Why go now?
Because most people don't. The Vale of Usk gets overlooked because of its proximity to the Wye Valley but it has the same lush beauty, with none of the crowds. The market town of Abergavenny, and the smaller towns of Usk and Crickhowell boast high streets that are refreshingly chain-free, and the countryside is dotted with pubs that serve up fantastic food without feeling the need to add the word "gastro". Historic Glanusk Park, a few miles from Crickhowell, hosts the four-day Green Man Festival in August. And come September the whole area gears up for the Abergavenny Food Festival (abergavennyfoodfestival.com). The main events take place over the weekend of 19-20 September, with tutored tastings, talks by famed foodies such as Antonio Carluccio and Michael Winner, and masterclasses by top chefs including Valentine Warner and Tom Parker Bowles.
Where to stay
Rent a cottage, and you can shop at the farmers' markets and cook with local lamb or beef and farm-fresh vegetables, washed down with locally made cider. Millbrook Cottage is a newly renovated cottage with a delightful garden that feels miles from anywhere, but is actually only five minutes' drive out of Abergavenny. The four-bedroom cottage costs from £396 a week through Brecon Cottages (01874 676446; breconcottages.com). If you want someone else to do the cooking, book into the Angel Hotel (01873 857121; angelhotelabergavenny.com) in the heart of Abergavenny. It is sleek but cosy, and has an excellent restaurant, a firelit bar and double rooms from £85 including breakfast. In Crickhowell, The Bear (01873 810408; bearhotel.co.uk) is a perennial favourite, a 15th-century inn that still feels and looks like a pub, with 30 rooms in the old building and surrounding courtyard. Double rooms cost from £86 including breakfast.
Don't miss
The Tuesday market in Abergavenny (abergavennymarket.co.uk) is where the whole town - and most of the surrounding area - comes to shop for food, gifts, plants and clothes, and even jewellery. With more than 200 stalls it is one of the biggest markets in Wales, draws people from miles around, and is not remotely touristy.
Where to eat
The Walnut Tree Inn (01873 852797; thewalnuttreeinn.com) has been a foodie haunt since the 60s, but after a downturn in its fortunes it reopened last year to great acclaim. Don't come expecting a traditional pub; the food is top-end though refreshingly unpretentious. Come instead for crispy crab cakes, local lamb and beef and a lipsmacking chocolate soufflé with cinnamon ice cream. The Newbridge Inn (01633 451000; evanspubs.co.uk), just outside Usk, has an idyllic riverside location and serves top-class steaks, fabulous Welsh cheeses and hefty puds. For tea and cake, the aptly named For the Love of Cake (59a Frogmore Street) in the centre of Abergavenny offers heavenly lemon drizzle, coffee loaf and whisky fruit cake alongside Fairtrade teas and coffees.
Retail therapy
The picturesque high street at Crickhowell offers a thoroughly genteel form of shopping, with the chance of afternoon tea at The Bear to finish off. The small number of shops are surprisingly browsable; Nicholls at number 19 may be the smallest department store in the world but it does manage to squeeze in an impressive interiors section (lots of elegant lamps, mirrors, armchairs and candlesticks) along with clothes and a good selection of handbags. Ty (number 17) sells more of the same, while kids will love E&G Jehu (1 Standard Street) which has jar upon jar of old-fashioned sweeties and fudge, sold in as small a quantity as you like (the sherbet lemons are particularly recommended).
Take a hike
The Usk Valley Walk (uskvalleywalk.org.uk) is a 48-mile route from Caerleon, just outside Newport, to Brecon - but one of the most beautiful stretches is along the river bank between Usk and Abergavenny. Alternatively, the Black Mountains, which loom above the valley, offer fantastic walks - the walk along the top of Skirrid Fawr (486m) offers gobsmacking views down to the Bristol Channel, while for a serious challenge, the haul up to the top of the Sugar Loaf (598m) climbs through bucolically peaceful countryside (and past many sheep).
The perfect pub
The Crown at Pantygelli (01873 853314; thecrownatpantygelli.com), on the lower slopes of the Sugar Loaf mountain, is a classic country pub dating from the 15th century, with five ales always on tap, hefty sandwiches and top-notch pub grub, including beef with bubble and squeak and home-made steak and ale pie. Much-loved by locals is the Clytha Arms (01873 840206; clytha-arms.com), an agreeably rambling establishment a few miles outside Abergavenny, with an eclectic menu (brodeta - Croatian seafood stew - and Caribbean crayfish curry are regular favourites), well-kept beers and lots of outside space.
• More information from visitwyevalley/valeofusk.html; abergavenny.co.uk
