Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The paddling route
Put in below Llangynidr bottom lock, beside the free car park, and follow the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal east along the south side of the Usk valley. It winds along the contour through woods and fields, with Crickhowell and the flat-topped Table Mountain across the valley and the Black Mountains beyond. It passes the old wharf and lime kilns at Llangattock, a short walk from Crickhowell over the river, and continues to Gilwern, where you take out at the wharf beside its car park.
It is 13.1 km one way, with no locks; allow about 3 hours in a canoe or kayak and 3¾ on a paddleboard. The grade is Easy: flat, still water, but a long day for beginners, and hire boats from Gilwern and Llangattock use the canal in summer.
Two winter repairs close parts of this stretch: Auckland Bridge to Dark Bridge, near Gilwern, from 2 November to 18 December 2026, and Workhouse Bridge to Dyfnant Bridge, around Llangattock, from 4 January to 12 March 2027. Check the Canal & River Trust's notices before you go.
You need a licence: Paddle Cymru or Paddle UK membership includes one, or buy one from the Trust. Wear a buoyancy aid and check the conditions before you set off.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap waterways (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Lock-free from the foot of the Llangynidr flight to Gilwern
- High on the south side of the Usk valley, opposite Crickhowell and Table Mountain
- Past Llangattock wharf and its lime kilns
- Inside Bannau Brycheiniog National Park
On the water
- Put in: Car park 51.87203, -3.24094
- Take out: Gilwern Wharf (car park) 51.82616, -3.10055
- No locks or weirs on the way.
- Rules and licences: Canal & River Trust. Check whether you need a licence before you go: on many inland waters in England and Wales you do, and Paddle UK membership includes one for many of them.
- Suits canoes, kayaks, paddleboards.
Getting there
Start: Llangynidr, below the bottom lock. 51.87203, -3.24094
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Llangynidr: Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Water levels, flow and the weather decide the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; wear a buoyancy aid, check the river levels and the forecast, keep well clear of weirs and powered boats, and don't go out in flood.