Its nearest neighbours are the village of Gilwern and town of Abergavenny.

Historically its main industry was based around the ironworks on the south side of the valley which have long since closed.

The area around the village is popular for hillwalking with many routes tracing the beauty of the nearby Clydach Gorge [1] or Cwm Clydach, and the old trackbed of the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway is a cycleway and walkway and the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal can be walked or travelled by narrow boat.

There is a picnic site and caravan park alongside the River Clydach, easily reached from the A465 Heads of the Valleys road.

The area is within the Brecon Beacons National Park close to the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, a World Heritage Site, and not far from Big Pit National Coal Museum.