Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal

An historic canal between Brecon and Newport whose western terminus is at The Watton in Brecon

OS grid ref SO 056283 (Brecon canal basin)

The westernmost 3km of the canal run within the Geopark. Old limekilns at The Watton. A Geotrail explores the floodplain of the River Usk and includes a section of the canal.

Geology

  • Old Red Sandstone (Devonian); St Maughan’s Formation
  • Quaternary; river gorge, floodplain, river terraces & alluvium

Maps

  • OS Landranger 160, Explorer OL12
  • Geological — BGS 1:50,000 ‘Brecon’

Guides

  • Brecon: River Usk Geotrail — includes canal section

Facilities

  • Shops, pubs, restaurants, Brecknock Museum, Theatr Brycheiniog etc in Brecon
  • Numerous car parks, mostly pay & display.

Accessibility

  • Flat; barrier free

Transport links

  • By car — good access from A470 and A40
  • By train — nearest stations at Llandovery, Merthyr Tydfil and Abergavenny — see Traveline Cymru
  • By bus — see Traveline Cymru; X43, 63, 714 services run to/from Brecon
  • By bike — NCN 8 runs along the towpath

Other Geopark attractions nearby