// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Ex-Top Gear host Richard Hammond's 'brave' new Welsh life wild swimming and running
The former Top Gear presenter moved to Abergavenny in November 2025
Former Top Gear star Richard Hammond says he has swapped vintage cars for food festivals and running as he settles into life in a Welsh market town.
The 56-year-old bought a £2m Georgian mansion in Llanwenarth, near Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, in November 2025 following his divorce from wife Mindy after 23 years.
The presenter previously told BBC Wales he had "never been happier" since moving into the 19th Century home, and each week he has discovered a new reason to be "delighted that I live there".
With Bannau Brycheiniog - Brecon Beacons - in his back garden, Hammond told the High Performance Podcast he had taken up open water swimming as he becomes "braver" than he has ever been.
Bats were found to be "foraging and commuting" near the outbuildings on Hammond's estate
Hammond said it only took him a couple of visits to the property for him to realise that he "loved it".
"The Brecon Beacons National Park is the other side of my right-hand fence," he told the Telegraph.
"I can walk up the Sugar Loaf Mountain in an hour and 20 minutes or I could be getting measured for a new suit or buying a coffee in 20 minutes."
His home is currently being renovated to include car garages, a padel court and guest accommodation.