Skirrid Mountain Inn

The Skirrid Mountain Inn sits high on a lonely ridge between Abergavenny and Hereford, and stepping inside feels like walking into somewhere that refuses to move on. This isn't a destination for the faint-hearted - the place is genuinely unsettling, with a grim history that hangs in the air like smoke. It's allegedly the most haunted pub in Wales, though it's technically just over the border in Herefordshire. Executions happened here. People died. The stories are everywhere - creaking floorboards, apparitions, objects that move on their own.

What you actually do here is drink real ale in an old stone building while contemplating your mortality. The bar itself is proper atmospheric - low ceilings, flagstone floors, walls that tell you nothing about whether they're 500 years old or just very committed to looking it. The views from up here across the Black Mountains are genuinely splendid on a clear day, which makes the dark history all the more unsettling.

It's for people who find history interesting when it's uncomfortable - ghost hunters, curiosity seekers, anyone bored by sanitised heritage. You won't need more than an hour unless you're settling in for a proper session. Go midweek if possible; weekends draw the full coach-load of paranormal tourism crowd.

If you're glamping at Goytree or Grove Farm nearby, this makes a cracking evening detour. It's a drive, not a walk, but worth the effort. Just maybe don't go alone after dark.