Teithiau Tom: Along ‘The Cut’ from Talybont to Gilwern
Tom Maloney
On my last walk along the ‘Mon and Brec Canal’ I ended my day out at Talybont. It was the last Saturday of March and there was barely a leaf on any of the trees, but how things have changed in such a short time.
I returned to Talybont for the last Saturday of May for a stroll along ‘the cut’ ending at Gilwern and the weather was glorious, with the trees now adorned in their spring clothes, well more like summer really, providing perfect, cooling shade.
Talybont is such a pretty place and there was a real ‘buzz’ about the village already when my bus arrived at about twenty to eleven, with people sitting outside at the canal-side café and chatting over coffee, Duke of Edinburgh walkers purposefully making their way and then of course there was the gentle arrival of boats all adding to the ambience – just lovely or ‘hyfryd’ in the Welsh.
There is so much to catch your eye wherever you look and I was drawn by the skeletal railway bridge still spanning the canal.
Its structure is so much more modern than that of canal bridge 143, nearby, which is entirely more rustic in appearance and yet amazingly only about half a century separates their dates of construction.
Looking at the proximity of both modes of transport together I was reminded just a little of Aesop’s Fable ‘The Hare and the Tortoise’.
Trains certainly brought greater speed to journey times, but while the railway has been silent here since the 1960s, the canal is still quietly going about its business, albeit for leisure and recreation now, but it would be magnificent to still see the railway in operation as well.
It does not take very long at all to find yourself away from everything, with just the countryside to keep you company.
Colour is a primary attraction for me and on this day the colours were deep and rich and bewitching.
Sometimes, the play of light on the surface of the water is so magical, making even dull, clay browns light up like warm, Welsh gold.
Who does not enjoy a happy moment that comes about all by chance? The Ashford Tunnel was just such a moment for me.
You have to leave the canal here and walk a tidy step above the waterway for about 375 yards.
As I dropped back down to the towing path so a boat emerged from the darkness of the tunnel and it was all smiles for everyone.
The tunnel is only about two and half yards wide and in days gone by it would have been the boatmen themselves moving the boat along by ‘legging it’, giving the horse a little, well-earned break from its toil.
‘Legging it’ involved, lying down and the boatmen using their legs in a walking motion along the tunnel wall to maintain the journey until the boat could be re-united with its horse.
I have tried this myself, sometime ago on a canal boat near Dudley. It was quite an experience, but I don’t mind admitting it was not something that I would care to do on a regular basis.
Llangynidr Locks has to be near the top of the list of destination locations for boaters and walkers alike and it does not disappoint at all.
It has a warm, friendly and I would say family feel about it with volunteers doing so much here to make the experience so enjoyable.
You could not help but notice the close rapport and comradery of everyone working together and it was noticeable too that their work assisting with the operation of the locks was hugely appreciated by regular boaters and visitors alike.
Michelle Hayle who has been volunteering at the lock flight for ten years takes great pleasure in what she does and took a little time out to let me know about what volunteering means to her –
“The work is very wide ranging and enjoyable. Today we have a boat making its way up the flight with people from Australia, followed immediately by another boat with people from America.
We have visitors from all around the world. We meet somebody new every day and the visitors really enjoy what we do.”
In life people often say that you should never look back, but I would say walking is an exception to this rule, in fact, I would positively say that you should make the time to look over your shoulder regularly when walking.
I had had such a lovely time at the locks, including making time for lunch that I could not help myself from taking one last look and a I am so glad I did.
I don’t think I was quite prepared for just how wonderful the view would be, with Mynydd Tor y Foel imperious in the distance.
Amongst the surprises along the way was to see several people paddle boarding. In my mind I associate canals with boating and walking, but this reminded me that there are so many ways to find relaxation and well-being on the cut.
It made me wonder too what the original engineers and investors would make of their canal designed for commercial transport being used for leisure. I think they would be so surprised to see how people use it today.
You can get lost in your thoughts so easily when following the towing path and then suddenly something breaks into your consciousness to awaken your curiosity.
