Walk Description
Have you driven the M4 towards the Newport tunnels and ever thought of walking here?
Hidden away is a flight of disused canal locks to rival the more famous ones in England.
Partially restored at the visitor centre, you can descend the as yet un-restored section to where
a far sighted M4 motorway designer filled in and concreted over a 50 yard section of the canal in a tunnel that comes out to a restored section.
You can climb to the view point then descend through a nature reserve or continue along the canal.
From the visitor centre take a look at the first restored lock then retrace your steps and turn right then right again to cross the second lock.
Descend past un-restored locks to a canal side cottage.
Cross the canal bridge and descend alongside the canal to the M4 where you can marvel at the short sighted way the planners allowed the concrete of the M4 to invade the canal.
Passing under the M4 you emerge at an idyllic canal walk.
After a short distance the more energetic can cross the canal bridge and ascend straight up the fields to the road and the viewpoint, well provided with seats to take in the panorama.
If you don't fancy the climb then continue along the canal to a lock with a house on the left.
At the top of the climb turn left along the road to see the view.
Continue along the grass towards the transmitter.
Look right for distant views of the Transporter Bridge, the Newport Council Tower and Llanwern Steelworks.
Take the one way lane (or continue along the road for a couple of hundred yards to scramble left by the houses onto the lane further down.
After passing a few houses an unmarked woodland path descends west through Allt yr Yn Reserve to a field then heads back into the woods lower down near the stream.
Eventually cross a stile onto a track (which you could have used had you ignored the woodland path).
More options present themselves but go straight across through a gate and descend to a couple of small ponds.
Follow the wider path on the other side of the ponds to cross a canal bridge to that lock and house where those doing the shorter canal walk rejoin the main walk.
Descend the path between the house and stables and go under the M4.
Watch for the muddy path in a field going diagonally left off the track over a couple of substandard stiles to a council stile.
Cross the stile and head uphill diagonally right to a stile hidden under trees.
Follow the signs around the edge of the golf course and cross to the left of the club house.
Go left over the stile at the car park and through a tree lined boundary into another field.
Go left onto the road then immediately left off the road to a green lane by a house.
Continue along the tarmacadam road for about a mile, going past the reservoirs to the junction. Turn left back to the car park.
Ramblers Cymru and Swansea Ramblers provide these routes but accept no responsibility for those walking them.
If you would like to go on a walk but would prefer to do so with a group of people then click on our Programme section to see what walks we are leading.
We have walks for varying levels of ability and you get the chance to see the countryside in places you might never go by yourself!
