Guides

Plain English for rural property

Character homes come with questions that town houses rarely raise. Who owns the track? Where do the drains go? Which side of the border is it on, and what does that mean for tax and planning? Our guides answer them clearly, so you can go into a purchase, a renovation or a sale with your eyes open.

Start here · Buying

The complete guide to buying a character home in the Wye Valley and Vale of Usk

Everything to check before you buy a stone cottage, barn or farmhouse in the Wye Valley and Vale of Usk, from drains and rights of way to tax and surveys.

14 min read · Last reviewed November 2026

Guides · Places

Moving from the city: an honest guide to rural life on the border

An honest look at rural life on the border: broadband, schools, transport, heating, community and what newcomers wish they had known.

6 min read · Last reviewed November 2026

Guides · Places

Area guide: Usk

Living in Usk: the town, its homes and prices, schools, commuting and the villages of the Vale of Usk around it.

5 min read · Last reviewed November 2026

Guides · Places

Area guide: Monmouth

Living in Monmouth: the market town at the gateway to the Wye Valley, its homes, schools, commuting and nearby villages.

5 min read · Last reviewed November 2026

Guides · Places

Area guide: Tintern and the lower Wye

Living in Tintern and the lower Wye: the gorge, the abbey villages, the homes you'll find there and what day-to-day life is like.

5 min read · Last reviewed November 2026

Guides · Places

Area guide: Abergavenny

Living in Abergavenny: the market town beneath three mountains, its homes, schools, food, commuting and the villages around it.

5 min read · Last reviewed November 2026

The Valley Letter

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