Spring is here and we’re in the best time of the year to see beautiful blooms around us in the Monmouthshire countryside!
It’s a fantastic time to visit us for a stay, lunch, or dinner.
We love flowers so much we named our rooms after them! So, here’s our guide to where you can see your favourite wild flowers near us in 1861 this spring.
Bluebells
From mid April to mid May, you’ll find beautiful bluebells in the woods on the slopes of the Skirrid mountain near our restaurant. Walk the mountain to see magnificent views of the Sugar Loaf mountain and rolling Monmouthshire countryside. Or, take a trip up the Kymin near Monmouth for a carpet of bluebells – with the added bonus of a visit to the roundhouse and naval temple on top of the hill, and a breathtaking view over the town. Visiting the Coed y Bwnydd Iron Age Hill Fort near Usk will also lead you to beautiful bluebell woods.
Wild garlic
This aromatic wild herb isn’t just a delicious ingredient for our dishes, it also gives us a wonderful white carpet of delicate flowers amongst the trees between April and June. Visit Arcadia Woods on the slopes of the Skirrid mountain to see it for yourself.
Flag irises
These stunning yellow flowers are found in abundance in spring along the banks of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal which runs alongside Abergavenny. Walk from Llanellen in the south to Llanfoist or Gilwern to see them from May right through the summer.
Buttercups
Abergavenny’s Castle Meadows is carpeted with golden buttercup from April onwards. Take a walk south from Llanfoist bridge along the river and join the path which winds up to the historic Abergavenny Castle and Museum.
Wild orchids
Many species are rare, so you’ll need to have keen eyes to spot them this spring. Visit New Grove Meadows near Trellech or Prisk Wood at Penallt for a glimpse of early purple orchids between April and June. You might also see the bird’s nest orchid on a walk at Clydach Gorge near Abergavenny in June or bee and pyramidal orchids at Dixton Embankment near Monmouth, also in June.
Wood anemones
Visit Coed y Cerrig National Nature Reserve near Llanthony, north of Abergavenny, to see a carpet of these white spring flowers from now until May.
Wild primroses
Spot these cheerful yellow flowers on the lower paths around the Skirrid mountain, Swan Meadows in Abergavenny, Strawberry Cottage Wood near Offa’s Dyke path near Abergavenny, or Priory Wood in Betws Newydd from now until May.
If you love spring blossom, you can also visit Abergavenny’s community orchard at the southern end of the Castle Meadows.
