Contact
Home Page
About Us
Types of Craft for Hire
Trip Planning Advice
Availability
Prices
Frequently Asked Questions

Backwaters
Canoe and Kayak Hire

 

Camlas Mynwy ac Aberhonddu

-

Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal

Camlas Mynwy ac Aberhonddu / The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal

50 km of placid water canoe touring, mostly without locks. Touring on Camlas Mynwy ac Aberhonddu / Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal offers spectacular scenery along with a number of places of historical interest en route, and is ideal both for those looking for a gentle introduction to canoeing, or those looking for a different way to explore the rich heritage of the area.

Backwaters hire canoes and kayaks for half-day, full-day or extended tours on the Camlas Mynwy ac Aberhonddu - Monmouthshire and Brecon canal, starting at Aberhonddu / Brecon, Tal y Bont or Gilwern Wharf.. Extended tours may also start at Pont y Moel - Pontymoile, near Pont y Pwl - Pontypool, to finish at one of the above points.

 

Open Canoe Camping. If you want to undertake an extended canoe camping tour, we can supply your canoe with tent, stove/fuel, sleeping mat and bag, and waterproof containers to pack it all in.

The route planner below may help you plan your itinerary. All distances are given by canal from Aberhonddu / Brecon. It is recommended that you check with the camp site owners/B&B operators before setting off on your trip. Unless you are an experienced canoeist, we recommend that you do not attempt more than 10 miles per day.

 

Canoe and Kayak touring is a peaceful and environmentally sustainable way to enjoy a day on the water with a waterside picnic, watch wildlife or spend a holiday exploring an area 'off the beaten track' moving between campsites or B&B's. And it's FUN!

Backwaters hire open canoes, open cockpit kayaks and, for the more experienced, closed-cockpit kayaks on a number of waterways in South Wales and the Borderland. Backwaters welcomes canoeists who want responsibly to enjoy the waterways and countryside, respecting other users and wildlife.

 

Use of Welsh and English place names: Where a the English name of a place differs from the original, Welsh name, the Welsh name is given first, in italics. Please see our 'Welsh Language Policy' for more information.

 

 

If you are not sure about your ability for unaccompanied canoe hire; we offer Guided Tours and a 'River Awareness' Day. We can also arrange skills training courses at various levels from beginner to open and white-water.

 

Backwaters

is associated with

Mountain & Water: Wales-wide Adventure Ltd.

For guided tours, activity holidays and courses.

 

Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal Route Planner

Terminus: Aberhonddu / Brecon

Aberhonddu / Brecon Historic Town. Pubs, restaurants, Cafes, Hotels, B&B's, Youth Hos tel, Bunkhouse, Museums, Theatre, TIC.

Buses to Hereford and Abergavenny (links to British Rail).

Theatr Brycheiniog at the Brecon Canal Terminus

Theatr Brycheiniog

Car Park (Pay and Display), Cafe, Toilets.

Pick-up / Drop-off point. Launching/landing point

Cottages at the Brecon Canal Terminus

Distance from Brecon (approx), bridge number and Location
Met Office 5-day forecast for Brecon
 Facilities and local points of interest
Bridge 166

Gasworks Bridge

Approach to Brecon

Brynich

Lock (portage) and Aqueduct.

The River usk from Brynich, where the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal crosses via the Aqueduct.

Pen y Fan from the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal, near Brecon

4.5 miles

Bridge 154 Pencelli Bridge -

Bridge 153 - Cross Keys Bridge  

Pencelli Wharf

Pick-up / Drop-off point. Launching/landing point

Canoes leaving Pencelli Wharf, close to the Royal Oak Public House

Limited car parking and public slipway.

Pub 'The Royal Oak' 01874 665396

4.75 miles  

Bridge 152  Castle Bridge

 

Backwaters offers a 'static' canoeing/ kayaking holiday based on self-catering camping at this site with pre-erected tent; sleeping bag with mat; stove with fuel, pots/pans and crockery, and your choice of canoes and/or kayaks available while you are here. Contact us for prices and details.

 

Castell Pencelli / Pencelli Castle Camping & Caravan Park with canal access for site users.

Tel. 01874 665451

7 miles

Bridge 144 - Talybont Drawbridge

Talybont.

 

 

Pick-up / Drop-off point. Launching/landing point

Lift Bridge at Talybont on Usk

Small car park a short portage from canal.

B&B 07748 051125

Camp site a short portage across the road.

Shop/Cafe/P.O. W.C.

Travellers Rest Inn 01874 676233 and Star Inn: Pub/Food/B&B with canal access

Look out for the waymarked circular 'Vaughan Walk' which follows the canal through Talybont (blue and white signs with a flying swan).

Ashford Tunnel
Please note that there are special requirements for negotiating the tunnel by canoe or kayak.

Portage available over the top of the tunnel.

11 miles.

Bridge 135 Top Lock Bridge -

Bridge 132 Lower Lock Bridge

Llangynidr Lock Flight

Pick-up / Drop-off point. Launching/landing point at Lower Lock

Flight of locks (portage needed). Limited parking by bottom lock. Pub 'Coach & Horses' 01874 730245. B&B.
12 miles

Bridge 131 - Yard Bridge

Llangynidr Village

Village Shop a short walk away from towpath.

