Torfaen

Torfaen's places to stay reflect its mix of industrial heritage and green valley scenery. Cwmbran, the county's largest town, offers the most straightforward options for business trips or family visits, including a Premier Inn handy for shopping and transport links, alongside the Parkway Hotel & Spa for something more comfortable.

Pontypool has its own Premier Inn and the Best Western Pontypool Metro Hotel, both practical bases for exploring the surrounding hills, while smaller options like The Lion Hotel and The Little Crown Inn suit those wanting a more local feel.

Up towards Blaenavon, where the World Heritage mining landscape draws visitors, guesthouses such as The Wern House and Walnut Tree Farm offer a quieter countryside stay, with 3B Guesthouse giving another simple choice nearby.

Torfaen's industrial past shapes much of what there is to see, and Blaenavon is the natural place to start. Big Pit National Coal Museum takes visitors underground with former miners as guides, while Blaenavon Ironworks fills in the story of the town's ironmaking heyday. The Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway adds a scenic steam ride through the same landscape.

Pontypool Park offers open space and grand old grounds for a slower day out, and further afield Llandegfedd Lake suits walkers and anyone after watersports and wildlife rather than industrial history. Cwmbran, meanwhile, covers family entertainment and wet-weather options: Cwmbran Boating Lake, Cheeky Monkeys and Lollipops and Ladybirds for younger children, plus Vue Cwmbran for cinema trips. Ty Poeth Farm rounds things out with an animal-focused day for families.

Between the three towns, you can mix heritage sites, outdoor spots and children's attractions without travelling far, making Torfaen easy to base a varied few days around.

Torfaen's dining scene centres on Cwmbran and Pontypool, with smaller finds scattered across the valley towns in between. Cwmbran offers the widest choice, from coffee stops like Fairewater Coffee Cwmbran and Serendipitea to more substantial meals at Osito's / La Cueva Tapas Bar & Restaurant, while Pontypool's high street holds its own mix of cafes and casual diners.

Expect plenty of everyday options rather than formal dining: fish and chip shops such as Page's, all-day cafes like Boswells and Inspire Cafe, and grill spots including Marleys Kitchen and Grill and the Polo Grounds Diner. It's a county built for a relaxed lunch or a hearty family meal rather than a big night out, with the Community Cafe and similar places showing how central these spots are to local life.

Torfaen sits between the industrial valleys and the open hills of the Blaenavon area, and its campsites reflect that mix of setting. Around Pontypool you'll find small farm-based sites where pitches are set among working land rather than manicured facilities, giving a quieter, more rural feel than campsites closer to the larger South Wales towns.

Willow Acres Campsite and Court Bleddyn offer straightforward camping close to Pontypool, useful as a base for walking the surrounding ridges or visiting the Big Pit and other Blaenavon sights. Cwmsoar Camping, Ty-cooke Farm and Partlands Pitch tend to suit those wanting a simpler stay, with fewer neighbours and more space to spread out.

Choosing between them often comes down to how close you want to be to Pontypool itself against how much seclusion you're after, since the hillier ground further out gives better views but a longer drive back into town for supplies.