Usk

Blaise Hamlet

Catbrain · 18 miles

The site comprises nine modest cottages arranged around a central green in the Henbury district of north-Bristol, with Catbrain identified as the nearest settlement. Managed by the National Trust, the ensemble is presented as an open-air museum, allowing visitors to observe the layout from the surrounding garden. Dogs may accompany their owners provided they remain on a lead. Constructed circa 1811, the hamlet was intended for retired staff of Quaker banker and philanthropist John Scandrett Harford, who owned the nearby Blaise Castle House. The architect John Nash, recognised for his work in the Picturesque movement, devised the first fully realised garden suburb here, a model that influenced later developments of the type. Each cottage displays a distinct design, featuring brick chimneys, dormer windows and, in some cases, thatched roofs, all set within Victorian-style cottage gardens. The surrounding oval path links the dwellings and encircles a sundial positioned on the green. Both the cottages and the sundial hold Grade I listing, while the wider setting, together with Blaise Castle, is recorded as Grade II* on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. Although the individual houses remain occupied and are not open for interior visits, the collective arrangement can be appreciated from the green. The National Trust’s stewardship ensures the area is maintained for public viewing, with the only restriction being the requirement to keep dogs on a lead while on the premises.

Caer Licyn

Newbridge-on-Usk · 5 miles

Motte and Bailey

Caerleon Roman Fortress Baths

Caerleon · 6.8 miles

Purpose-built building around part of the Roman baths

The Mynde

Caerleon · 6.8 miles

Six properties which previously served as a fortified estate, built by a local industrialist during the Chartist Risings to protect against his workers. Consists of a large expanse of elevated grass land and a 5-6m tall stone wall.

Prysg Field Barracks

Caerleon · 6.8 miles

Roman fortress and barracks, home to a Legion of the Roman Empire

Arthur Machen's House

Caerleon · 6.8 miles

marked by a blue plaque and often open to visitors