River Usk Historic Bridge nearby.

Bridge 118 - Workhouse Bridge

Access to the road on foot, but no parking.

Ty Croeso Hotel, 01873 810573

Many of the buildings in the locality, including the Ty Croeso Hotel, formed part of the workhouse.

Footpath to the 18th Century bridge over the Usk.

Bridge 117

Footpath to the Old Rectory Hotel 01873 810373

15 miles.

Bridge 115 - Upper Yard Bridge 

Llangatwg / Llangattock Wharf.

19th Century Ironworks and interpretation board.

Crickhowell town centre 10-15 minutes walk: shops (including outdoor equipment shop), pubs, cafes, banks and cash point, garage.

Castle, TIC.

Bridge 112 - Park Bridge

Park Farm, Llangatwg / Llangattock.

Park Farm Campsite, Llangatwg / Llangattock, nestling at the foot of the mountains.

Farm Camp-site with canal access. Farm eggs, ice-cream for sale.  

(book first for camping) Tel 01873 812183.

18 miles

Bridge 104 - Auckland Bridge

Gilwern Wharf.

Pick-up / Drop-off point (for extended tours only). Launching/landing point  

Car Park/Picnic site. Short walk to Garage/Shop. This car park and the adjacent section is extensively used by anglers, with regular fishing competitions being held throughout the year. Dates available from BWB..

Look out for traces of the wharf's heyday as a hub of nineteenth-Century transport and industry.

18.25 miles.

Bridge 103 - Gilwern Bridge

Gilwern Village

Shops, P.O. pubs, toilets.

20 miles

Bridge 98

Govilon Station Road Bridge -

Bridge 97

Govilon Yard Bridge

Gofilon / Govilon Wharf.

Shop in village. Access from road, car parking limited in village. BWB offices at Wharf. Private moorings.

Look out for the Gofilon/Govilon heritage trails (Bridge 100-Bridge 97):

Village Centre Trail ('Red Trail') - follows the canal for a short distance, just after the aqueduct to the new bridge.

Tramroad and Canal Trail ('Purple Trail') - follows the canal from the road bridge to the old railway line bridge.

Forge and Railway Trail ('Green Trail') - passes under the canal at the aquduct.

Rectory Cottage, close to the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal

Bed & Breakfast. Rectory Cottage. Angela and Bryan Thomas 01495 785712

27 miles

Bridges 75 Jenkin Rosser's Bridge -

Bridge 74 Saron Bridge

Goytre Wharf

WC. Information Centre. Cafe.
30 miles

Bridge 62

High Bridge

Star Inn 01495 785319
33 miles

Bridge 52

Pont y Moel / Pontymoile.

Pick-up / Drop-off point. Launching/landing point

Junction House at Pont y Moel / Pontymoile

 

End of navigable section.

Car Park, Toilets. Café (seasonal). Shop at nearby garage. Pont y Pwl / Pontypool Town Centre about 15 minutes walk through park. Pont y Pwl / Pontypool and New Inn Station within 1 mile.

Although Pont y Moel / Pontymoile marks the limit of the navigable section of Camlas Mynwy ac Aberhonddu / The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal; the Fynwy / Monmouth, Aberhonddu / Brecon and Y Fenni / Abergavenny Canals which together form the system, can be explored further on foot. Restoration work on the canal system is being carried out by the Monmouthshire Brecon and Abergavenny Canals Trust, and there is a Canal Centre and Museum at Fourteen Locks on the outskirts of Casnewydd / Newport, near Cwmbran.

Key to Table:

Pick-up / Drop-off point. - this is a point at which you may start or finish your journey. We will collect or deliver to these points.

Launching/landing point - canoes may be launched or landed here. Unless stated, these are not pick-up/drop-off points.

Landing point - canoes may be landed here for access to facilities etc

Camping - camp-site beside or within reach of the canal (unless otherwise stated).

Inn/Pub etc. Where these are listed, it is normally possible to land to visit the Inn.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CANOEISTS
  • The information has been collected to aid our clients in planning a tour on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal. Information has been drawn from the operators and from other published sources. We cannot accept responsibility for eany errors and omissions, and recommend that you check details in advance. Note that many of the campsites are very basic, and some need advance booking. Please note that canoes and kayaks are not allowed in locks on this canal, and if your itinerary includes locks, you will need to portage round them. There are special requirements for negotiating the Ashford Tunnel by canoe or kayak. Be aware that larger motorised craft operate on the canal. There is a public footpath along the length of the canal, but parts of the canal are remote from roads and hire is completely unsupervised. You are responsible for your own safety on the canal.
  • The Monmouthshire & Brecon canal is a BWB managed navigation. Canoeists should be aware of the Waterways Code.

Contact
Home Page
About Us
Types of Craft for Hire
Trip Planning Advice
Availability
Prices
Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated 06 January 2012