Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal
Brecon Beacons National Park
What is it?
One of the most beautiful canals in Britain, it follows the River Usk for much of its 35-mile length.
Why it is special?
Although its route takes in some of the most beautiful countryside in the Brecon Beacons National Parsk, the canal is an important reminder of the important role South Wales played in our industrial heritage.
Built in the late 1700s, it was originally built in two sections by two different companies. Both canals and their associated tram roads served the coal, iron, limestone and lime works, collieries and quarries along its length.
The canal fell into disuse in the 1930s but has been restored and now provides a beautiful setting for canal boat holidays. It passes through many picturesque villages including Talybont on Usk, Llangynidr, Llangattock, Gilwern, Govilon and Llanfoist.
www.mon-brec-canal-trust.org.uk
Tell us something we didn’t know
The canal also takes in a Unesco World Heritage Site at Blaenavon, once the powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution. The Big Pit Mining Museum is a popular attractio here and is part of the National Museum Wales.
Visiting Big Pit and Blaenavon
How to get there
Brecon is accessible by bus, and from the A470 north from Cardiff.
The Beacons Bus runs from May 30 to 3 October 2010.
Other starting points along the canal include Crickhowell, Llangynidr and Govilon, Goytre Wharf and Five Locks near Cwmbran, which is on the main Newport-Crewe railway line.
