Why? I spent two dreamy summers in the Monmouthshire village when I was writing my last novel. I lived in a huge empty barn, with a view of a hill that subtly changed as the sun swung west and was more watchable than any television.

What's the best thing: The landscape has a secret, undiscovered feel to it - tourists are rare - with tiny roads offering sudden and dramatic views. It's an old land, dotted with ancient churches and barns. Grosmont itself is a Norman hill village, very beautiful, sloping down its one street. There's a fine pub, the Angel, and another much stranger one just down the hill: the Cupid's Hill Inn, a scrumpy bar in the front room of the undertaker's house, which feels like stepping back into a Hardy novel. The village also has my favourite B&B: the Lawns, a magnificent 17th-century house with stupendous views.

My perfect day: Wake early on a summer's morning and see the mist rising over the river Monnow. (Then go back to sleep - it's much too early.) Sit a while in Grosmont castle - a tranquil, intimate little fortress - then climb the hill above the village, passing through cool woodland, till you reach the summit, with its views of buzzards hanging in the air above England and Wales. Afterwards, relax over a pint of scrumpy at the Cupid's Hill Inn. Then dinner, perhaps at the Angel, or, if you feel like a treat, at the Walnut Tree, an Italian restaurant which is one of the finest in Britain.

My advice: Slow down and leave your hurry behind. Be ready to talk, as this corner where Wales meets England can be remarkably welcoming to outsiders. Be ready to listen, too, as you may find more wisdom in Grosmont than in many a busier place.

Getting there: By car, head for Hereford, take the A465 to Pontilas, then the B4347.