Pontypool Park and Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal

After climbing up through the parkland, on a low mound stands the Pontypool Folly, a battlemented tower. It was built as a summer house by the Hanbury family in the 18th century. During World War II, the War Office ordered that the Folly be demolished as it might be used by the Luftwaffe aiming a bombing run on nearby Royal Ordnance Factory Glascoed. It was not until 1990 that the Folly was restored to its former glory when the Campaign for the Reconstruction of the Folly Tower (CROFT) achieved sufficient backing so that the required £60,000 was raised. This was achieved due to contributions from the Prince of Wales's Committee and the European Regional Development Fund.

Further on, you come to a stony track which runs downhill. This ancient route is reputed to be a Roman road, but is more likely to be a medieval packhorse route.

The walk returns along a section of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal (formerly the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal), said to be one of the most beautiful waterways in Britain. It flows through the Brecon Beacons National Park and follows the Usk Valley from Brecon to Pontymoel. It is navigable throughout the distance, and organised boat trips start from both Brecon and Abergavenny.

The Pontymoel Basin used to be at the junction of the Monmouthshire Canal and the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal, which officially ends here. In the little Toll Cottage sat a toll clerk whose job was to gauge the boats and determine their loads so that the appropriate toll could be charged.

Look out for water shrews, water voles, herons, dace, gudgeon, eels, and carp on the canal. Insects of interest may include the water boatman and dragonfly.

Acknowledgment: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.