A 6 Mile Circular Walk in the Vale of Usk

Allow about 3 hours for the full circuit

The walk starts and finishes at the National Trust Clytha Car Park, 1/4 mile off the old Raglan/Abergavenny road. Grid reference 361085.

The walk is suitable for moderately fit walkers but involves some uphill sections. Stout shoes recommended. Dogs may have difficulty in crossing some stiles and will have to be kept under close control at all times and on a lead when walking close to farms and livestock.

The walk mainly follow public rights of way, with some permissive paths by courtesy of the National Trust and Pontypool Park Estate.

Leave the car park through the kissing gate way marked Usk Valley Walk and after a short distance turn left through a second kissing gate. You are now on the Usk Valley Walk, which goes upstream to Abergavenny and downstream to Usk and Caerleon. Continue along this path keeping close to the river. At the end of this long riverside meadow you cross a long narrow bridge over a small, slow-flowing stream out of Hillgrove Withy Bed. This is a favourite spot for otters although you would not expect to see one other than possibly at night. Keep straight ahead and after two more meadows cross a stile and climb the steps up through the wood to another stile at the top.

Where the river is narrowed by rocks at Trostrey once stood the Trostery Forge - taking advantage of the water power and adjacent sources of charcoal but dependent on distant supplies of iron ore, probably from Blaenavon.

Pass through a gate to join a drive for 50 yards, before bearing left. Follow the track and pass to the right of a corrugated barn to reach a gate. Go through and keep the hedge on your right. Trostrey Lodge is in view on your left. Continue to a junction in the path after about 60 yards.

Continue along the fence and after a few yards go through a kissing gate on your right, continuing down a sloping field and through a kissing-gate into a large 'park-like' field below Brynderwen House. Carry straight on and leave the field through a copse. Go over a stile by a gate to follow a green path. Go through a gate into a field and continue with the fence on your right to reach Claltan Coppice with some fine clumps of old beech. Soon after leaving the beech wood behind, the path climbs up through a conifer wood, with the river below you to the right. Turn left, leaving the Usk Valley Walk, when you reach the road and climbing gently pass Priory Wood on the right.

This is an ancient broadleaf wood now cared for by the Gwent Wildlife Trust. All woods in the Usk Valley were once managed on the coppice and standard system - the coppice on a 16 to 18 years rotation for conversion into charcoal for the Pontypool and Blaenafon ironworks and a proportion of the oaks (not so many as to shade out the coppice) left to grow on into saw timber.

Many such woods have, since the demise of coppicing when Gilchrist Thomas's discovery enabled sulphur rich coal to be used for iron making, been converted to conifer plantations. This wood however retains its old oaks and the coppice has grown up into a sub-storey of birch and hazel.

Keep ahead up the road and enjoy some good views to the north, with Alice Springs golf course on the right. Pass Thornberry Farm, and continue along the lane. After 300 yards turn right through a gate in the hedge and enter the golf course. Keeping the hedge on your right follow the edge of the practice area. Where the hedge ends bear left and continue to the car park. Carry on to the far end of the car park and go up a grass bank.