Crickhowell bridge
The small town of Crickhowell lies in between Brecon and Abergavenny and is situated in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The name derives from the nearby Iron Age hill fort of Crug Hywel, just above the main town. The town is situated on the River Usk and lies south of the brooding Black Mountains. The countryside all around is simply stunning and over 20 000 acres of it form part of the Glanusk Park Estate.
In the town, you will find the Crickhowell Market Hall and Monument which are surrounded by lovely tall buildings. There are many traditional family-owned businesses and shops as well as a Tourist Information Centre, an art gallery and many traditional pubs, cafes and restaurants to stop for a bite to eat. The market hall, dating from 1834 has market stalls on the ground floor and a café on the first floor in the old courtroom. Here you can think back to times gone by and imagine the trials taking place as you relax over a scrumptious cream tea!
There are several churches in the town including the 14th century parish church of St. Edmund’s as well as a Baptist church, an Evangelical church and a Catholic church.
Brecon Beacons
The town gets busy in the summer as visitors come from all over to explore the Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains. There are masses of outdoor activities to enjoy, including rock climbing, hang-gliding, mountain biking, fly-fishing and of course, mountaineering.
An interesting part of the town is the 17th century stone bridge which runs over the River Usk. It is architecturally unusual in that it has odd arches, 12 on one side and 13 on the other, with a seat built into the walls. If you are lucky, you will get a glimpse of horses stopping to have a drink in the shallow part of the river under the bridge before continuing on their way.
“Crickhowell is famous for being ‘the town that went offshore’ in 2015 to protest against corporation tax evasion..”
Though not one of the grand Welsh castles we have come to expect from the country, Crickhowell does have ruins of a castle situated on the Brecon to Abergavenny road as well as other nearby places of historical interest to discover.
The popular Green Man Festival is held every year in the nearby Glanusk Park and brings visitors from all around the world; it is definitely worth going to if you love festivals.
We have some lovely Crickhowell cottages - why not visit our collection to feel inspired?