Winding its leafy way through the Welsh countryside, the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal is often dubbed one of Britain’s prettiest paddles
15:13, 05 May 2025Updated 15:13, 05 May 2025
This scenic section is a boater’s favourite and a paddleboarder’s playground.(Image: Portia Jones )
I wasn’t expecting to be given terrapin-spotting tips by a walker in Cwmbran, but this is Cymru, and things are different here. “He’s usually sunbathing just near the bridge,” the friendly woman said, pointing casually like this was a perfectly normal wildlife encounter in Wales. A terrapin. In a Welsh canal. Wild.
I was barely 20 minutes into a five-mile-long guided paddleboarding trip on the scenic Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal in Torfaen when local intel came bulletin-style from the towpath. “Watch for that goose, he’s an angry one”, was a cheerful instruction from one runner. “There’s ducklings up ahead”, shouted a smiling cyclist. Who needs Google when welcoming dog walkers are dishing out live updates?
Winding its leafy way through the Welsh countryside, the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal is often dubbed one of Britain’s prettiest paddles, and for good reason. It stretches a whopping 35 miles from Brecon down to the Five Locks Basin in Cwmbran, with a further seven miles of unnavigable canal to Newport on the main line and seven miles to Cwmcarn on the Crumlin Arm.
Up north, the canal is in the capable hands of Glandŵr Cymru (aka the Canal & River Trust in Wales), while the lower stretches, from Pontypool south, are looked after by a trio of local councils: Torfaen, Newport, and Caerphilly. It’s a bit of a patchwork, but it all comes together to create one seriously scenic waterway, largely thanks to tireless volunteers and campaigners.
As sunlight filtered through the canopy of trees, I glided along the still waters(Image: Portia Jones / Kris Roach)
As sunlight filtered through the canopy of trees, I glided along the still waters, doing my best Springwatch impression on a guided paddleboarding tour between Five Locks and Pontymoile. Birds chirped, ducks bobbed, and I tried not to fall in while my paddle pro guide kept things moving.
“This section of the canal was made navigable around 2020,” explains my enthusiastic guide, Kris Roach. “It’s still relatively unknown, which makes it feel like a hidden gem in south Wales.”
Kris should know; he’s the man behind the paddle at Sup Hike Explore, a relatively new outdoor company specialising in guided SUP trips in locations across Wales.
As a regular paddler with my own board and kit, I usually go SUP alone, but the promise of a hassle-free paddle in a scenic new spot, with someone else leading the way, was too tempting to resist.(Image: Kris Roach)
The Five Locks to Pontymoile route is one of several guided trips Kris offers to aspiring and experienced paddlers who want to SUP with a pro.
This scenic section is a boater’s favourite and a paddleboarder’s playground. It’s packed with bridges and tunnels where you’ll need to drop to your knees, flick on your headtorch, and stay on your board while navigating in the dark.
“This stretch is ideal for beginners,” Kris explains as we drift by boundless greenery, “calm, sheltered, and full of wildlife surprises like kingfishers and herons and even grass snakes.”
While expertly guiding me past furious geese, Kris explained that his paddleboarding journey started somewhere equally as picturesque: Slovenia, which inspired him to embrace the SUP life in Wales.
SUP guide Kris loves an adventure(Image: SUP HIKE EXPLORE)
“I love travelling and paddling abroad, but what South Wales has to offer is breathtaking—especially from the water, he enthuses. “The region has incredible places to explore, from stunning mountains and coastlines to lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and our historic canal system.”
Motivated by paddling abroad, he came home and launched SUP Hike Explore, a name that nods to his habit of traipsing across the UK in search of adventure.
“We officially kicked off in 2020,” he tells me, “I wanted to take my hobby to the next level and find a better work-life balance. The pandemic and becoming a dad also pushed him to take his SUP venture full-time, and he hasn’t looked back.
Since launching, he’s racked up a string of qualifications (Paddle UK Inland, Open Water, River Leader, the works) and become a Paddle UK Delivery Partner, offering ‘own kit’ guided trips, intro sessions, and even a Sunrise SUP Club for early risers who want a board meeting on the water.
This canal is perfect for a SUP(Image: SUP HIKE EXPLORE)
As a regular paddler with my own board and kit, I usually go SUP alone, but the promise of a hassle-free paddle in a scenic new spot, with someone else leading the way, was too tempting to resist.
“This canal’s perfect for a SUP,” Kris explained as we passed a row of fluffy ducklings. “You get scenery, and wildlife, and you can paddle straight to a pub or café. It’s peaceful but never dull, you’ll always have a chat with a dog walker or someone fishing off the bank.”
He’s not wrong. We’d barely gone a few paddle strokes without someone striking up a conversation, walkers, cyclists, even the pub staff giving it the hard sell. “One for the road?” a smiling bar lady called as we floated past the popular Open Hearth Pub. Frankly, that’s the kind of upselling I can get behind. Who needs energy gels when you’ve got cold cider and canal-side banter to keep you going?
