When I discussed exercise with my doctor his reaction was “74 with two knee replacements! Just stroll along the canal and feed the ducks!” I thanked him for his sensible advice and once outside his door said “OH Yeah!” but not loud enough for him to hear, you understand.
When I discussed this with my daughter we agreed that he should have given more encouraging advice, since not only is exercise good for helping to overcome the effects of treatment, but is good for my diabetes and also for reducing my weight. My daughter bought me a book of graded walks in the area, and I bought some boots and off I went.
Now I have to consider what happens next time I see my doctor and he asks “Did you follow my advice?” and somehow I can’t lie to him, so I decided that I must “stroll” along the canal and “feed the ducks”.
The canal in question is the Crumlin branch of the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal. I was born less than 100 yards from this canal (on the posh side, naturally) and it has been a part of my consciousness ever since. I was there when as a four year old I watched the dredging of the waterway and was led home by triumphant older girls spattered with mud like a measles epidemic. Later we discovered “gold” in the dredged mounds of clay from the canal bed, better than plasticene because it was dirtier and free. We watched as old man Grundy in his barge cleared the canal of weeds to keep it free for the non-existent traffic. And when he had gone home we paddled across the canal and “borrowed” his barge for joy-riding 40’s style.
My heart bleeds every time I hear that another break is made in this canal to allow road access for housing development above the canal. The biggest tragedy is that this useful leisure resource no longer goes to Crumlin, but has completely disappeared after Pontywaun to make way for A467. There are also 6 breaks in the canal above the Cefn flight of 14 locks which will limit its usefulness as a leisure facility except for walkers and cyclists.
My Camellia is still in flower, so with my camera in one hand and my bag of bread crumbs in the other, I set off for my stroll along the canal. I parked the car in a lay-by near the canal, but as I was locking it up, I noticed the new parking sign! One hour parking in a lay-by which is nowhere near any house or shops and is usually empty! What a nonsensical decision. Well, it’s Sunday, so surely this is Sundays excluded. No! Nothing excluded, not even Christmas day. The only other car park is at the Fourteen Locks information centre, but that closes at 16.45 and I’m not sure I will be back by then. So I decide to risk it in order to do the walk that I had always wanted to do; to walk from Rogerstone to the Darren Bridge and back. Why Darren Bridge? Because there is a cafe at Darren Bridge and my plan is to walk to the cafe, have lunch and return. The distance isn’t great, about 3 - 4 miles and should cause me no problems and I set off.
My starting point is the Ruskin Avenue Bridge, well not a bridge exactly, just where the road to the housing estate cuts through the canal. I set of along the towpath towards Crosskeys and the first thing I notice is the warning sign: “DANGER/ PERYGL: Keep off the ice! / Peidiwch a mynd ar yr ia!” I’m not sure whether this is early for next winter or left over from last winter or perhaps Health and Safety have taken the ice away.
The canal follows the 300 feet contour on the Northern side of the valley and at places gives great views of the valley below. Most residential development has been on this side of the valley which get the best sunshine (Yes we do get sunshine in Wales!). The main road runs along the valley floor, where mainly industrial and commercial development has occurred.
The towpath is mainly as it would have been when it was trodden by the bargees’ horses when the canal was a busy industrial route, although at access points it has been reinforced with tarmac or blocks. It can be quite muddy in wet weather, but is firm and dry today. It is a popular route for walkers and cyclists and the occasional jogger.
The canal is lined by trees on both sides, and there has been some attempt to ensure that these do not encroach on the canal itself. In some cases houses have been built on the upper bank with gardens which extend to the water’s edge. The ducks on the canal are mallards but there are also some moorhens.
I can see Morrison’s supermarket as I start out and the RF Brookes food factory next to it. Further up the valley is the new Tesco’s which is built on the site of the old Pontymister steel works. There are a few isolated houses and farms on the opposite side of the valley. Higher up the hillside used to be the Dolomite Quarry. It was on this side of the valley we used to go as kids to pan the streams for nuggets of galena to use in our crystal sets.
As I walk along the towpath I am passed by a score of cyclists of all ages and I have to stand on the grass verge to let them pass. At least I can hear them coming, the problem is with cyclists on their own or in pairs who travel along at speed and the first you know they are there is as they whizz past you. Bicycles don’t seem to have bells these days!
The first bridge I come to is a typical stone built arched bridge seen on canals throughout the country. For vehicles to pass over the bridge there is a very steep approach which is difficult to negotiate in icy conditions. The towpath goes under this bridge.
Further along is a bend in the canal where it widens, and out from the reeds on the far side come a couple of moorhens. As I raise my camera to take a picture, they disappear back amongst the reeds. A man pushing his son in a pushchair stops and asks what I’m trying to do, so I explained and he said you want to throw some food to them and of course I didn’t have any. (What happened to the bag of bread crumbs? Do I look the sort of person who would carry a bag of bread crumbs to feed the ducks?!) Fortunately the man had some bread and threw it in the water and the moorhens came scurrying across. He then got one of his two cameras out of the pushchair and also took a picture, well it was his breadcrumbs. The two moorhens appeared to squabble over the bread, but there was enough for two and as they swam back to the reeds two of the smallest and fluffiest chicks came out to meet them and they fed one each and all disappeared behind the reeds. Unfortunately the card in my camera was full and I missed the picture!
I was told that there was a kingfisher further up the canal, and although I looked out for it, I didn’t see one.
As I approached Pen-y-Rhiw Bridge I got a wonderful view over the upper part of Risca. I could see the old council offices, now the headquarters of Risca Male Choir and also the steeple of St Mary’s Church. This was a grand sight since I now knew I was near the end of my walk.
As I rounded the bend, memories came flooding back as I passed close to my former home. I crossed the canal over Navigation Bridge. Well this is no longer a bridge, but has been replaced by a road slicing through the canal. The old bridge had a very steep approach and in the snow no vehicles could get over it so we had the road to ourselves for sledging. Some boys managed to travel all the way down the hill to the railway, but most of us more timid boys stopped at the bridge.
I walked along the old quarry lane, now turned into a road, which gives easier access to the main road over a level crossing on Darren road.
The Darren bridge cafe at Whysome’s Wharf is quite small and serves mainly fry ups but in very generous portions! I learnt there that they are to have boats there this summer offering canal trips as far as Pontywaun which should be popular.
On my return journey I saw two grey herons, one smaller and the other fully grown. I like the way their eyes follow you as you go past as though they don’t trust you, but they don’t move from their place. The birds were again singing and in the sheltered parts of the canal with trees on both sides, their songs echoed around the trees.
By the time I reached my car my knees were complaining. I was relieved to see the car still there it had not been clamped or towed away. Overall the walk was about six or seven miles and I felt pleased and a sense of achievement at another goal past.
Now that I’ve got my walking boots “run in” I’m looking to do something useful with my new found skills. Some very brave ladies are doing the walk for life in aid of cancer research and I would have joined them, but it’s a ladies only event. (They can’t take the competition). So I shall support them and may even go to cheer them off and after waiting in the pub cheer them back. In the meantime I’m considering whether I can do something different. Any ideas? Oh by the way I WAS joking about Everest!
