ALTHOUGH he’s only been living here for less than a year, it’s enough to convince former Top Gear star Richard Hammond that there’s nowhere quite like Abergavenny.

What’s more, he’s announced he plans to never leave the “Gateway to Wales.”

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, the car crazy presenter explained that moving to a £2m 19th-century manor house on the outskirts of Llanwenarth helped him overcome a difficult period in his life.

Now, firmly ensconced in The Pentre’s 21 acres, he explained, “One of the first times I went to see it, I just thought, ‘Yeah, that’s me, that’ll do. I won’t move again.’”

Further elaborating on his dream home, Hammond added, “The Brecon Beacons National Park is the other side of my right-hand fence. I can walk up the Sugar Loaf in an hour and 20 minutes, or I could be getting measured for a new suit or buying a coffee in 20 minutes.”

Richard Hammond in Abergavenny
Hammond on one of his first trips to Abergavenny (BBC/YouTube )

Discussing the planning problems he encountered when the modest remodelling proposals for his Abergavenny home came to a grinding halt due to the discovery of eight protected species of bats, Hammond stressed, “Oh, that’s fine. I just have to work with the bats. I like bats. You don’t move to where I’ve moved and try to stamp all the nature out.”

Hammond, who has become a familiar sight around town, also recently emphasised on the High Performance podcast that moving to a new town when you’re a face off the telly can be a daunting experience.

However, he explained that although “he’s no less famous” he “is far braver and will do things he’s never done” in Abergavenny.

That includes walking to Tommy Brooks Salon to get his hair done, and while waiting, he’ll pop to Chesters Wine Merchants for a glass of wine.

Something he admits he wouldn’t have “done in a million years” before moving to Abergavenny.