Help me choose a place to live. Abergavenny?

[bebemoohatessnot]

What we're looking for:
Close to Mtn biking
No more than hour (ish) from Hereford (Dh's M&D)
Close to commuting routes to London (either M4 or trains)
Good schools for dd (only 15m right now but don't want to move again unless have to)

We live in Cardiff now, but are finding suburban life difficult, need to drive many places or take 45m bus ride into town. We'd like country walks/bike rides and safe playing environment for our Moo. We're thinking Abergavenny but not sure what it's actually 'like.'

Any thoughts, tips, suggestions abt places?

I'm from that neck of the woods. Be prepared to be something of a taxi service for your kids as they get older as although there are regular trains (Hereford to Cardiff) bus links are poor and the school (ok but nothing special) serves a large catchment area.

Have you thought about Monmouth at all?

Well I love Monmouth. (and I suggested it again to dh just last weekend) It's so beautiful. And there's so many things to do in the area it seems.
DH says no train... so it's not quite as ideal from the commuting end of things, though I told him he could just ride his bike to Chepstow or something and catch a train to London.
I get the impression that Abergavenny is bigger and has more amenities than Monmouth though? However, we've heard that Abergavenny is a bit rough. And that the schools are only 'ok' as you suggested. However we've discussed homeschooling for primary school at least...not sure really depends how things pan out with schools and our dd.

Its nice, like every town lots of shops boarded up. Good food, some good restaurants. Pretty good train service stops at Newport and then thats the Cardiff train anyway.

Like there are some rough parts but they are everywhere. I'm not up on the posh parts. Monmouth has some rough estates too. Monmouth can be tasty at night too. Both got Waitrose - nice.

Chepstow (where I went to school) used to be nice but spoilt now. Schools good. No train to London, change at Newport. Good for M4.

Some nice areas on outskirts of Newport. Cwmbran is ok - good train, some ok comps, great access to M4. Good private school Rougemont. You are close to good moutain biking areas and in future they are linking routes. Caerleon is ok. Then over the top to Langstone (backend). Close to Celtic Manor if you can afford it! Up to usk is very nice, but not too far to get train at Cwmbran. Lovely countryside, pricey.