Canal Centre - Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal - Canal Centre

Keith Rackham

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Canal Centre - Bettws - Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal - Canal Centre

The walk starts at the 14 Locks Canal Centre, where there is a museum showing the history of the canal and how it played a big part in the development of Newport. From here we walk down to Ynysyfro Reservoir with some spectacular views of Twmbarlwm Mountain and its pimple, the Sugar Loaf Mountain at Abergavenny, Wentwood Forest and views of Newport. The reservoir is a good place for birdwatching, with some rare birds overwintering there and in the summer you can watch the fly-fishermen catching trout.

We then skirt the edge of Tredegar Park Golf Club and this is the only part of the walk that could be muddy after heavy rain. At Bettws is St David's Church; there has been a church in the area serving Bettws since the 13th Century. We then go on to pass Bettws High School and Malpas Cricket Club before joining the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. Newport Angling Club has two ponds to the right of the canal for coarse fishing. We follow the canal down under the M4 motorway, where we meet the Newport to Crumlin stretch of canal which we follow up to Allt-yr-yn. Here there is a nature reserve at the side of the canal. There are fine views across to Tredegar Park Golf Club, Twmbarlwm and Machen Mountain with the TV mast on top. We go back under the M4 Motorway and start the climb up the fourteen locks, passing the old lock-keeper's cottage and back to the canal centre.

Wales - South Wales - Gwent - Countryside

Features

Ancient Monument, Birds, Butterflies, Church, Flowers, Food Shop, Gift Shop, Good for Kids, Great Views, Industrial Archaeology, Museum, Public Transport, Tea Shop, Toilets, Wildlife, Woodland

10/13/2021 - Keith Rackham

The reservoir has been closed for repair. How long it will stay closed hasn't been released but it should only be temporary.

10/8/2021 - Meryl Dobson

Did this walk with a friend 06/10/21. I hadn't been to 14 Locks Canal Centre since before first Covid lockdown but had checked the Canal Centre website for opening times etc. Our problem started at Point 1. As we turned into the lane towards Ynysfro Reservoirs, we were confronted with high wire fencing across the lane and a notice saying that the footpath was closed until March 2022 due to work being undertaken at the Reservoirs. We needed to get to the other side of the reservoirs. Fortunately, I had my OS map with me and was able to plot an alternative route as follows. From the Canal Centre car park, proceed to the entrance and turn right to walk along Cwm Lane. This is a fairly busy lane and the traffic travels quite fast, so great care is needed. After apporx 0.4ml you come to a stile on the right. It was very overgrown but I had my trusty secateurs and cleared the worst of the brambles, to safely climb the stile into a field. From here we were unable to follow the exact route of the footpath as the next stile was overgrown and the following field had been completely fenced off with no stile at all (the footpath should lead you emerge onto a lane to the right of Parc y Brain Farm. However, we were able to open a gate and proceed to another open gate to the left of Parc y Brain Farm, where you emerge onto Parc y Brain Road. Walk along this lane for approx 0.2ml and bear right to the Golf Course at the 'Y' junction. Follow this lane for almost half a mile to the golf club car park where you can now continue with the walk directions at Point 2a. This adds over a mile to the walk length but it was a lovely sunny day and did not detract from our enjoyment of varied terrain and scenery on a balmy October day.

4/8/2016 - John Holloway

Did this walk 08 Apr 2016. Some lovely views. However a couple of points:- the car park at the 14 Lock Centre is locked at 4.45pm and not reopened until 6am. The height gain is shown as 316 metres, I think this is actually the figure in feet - my Garmin showed a height gain of about 330ft.