5th May 2018 - Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal walk from Goytre Wharf

Like the starting scene from an episode of casualty.

This week’s walk is through the scenery of the Usk Valley and takes in some of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. The walk started by a small wood near Goytre Wharf. The car park is big enough for about 15 cars and is free. We did a lap of the woods first which took all of about 10 minutes but it is pleasant. We followed the road west towards the Pentre Hill. The road crosses the canal over a lovely old stone bridge. The weather was beginning to get quite warm and the road was getting steeper. In the distance we could see the tower at Arbour in Pontypool Park. It definitely looks like something to check out in the future.

This could be barge but on reflection...

After a steep climb the hill plateaus into a rather pleasant leafy clearing. The tracks become slightly confusing up here. The most obvious path on the map is actually nothing more than an impassable muddy ditch and the main road is marked as a track. After a few hundred metres this became obvious so I knew where we were again. We carried on through the woods and popped out next to The Goose and Cuckoo Inn. However, it was only half ten so it would have been quite a wait to get in.

Steep hills and beaming sunshine. Stay hydrated.

We followed the small road down the hill which crossed a stream at the bottom. This was the perfect opportunity for Chuck to have a cool off. It must be hot under that furry jacket. It was road for the next mile or so but that didn’t matter. They were quiet and afforded views all across Abergavenny. We followed the road to the canal. We decided to get to the point where we had previously walked along the canal just so we didn’t leave any gaps. This involved dropping down through a re-entrant cut by a stream that goes under the canal. It was a beautifully tranquil little part of the world. I could have sat there all day.

Abergavenny nestled between Blorenge and Sugar Loaf.

The canal doubles as a cycle path so keep your eyes open. The more lycra worn, it seems, the less chance they will have a bell on their bike. Chuck was determined to go in the water but the banks have steep sides. Be aware, if you do let your dog in the water, you will be dragging it out again. The going on the canal was flat and easy so we made rapid progress on the way back. Further down the banks flatten out so Chuck finally got to go for his swim.

A glistening pool of tranquility.

Right near to where we parked was Goytre Wharf, a parking area for canal boats. It was packed with young families and seemed to have all the sorts of facilities young families like. Stuff for kids to climb on and a café for grown ups. We took a few pictures and moved on back to the car. This was a great walk of two halves. The first part was hilly and had great views, the second half was very leisurely. Hopefully we can walk some more of the canal and report back on what we find.

The traffic was just awful.

25th February 2018 - Severn Estuary walk from Blakeney

Carrying on from our previous Severn River walk, here, we decided we would do another one further up the river, seeing as we enjoyed the first one so much. This time we parked in Blakeney. This turned out to be a really good idea as there is a free car park next to the doctor’s surgery. The first part of the walk was along the road down to the river. It’s a very quiet road with only the villages of Etloe and Gatcombe down there. Neither has more than a few houses.

Walking into the light.

You would expect a path next to the river would be flat but this was nothing of the sort. There is a considerable rock face which rises and falls along the river. The train line to Gloucester is carved into the rock below, between the rock and the river. The path is in and out of the trees and into the fields. I must confess we were a little distracted by the scenery and playing with Chuck and didn’t notice where the path went in one of the fields. As a consequence, we took quite a large detour. But the views were amazing in the sunlight.

Looking south down the river.

It was still early in the year and quite cold, so I imagine these fields will be full of cattle in the summer. But we were fine for now. We re-joined the path at Little Hagloe, basically a house. The path leads back down to the railway where we crossed. Again, it gets a little confusing here and we ended up going the wrong way down to the water. A quick hop over a fence and through a field and we were back on track.

Daddy. I thought this walk was meant to be flat?

The path heads up to Doulton Court, which isn’t as impressive as it sounds sadly. From here on in it’s all road for the way back. It isn’t a busy road but the cars that do come down are usually going at a decent pace, so watch your four-legged friend closely. Chuck managed to find a stream which runs next to the road, which was good as it was quite warm for the time of year.

The view over towards Gloucester.

I can’t see this being the last walk out of Blakeney. There is still more river to explore. It’s a very tranquil little part of the world. I imagine it hasn’t always been this way and may have been quite industrialised at some points but thankfully now it is a little haven of peace. A highly recommended walk.

Kids, photos like this should only be taken under supervision of a responsible adult.

12th February 2018 - Severn Estuary from Lydney

Today’s walk is along the Severn Estuary. The sun was well and truly out despite it being quite cold. We parked in Lydney on a housing estate and walked out of town south along Naas Lane. This crosses the A48 and heads down to Lydney Golf Club. Thankfully we didn’t need to go as far as the golf course. The fields were damp from all the previous rain and were shimmering in the sun. It was boggy yet beautiful.

That amazing combo of sun and puddles.

The path then heads into the trees. The view of the river is somewhat obscured here but we could still see the sun glinting through. You can’t follow the river for long however as the path heads north across the fields and then crosses over the railway track. From here however you enter out into the fields and you have a spectacular view across the whole estuary. It looks like this is usually a field full of cows but thankfully it was too early in the year for them to be out.

The view that awaits on the estuary on a sunny day.

The path then heads down under an old railway bridge. From the field, you can see where there used to be a bridge across the river. Several of the pillars are still visible in the shallows. Walking past Ward’s Farm, we headed north along a narrow road. This road eventually headed back across the fields. At this point the sun decided it had had enough and disappeared for the remainder of the day. After crossing the A48 again, we thought we were just a few minutes from the car. However, Bellway Homes had different ideas.   

Under the old railway across the river.

   

The footpath emerged straight into a building site. There was no way around. To make matters worse, the site was locked and we were trapped inside. Someone from the showroom then came out to tell us we were trespassing. We informed her that we really didn’t want to be and if she’d kindly let us out we’d leave. She didn’t have the key however and told us we would have to go back the way we came. Seeing as that would have been another two miles we looked for another way out.

Looking arty next to the water.

We found a gap in the fence and scrambled through. Annoyingly we both managed to rip our clothing. This incident had put a dampener on what had been a nice walk. I cannot believe this company managed to get planning permission to build right on top of a public footpath. And then to not put in any diversion is pretty scandalous. I have tried getting in touch with Bellway Homes but nothing has come back from them. I was going to write to the council but unfortunately I haven’t had the time and it slipped my mind. Still, it was a lovely walk and thankfully there is still plenty of Severn River to explore.