Cardiff to Newport

It’s been a while since our last walk – but after some debate we decided to do our longest walk so far yesterday – from Cardiff to Newport.  Yes, yesterday, we were in no fit state to write up the blog when we got back last night!!

So, the 11.10 train got us into Cardiff for 11.35 and we headed off to the starting point on Tyndall street for a 14 mile walk to the roundabout just past work in Newport, and about a mile short of the transporter bridge.

The first couple of miles were all roads and industrial estates…

After walking along Ocean Way and Rover way we finally cut right and found the coast and walked for a mile or so behind the water treatment plant, and the traveler site.

We then passed very close to Tescos at Pengham Green but decided that walking across the whole car park to get food was a trek too far – a decision we would later regret. A bit more road walking followed before we again headed towards the coast, and a nice quiet canal on the way…

And now it was lunchtime – well I say lunch but all that was left in the bag were 2 bags of pickled onion monster munch and a coffee, and even stopping for 5 minutes made us quite cold – but Cleo got acquainted with the new member of our team – Mr Stickman

And off we set at a faster pace to warm up, meeting some horses on the path

And on the walk went – the rain started falling lightly, and the path was muddy under foot – we started debating where to ask Mum to pick us up from – but she will never find us by here.  Then we found the West Usk Lighthouse Inn – right on the coast – success – unfortunately the chef had a “family emergency” which coincided with the Wales match so we made do with a coffee and crisps again.

The signs still said 6km to go, the feet said to stop, but we were averaging 5km an hour so the end must be in site – another 1.5km brought us to the lighthouse, and over the river we could see the wetlands, the site of a future walk.

And with the transporter bridge in our sites we carried on, until the path turned us away from the bridge and on towards Duffryn. Then we hit our big snag of the day – the bridge we were supposed to cross was closed, well gone actually, as part of the railway Electification work.

Turning back would add 3 or 4 miles to the day, so we don’t let little things like that stop us and we carry on the walk – although at the other side of the bridge there is a useful sign…

A short work on the bike path concluded today’s walk at just before 5pm, 23.4km, 14 miles completed, 4 hours 58 minutes.

Our finishing point 

And we have big plans over the next couple of weekends to join up the parts we have done so far and complete this section – once Andrew can walk again that is!!