Brecon Beacons

Little more than an hour after leaving Bristol, we had swapped the traffic-choked city for the cool, clear air of Monmouthshire and stunning views of Sugar Loaf mountain.

Standing proud at 596 metres, this distinctively shaped mountain dominates the skyline as you approach Abergavenny, the medieval town that can be traced back to the Norman conquest of Wales in the late 11th century.

Abergavenny remains a bustling town and a gateway to Wales but these days it is known internationally for its September food festival, which attracts 40,000 people.

Described as the food equivalent to Glastonbury, Abergavenny Food Festival has become one of the most important dates in the food-lovers' calendar.

This year, the festival is bigger and better than ever, with more events, more stalls and a number of big-name chefs and food writers lined up, including Fergus Henderson, Angela Hartnett, Bill Granger and Valentine Warner.

The festival has put Abergavenny on the map when it comes to food and a number of local restaurants have helped to turn the region into something of a foodie hot spot.

Shaun Hill's Michelin- starred Walnut Tree at Llanddewi Skirrid is the best-known of these, followed by The Foxhunter at Nant-y-Deri, where TV chef Matt Tebbutt has gained a national reputation for his modern European cooking.

And then there's The Hardwick, where former London chef Stephen Terry continues to please customers and critics alike.

A new name to watch this year is Wesley Harris, who has opened The Charthouse at Llanvihangel Gobion. Harris worked at both The Foxhunter and The Hardwick before taking over this refurbished country inn.

Passionate about using local, seasonal produce, the menu includes half a Cardigan Bay lobster with buttered sea blight and béarnaise sauce, and local sirloin of beef with wild mushrooms picked by a local forager.

After an enjoyable lunch at The Charthouse, we drove through the Black Mountains towards Hay-on-Wye.

This is the east side of the Brecon Beacons National Park – the world-famous landscape of peaks, open moorland, green valleys, gorges and clear mountain springs.

As we negotiated the nail- bitingly narrow lanes, we stopped off at the beautiful Llanthony Priory tucked away in the Honndu Valley, far up the Vale of Ewyas.

One of the earliest houses of Augustinian canons to be founded in Britain, this remote priory dates back to the 12th century. Damaged in Owain Glyndwr's rebellion at the beginning of the 15th century, it is a far more tranquil spot today.

A few miles on from the priory we took a fortuitous wrong turning and came across Capel-y-ffin, a tiny hamlet on the boundary between Monmouthshire and Breconshire.

Apart from a couple of houses, the timeless hamlet comprises a church encircled by ancient yews, a chapel and an old red telephone box. If you are looking for the perfect rural Welsh idyll, this is it.

The success of the Abergavenny Food Festival has meant that hotels and guest houses in the area are often booked for the festival weekend months, if not years, in advance.

The Angel in the centre of the town is the best-known hotel and it has undergone a stylish refurbishment in recent years under new owners.

A former coaching inn, it has become the hub of the food festival, with many events taking part in the building and many of the chefs and food writers meeting in the bar and courtyard throughout the weekend.

The Angel has also gained a name of its own for its daily afternoon teas, which can attract up to 100 people at a time. It recently won The Tea Guild's prestigious award for the best afternoon tea outside London and it's easy to see why.

I enjoyed the high tea which was of the highest quality, with a selection of dainty sandwiches and cakes made by specialist baker Sally Lane. Served on tiered cake stands and washed down with loose leaf teas served in bone china cups, it was the ultimate afternoon tea and wonderfully traditional.

An alternative to staying in the town itself is booking one of the 300 self-catering cottages and farmhouses offered by Brecon Beacons Holiday Cottages. An accredited agency with Visit Wales, it has a huge choice of self-catering accommodation in the Brecon Beacons.

One of these properties is the stunning Crofftau, a beautiful Grade II-listed barn conversion, frequently used as a film location.

Standing 1,000ft above sea level in an idyllic spot, with phenomenal panoramic views of the Beacons and Black Mountains, this 17th-century bolt-hole has been sympathetically renovated with restored stonework, oak beams and slit windows. The interior decor is fabulous, using rich fabrics and colours, antique furnishings and modern comforts.

Surrounded by stunning scenery for bracing walks and cycle rides, a few days here is just what the doctor ordered after eating your way around this beautiful corner of Wales.

The Abergavenny Food Festival is on September 17 and 18. For more information visit www.abergavenny foodfestival.com.

For more details about self-catering accommodation, go to www.breconcottages. com.

The Angel Hotel – www.angelabergavenny.com.

The Charthouse – www.thecharthouse- abergavenny.co.uk.