Monmouthshire is one of the most desirable counties to live in within South Wales, not only is this due to its beautiful scenic views of the rolling Welsh Countryside including the breath-taking Brecon Beacons, but also because of its great schools, places to eat and incredibly low crime rate.
Monmouthshire is a county that is filled with a rich Welsh history that includes Roman ruins, medieval castles and not forgetting Tintern Abbey and the Monnow Bridge, many of which you can explore first-hand to get a sense of what life was like all those years ago.
Primarily used for farmland, Monmouthshire is well known for its fantastic food suppliers, with most of the fantastic places to eat sourcing local produce from the nearby farms and food producers, and most of its market towns still being used today.
Towns within the county include Abergavenny, Usk, Monmouth and Chepstow, with smaller towns and villages such as Magor, Caldicot and Raglan being extremely popular too – all of which are great places to live.

Schools

The schools in the county consistently achieve a high-standard of learning with great test results across the board, but  Monmouthshire is also home Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools, which cater for the private education of girls and boys. 

Events and Leisure 

People from all over the country descend the streets of Abergavenny every September to enjoy Welsh hospitality at its very best by attending the Abergavenny Food Festival. This annual event is held at the restored Victorian market in the middle of town, where food stalls overflowing with the finest Welsh produce spill out from the market on to the streets. This year’s event falls this weekend on September 16 and 17.
Other notable events include regular racing fixtures at Chepstow Racecourse, Monmouthshire Food Festival, which is held twice a year at Caldicot Castle, Hoggin’ the Bridge, the Severn Bridge Half Marathon and lots more.

Employment

There is an estimated population of 55,000 aged 16 to 64, 78.5 per cent of which are employed – slightly higher than the UK average, which is 78 per cent. (Taken from Nomis – official labour market statistics). There are a lot of independent businesses in the county, most of which are family run. While there a number of larger employers in the area, including distribution hubs in the south of the county, its location makes it an ideal choice for commuting to Newport, Cardiff and over the bridges to Bristol.

Places to eat

Monmouthshire has an abundance of award-winning restaurants offering a sublime choice of culinary delights. These include The Hardwick, The Walnut Tree, Restaurant 1861, and The Whitebrook to name but a few. In fact two of Wales’ five Michelin star restaurants are based in Monmouthshire. Other popular restaurants include The Golden Lion of Magor, The Misbah Tandoori of Monmouth, and The Anchor Inn of Tintern.

What does it cost?

On the current market, prices range from £50,000 for a one-bedroom flat, up to £2,950,000 six-bedroom mansion with a pool, with the average price for a semi-detached house costing £199,000. Council tax ranges from £941.35 for Band A to £3,294.74 for Band I.