Woolly says – Days and days of rain, I’d been keeping my paws crossed that it might have a break for at least one day and as we headed out it seemed as though my prayers had been answered. Sadly, I’d forgotten to ask the roadwork gods to also leave us alone and within 8 miles of our base we were stuck in a 6 mile tail back with barking boy living up to his name.

With nothing to do except crunch our way through Jo’s mint imperials I used the time to give out some information on what we might see if we ever got there.

Llanthony Priory is a partly ruined former Augustinian priory in the secluded Vale of Ewyas, a steep-sided once glaciated valley within the Black Mountains area of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Monmouthshire, Wales.

The priory dates back to around the year 1100, when one of Hugh de Lacy’s knights called William, came upon a ruined chapel of St. David in the same location, he was inspired to devote himself to solitary prayer and study. He was joined by Ersinius, a former Chaplain to Queen Matilda, the wife of King Henry I, and then a band of followers.  A church was built on the site, dedicated to St John the Baptist, and consecrated in 1108. By 1118 a group of around 40 canons were living there.

The Priory became one of the great medieval buildings in Wales, in a mixture of Norman and Gothic architectural styles. Renewed building took place around 1325, with a new gatehouse. On 4th April 1327 (Palm Sunday), the deposed Edward II stayed at the Priory on his way from Kenilworth Castle to Berkeley Castle, although if you looked at the map it wasn’t exactly on his way! By 1538 like all other monasteries under Henry VIII reign it was dissolved. The ruins have attracted artists over the years, including J. M. W. Turner who painted it from the opposite hillside.

With the traffic finally moving we sped along the small lanes arriving just as the clouds opened above us and the rain started to descend, I sighed at the deluge and grumpily followed the human and dog through a gate into a small field so furry paws could do his thing. The surrounding views were incredible even if they were wet, and a mist seemed to linger over the mountains in the distance.

With Alfie the Dog sorted out and put back into the car we headed into the Priory itself. It was an impressive site with the huge empty arched windows reaching hundreds of feet above me.

The first area we entered was the former Chapter House where the cannons would have gathered to read the bible and receive any messages from the outside world. Lining the walls were the pillars that would have once continued into arches to form the ceiling.

A small passageway showed us how it might have looked in its prime as we headed into the church.

Although much has now gone you could still make out where the different chapels had been, each having vast windows that would have once been filled with coloured glass images, it must have looked incredible.

Everywhere we looked you could see glimpses of the columns that would have once been there and the decoration that would have formed a part of the building.

A huge archway caught my eye, at its top was what seemed to be a small corridor running along the length of it,

as I looked at the other arches, I realised that this passageway would have once run around the whole of the priory with small windows to allow light in and possibly allow the cannons to see into the church from high above.

Further parts of the building gave small clues as to what might have been there form small prayer rooms to steps to ascend to the top, sadly information was a bit lacking.

One large wall appeared to have been bricked up along with a smaller doorway which would have looked very different in its time.

As the rain continued, I took one last look at the lovely contrast of the grass and stonework before deciding that I was more than wet enough and headed back towards the dry interior of the car.

As we sat dripping Jo programmed the sat nav for a small nearby town, Crickhowell, which might provide a place for food. Ten minutes later and we arrived and parked up, with the rain still falling we set off to find some sustenance and shelter which proved to be very easy and having filled my tummy I rolled out onto the pavement to go and investigate a rather fetching tower.

With its green top it looked very nice and as I looked round to find some further information, a tourist information board told me it was Abergavenny Town Hall, I’m not sure who was more bemused as to how we had arrived there and not at our actual destination but as we were here, I’d make the most of it.

The town hall, which also houses the town’s market, is a Grade II listed building and had originally been built after a legacy from a local member of parliament, Philip Jones being completed in the early 17th century. In 1796 the famous Regency and Georgian era architect, John Nash rebuilt it and looking up at it he had done a very fine job.

Another building caught my eye which was now home to a bank before we passed a very nice frontage that had been painted to show a scene of the town.

Abergavenny is promoted as a Gateway to Wales and was originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, sadly none of which survives, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches and still has its castle. The castle wasn’t going to happen for the day due to the rain and the no doggy rule, so we settled for wandering back through the town in the downpour taking in a few more interesting buildings.

Not the best of days weatherwise but what’s not to like about a priory, a bit lunch and a town you didn’t expect to visit.