There’s loads of wildlife to spot(Image: SUP HIKE EXPLORE)
It wasn’t always such a smooth SUP here. Fed by the clear waters of the River Usk, the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, “the Mon & Brec” is now a serene ribbon of green winding through south Wales. But despite its glassy surface and friendly towpath vibes, this waterway has a gritty industrial past.
Once known as the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal, this 35-mile stretch between Brecon and Pontymoile was a coal-powered hub built to ferry iron, limestone and coal from the Welsh valleys to Newport.
According to the Canal and Rivers Trust, tramroads snaked down these hillsides to feed the canal, and in its heyday, places like Pontymoile Basin were buzzing with noise and steam due to the busy Lower Mills Sheet Metal Works and the Phoenix Galvanising Works. By 1948, those heavy industries had vanished, replaced by glassworks, which have also disappeared, leaving behind a peaceful pocket of heritage and wildlife.
The landlocked canal which runs from Brecon to Cwmbran relies entirely on tourism and leisure(Image: John Myers)
The Trust also explains that neglect slowly choked parts of the canal for years, leaving sections unnavigable. At Bevan’s Bridge, a housing development dumped spoil straight into the waterway, shallowing it so much that boats couldn’t pass.
Thankfully, the modern story of the Mon & Brec is a revival saga driven by passionate locals and community groups. “There’s an amazing volunteer group—Bridge 46 to Five Locks—who do fantastic work maintaining and updating the area,” says Kris. “The community support here is really special.”
They’re not just weeding towpaths either; they’re campaigning for full restoration of the canal from Brecon to Cwmbran, one overgrown lock at a time. Paddleboarders like me can now float past heritage sites, pubs, and curious terrapins thanks to their heroic efforts.
And the canal’s not just for walking or SUP-ing either. “There are some fantastic independent businesses along the route,” Kris adds. “Two we regularly visit and highly recommend are The Open Hearth Pub and The Canal Boat Café.” From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What’s On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here
There are some fantastic independent businesses along the route(Image: Portia Jones )
Let’s face it, no epic paddleboarding adventure is complete without a pint in a pub garden or a bacon bap dished up from a narrowboat café.
Feeling hungry, we pulled over at Pontymoile Basin, our halfway point on the return leg to Five Locks, and the southernmost tip where boats can still navigate the Mon & Brec. Sandwiched between Bridge 51A and Bridge 53, this basin was the former junction where the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal met the Monmouthshire Canal.
These days, it’s a busy spot where boaters, walkers and paddlers can stop for a coffee and a bap and admire the view.
Just upstream of the elegant, Grade II-listed Bridge 52, the canal pinches in this narrow spot, which was once a toll point where boats were gauged for charges as they passed from one canal to the next.
The Boatyard Tearoom, a charming Dutch barge turned café, makes for a cracking pit stop mid-paddle(Image: Portia Jones )
But we weren’t just here to admire canal heritage, we had toastie business. The Boatyard Tearoom, a charming Dutch barge turned café, makes for a cracking pit stop mid-paddle. I treated myself to an enormous cheese and ham toastie while Kris filled me in on the more complex side of canal life.
“Restoration’s come a long way,” he said, “but it’s not without its challenges.”
One of the biggest? Water retention. A long-running dispute between the Canal & River Trust and regulator Natural Resources Wales has threatened sections of the waterway. As previously reported by Wales Online, the CRT is now required to limit its abstraction from the Usk, which poses a serious risk to the future viability of the canal.
Boats on the stunning Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal(Image: John Myers)
The trust now faces a choice of having to pay an eyewatering £1 million or more for the water supply that has been free for two centuries or severely restrict use of the canal. If water levels drop too low, it’s not just the boating community that suffers; everyone who depends on canal life will, too.
And that’s a lot of people. The Mon & Brec winds its way through towns and villages that thrive on the visitors drawn to its peaceful towpaths, places like Talybont-on-Usk, Llangattock, Govilon and Goytre Wharf, where pubs, cafés, bike hire spots and little shops all rely on the passing trade of walkers, cyclists and boaters. If the canal dries up, so does a vital source of local income for communities.
While the water issues may still be ongoing, there’s plenty of faith in passionate community groups like Bridge 46 to Five Locks, who continue highlighting the challenges, rallying local support, and pushing for lasting solutions. Their determination and the efforts of volunteers and canal enthusiasts are a big part of why this gorgeous waterway still has a fighting chance.
And if you want to explore it for yourself? The best way is to hop on a paddleboard with someone who knows the canal inside out.(Image: SUP HIKE EXPLORE)
And if you want to explore it for yourself? The best way is to hop on a paddleboard with someone who knows the canal inside out. Kris from SUP Hike Explore offers guided SUP trips along the canal that are perfect for beginners and seasoned paddlers.
“Booking with a provider like us takes the stress out of planning,” Kris explained. “We handle everything from the canal license and insurance to providing all the gear you need, like wetsuits and PFDs.”
With a qualified SUP Leader, you’ll get local insight, safety tips, and a few pointers to level up your skills. Plus, you won’t have to worry about the logistics.
It’s also a brilliant way to meet fellow paddlers, soak up canal history, and get a few paddle-perfect photos along the way. Come for the paddle, stay for the toasties and leave with a newfound love for this beautiful canal.