Canal and Beacons View Circular Route

Canal and Beacons View Circular Route is a 5 mile loop trail located near Brecon, Powys, Wales that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and walking.

Length5.0 miElevation gain990 ftRoute typeLoop

Description

Waypoints (7)

Getting There

A wonderful walk in Powys, following the well-marked Usk Valley Walk up from the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. The route takes you up and over a ridge, with great views of the Usk Valley and over to the Black Mountain Range, to a stunning lookout over the Brecon Beacons range with a view of the rear Cribyn and Pen y Fan ridge and Twyn Du hill over Talybont valley and its reservoir. The return leg follows a quiet back road down to Talybont village, (with facilities just a 200 yard detour along canal) then back to the start along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. The first section is steep with a total ascent of 150 metres so walking boots are required, but the pay back is an easy stroll back down a very quiet road and along the canal towpath so the hardest section is over while you are freshest. You will need to negotiate some gates, cross a few stiles, and cross some tiny streams You may come across sheep, cows and alpacas during the initial ascent. Allow 2.5 hours.

Start to Usk Valley Walk

From the church, turn left along the road and then turn right onto the rough track which leads to the canal. Walk over the canal bridge and turn up the path to the RIGHT. (Do NOT turn up the forestry path and green gate). Follow the steep climb through gates (and crossing over a couple of tiny streams if it is wet).

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Usk Valley Walk to Small Fir Wood

Keep following the Usk Valley Walk (marked with blue arrow waymarkers) across the fields. You will begin to have amazing views over to Table Mountain above Crickhowell, down the valley and Allt yr Esgair and to Myndd Troed in the Black Mountains beyond. Keep on going uphill and you will reach a stand of fir (larch) trees and small wood.

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Small Fir Wood to Beacons View

Pass through the stand of fir (larch) trees and small wood. Continue and you will see the Brecon Beacons in front of you after a steep pull.

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Beacons View to Talybont Reservoir View

Emerge through a gate and you will see a tarmac minor road. Turn right to go downhill to the cattle grid and then turn left to follow the Usk Valley Walk footpath sign and walk uphill. Walk on to the top where there is a wonderful view of the Brecon Beacons and the Talybont Valley with its reservoir.

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Talybont Reservoir View to Canal and Lime Kilns

Walk on up the field on the path and the view will get better the further and higher up the field you go. Sit, have a cake and a thermos of tea and admire the huge Victorian reservoir dam below and the mountain ridges going up the valleys. The reservoir is the largest of many in the Beacons. When you have finished enjoying the views, retrace your steps back down the hill to reach the tarmac lane by the cattle grid. Turn left along the road, continuing your journey downhill. Eventually you will come to the canal bridge at the bottom of the valley.

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Canal and Lime Kilns to Ashford Tunnel

Join the canal towpath heading south (right) with the canal running on your right. The canal runs 35 miles and is a lovely peaceful path. You are likely to see lots of canal boats on the way. The canal no longer runs to Newport, but there are plans for restoration and a few sections have reopened. You will come to the Ashford Tunnel.

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Ashford Tunnel to End

Continue past Ashford Tunnel which is 343m long - there is a little footpath to the side of the road to lead you past the tunnel. Keep going until you reach the canal bridge at the start of the walk (Bridge 138) and then turn left back down to Llandetty Church on the main road, where the walk began.

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The walk starts and finishes at Llandetty Church on the B4558 between the villages of Llandetty and Talybont-on-Usk. Nearest post code is LD3 7YR. There is limited parking at the church for four cars, but please do not park here on Sunday mornings or when the church is in use. There are two other parking options. One is up a rough track (on the opposite side of the road and just south of the church) which leads up to the canal. The second and easiest option is to start the walk from the centre of Talybont village which has roadside parking, post code LD3 7YJ. This is close to Waypoint 5 and you can adjust the walk to start here, heading along the canal first.

Weather

UV Index

Daylight

Reviews (6)

Photos (25)

Recordings (5)

Completed (20)

Radim May

October 13, 2020

Hiking

Nice walk. Fields can get muddy. Trail joins a road for a few mins, otherwise off-road nice hike

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Christine Barnfield

August 31, 2020

WalkingGreat!

Very nice walk, a mixture of climbing up steep hillsides and walking along the flat canal. Park at Llandetty Church.

Alex Penfound

August 21, 2020

Hiking

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Amanda Lane

July 5, 2020

HikingMuddyNo shadeRocky

This was a lush walk, hard on the knees due to ground sodden with rain water! Lush walk lush views

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Deborah Deborah

May 24, 2019

First to Review

As previous commentator mentioned parking should be done elsewhere. we ended up not doing the walk as we were pressed for time having driven around trying to work out where we should be. directions should be updated on main page

Bob German

September 8, 2020

Hiking

View Bob 's Recording