IF you are planning on visiting Abergavenny this weekend for its world famous Food Festival there are a number of things you can do to make the trip a little easier.

The first thing to remember is, it will be busy… very busy. There will also be a lot of walking involved, so dress for the day and wear comfortable shoes - nobody wants to go home with blisters as their main reminder of Abergavenny. Part of the appeal of the festival is that it is spread across the town but that does mean a fair amount of walking, unless of course you are lucky enough to find a table in one of the many food and drink venues from where you can just sit and watch the world go by.

All the main market venues are fully accessible to wheelchair-users and mobility scooters and there is plenty of designated parking both for those wanting to park and walk and those who prefer to leave the car out of town and catch a bus in. If you do want to brave the traffic and head for the town centre the post code is NP7 5HD although bear in mind that most town centre streets will be closed.

These include:

Nevill Street, High Street, Flannel Street, St John’s Street, St John’s Square, Lion Street, Frogmore Street, Lower Castle Street which will be closed between 9am and 6pm, whilst Cross Street, Market Street and King Street will be closed between 6am and 10pm on September 19.

Due to temporary traffic lights on the A40 in Abergavenny’s Monk Street, the organisers of the food festival are urging visitors to avoid driving through the town centre and park in one of the designated car parks.

To further reduce congestion a number of roads around the town centre have been designated as ‘clear ways’ and will have parking restrictions on them. These are:

The A40 through the town (Hardwick Roundabout to Nevill Hall hospital)

Holywell Road

B4233 Holywell Road to Chestnut Drive

The A4143 from Waitrose to the A40 junction

Merthyr Road from A4143 junction to Tudor Street

Hereford Road from Park Road Junction to Croesonen Road

Park Avenue

Both Park and Ride car parks (Saturday only) are outside of town centre so congestion to them should be minimal. These can be found at

Maindiff – Saturday only (park and ride - drop off/pick up from the Bus Station, last return bus is 6:30pm)

Llanellen – Saturday only (park and ride - drop off/pick up from the Bus Station, last return bus is 6:30pm)

For those who prefer to walk there is plenty of convenient parking at the Castle Meadows car park, which can can be accessed easily from the A465 Heads of the Valley Road and the A40 from Crickhowell which will both avoid the town centre.

Bailey Park can be accessed from the A40 from Crickhowell and the Hereford road from the North, avoiding the temporary lights section.

“We apologise for any inconvenience but we hope that by using the Festival car parks rather than the town centre, congestion will be minimised and you can spend more time feasting and having fun!” said a festival spokesman.

All day parking at these car parks costs £3. All the car parks are run by local volunteers with £2 from your parking fee going directly to help local community groups in and around Abergavenny. The remaining portion helps keep the festival running. Last year visitors to the festival helped raise £14,000.

The car parks are open to the public between 8am-8pm. There is no overnight parking and valuables are left at owner’s risk. Bailey Park is open until 10pm on Saturday and is a good place to park if you are staying on for the Night Market, which takes place in the Brewery Yard area of the town centre.

If you are going to the Party at the Castle on Saturday it’s probably best to move your car to a town centre car park or you may find yourself locked in. Castle Street car park is close by and will be free after 5pm.

All events and venues at the festival are well signposted and the main Festival Information Point is on Market Street outside the Brewery Yard and cost £18 for a weekend ticket for an adult £12 for an adult ticket on Saturday and £10 for an adult ticket on Sunday - which usually tends to be a bit quieter if you are only aiming for a one day visit. For an insider tip it’s also the day when you are likely to pick up a few foodie bargains especially if you stay around until the very end!

With the weather looking good it looks set to be another bumper year for the Abergavenny Food Festival and a great day to grab a friend and enjoy the very best of food and drink the area has to offer.

For full details of all the events at Abergavenny Food Festival visit www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com