Not far from Llangattock it was the divine scent of pine that did this for me and it was delicious and wonderful; a real sensory experience especially as the afternoon sunlight filtering through the towering pines was magnificent as well.
Which brings me to nature. It was a brilliant day.
I think I knew it was going to brilliant from the moment a young adder crossed my path. It was over in seconds, but it was so exhilarating to see.
Far more common was the rapid, darting display flight of Banded demoiselle damselflies like streaks of electric blue, they were everywhere, but so hard to photograph as they never seemed to want to stop in one place for too long.
But my … how stunningly beautiful these insects are and how fortunate I was to have just one opportunity to get to see the wonder of their delicate blue wings up close. How I love moments like these.
And then the was the ‘Yellow iris’ resplendent atop its long slender sap green stems, swaying in the gentle wind.
Quite common along the banks just now, but real beauties that cheer your soul, no matter how many times you see them.
Not to be undone, the history of the Mon & Brec came back into focus at Llangattock.
You could easily mistake the huge lime kilns alongside the canal as a fortress, but this massive stone-built structure remains a powerful reminder that it was business that was the driving force for the creation of this waterway.
I stood for quite some time in awe of its presence and imagined the hustle and bustle of past times, the loading of boats with lime and limestone and of course the banter of the boaters and kiln workers. It must have been quite a hive of activity.
A sign of a good walk is one that seems to be over far too quickly and it felt like that for me when I reached Gilwern.
But the joy was not over as I was very fortunate indeed to meet up with Nigel and Sally Curtis of Roadhouse Boats who have been running their boat hire business at Gilwern for 15 years and it was clear from our short conversation that this was so much more than a business to them.
“Meeting people means so much to us and getting their comments when they come back about how scenic and unique the canal is, and how friendly the canal is, makes everything so worthwhile.
It is lovely to be part of an historic company which started back in 1895 when Edwin John Gooden began hiring out rowing boats. He was a larger-than-life character with an eye to see the opportunity to do something new at Gilwern, even selling ice creams as well!
As the fifth owners, we are just glad that we could carry it on. We’ve added to the fleet and we’d like to see it continue for many more years to come.”
It had been a great day with so much that filled my thoughts and which gave me so much pleasure as I walked.
But talking to Nigel and Sally added another dimension to my thoughts. How vital it is that people get involved with the canal and take it to their hearts and they both do this abundance.
Boating on this lovely, little Welsh canal of ours attracts visitors from all around the world and to think that at Gilwern this is a story which began in 1895 with Mr. Gooden’s boats!
The Walk
Time – The walk took approximately 6 hours – but could be made shorter or even longer by adjusting where you choose to stop. I walked at a gentle pace and allowed myself plenty of time to look at things of interest.
Length – Difficult to be totally precise as I have a tendency to walk back on myself to look at things again, but as a rough guide probably around 14 miles.
Photographs
All the photographs for this article were taken on the 30th May 2026
Travel To Talybont
There are places to park in Talybont, but I again I took the service bus from Abergavenny and I am very glad that I did. It is excellent, but be aware that there are two bus services; the X43 and the 43.
My journey from Abergavenny to Talybont was on the 43 Service. This bus stopped off at so many of the lovely villages that can be found in this part of Wales including Llangattock and it has to be one of the most attractive and scenic bus routes in the locality.
I returned on the 76 Stagecoach Service, catching the bus at the stop near The Beaufort Pub, Gilwern. This service was again excellent.
I feel I must give a huge thumbs up to the bus services. My little excursions have made me realise just how important these services are for so many people; they keep people connected.
Useful Information
X43 and 43 Bus Timetable
76 Timetable
Sources:
The Canal and River Trust
Banded demoiselle damselfly
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/invertebrates/damselflies/banded-demoiselle
Yellow Iris
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/yellow-iris
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/things-to-do/canal-and-river-wildlife/plant-species/yellow-flag
Roadhouse Boats History
https://www.narrowboats-wales.co.uk/monmouthshire-brecon-canal-history
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