love Abergavenny. 

Mums Harriet Price (with her son Reuben), Jackie Batkin and Rebecca Atkinson have shared what they love about Abergavenny (Image: Newsquest)They were quick to highlight the ever-popular Abergavenny Food Festival, saying that it is so popular it gets sold out so quickly that some locals do sometimes miss out, but it's a major benefit to the town. 

Ms Batkin said: "I grew up here and brought up my family here - the beauty of the mountains and surroundings are stunning. It's a town but has a real village feel, so you don't feel isolated even if you live in the countryside."

Ms Price added: "I moved here from Bristol for that countryside feel, and we really get that here, which is lovely."

Ms Atkinson said that the changing faces of the residents has seen Abergavenny become a much more diverse community over the years. 

"You used to walk down the street and know everyone, but now there's so many new people. It's nice that lockdown has brought so many people here."

Tony Reynolds says Abergavenny is unique with its sheer number of independent businesses and popular events that bring in tourists (Image: Newsquest)Chair of Trustees at the Magic Cottage Tony Reynolds believes that Abergavenny is quite unique, with the range of shops and businesses that spring up. 

He said: "There's a lot going for Abergavenny, with the independent shops we see here, it's not all chains. There's some really nice facilities and places to visit, or to walk around, such as Linda Vista Gardens.

"The community is nice and friendly, so we get a lot of people coming in. We have loads of events like the Food Festival every September, which brings a lot of trade in."

It's clear to see why the people of Abergavenny love their town, and why they think it has earnt its spot as the best place to live in South Wales. 

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