Cambria Sports Culture CIC Cymraeg

All walksCaerphilly and the Eastern Valleys

Caerphilly and the Eastern Valleys

The Crumlin Arm at Risca

Restored stretch of the Monmouthshire canal running along the valley side, level and traffic-free with the hills above.

Distance
3.7 mi / 6 km
Time
1 hr 55
Ascent
60 m
Difficulty
Easy
Shape
There and back

Where it is

The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.

The route

Follow the towpath in either direction from Risca. Flat and surfaced.

Worth knowing

  • The Crumlin Arm is being restored in sections by volunteers.
  • The canal carried coal and iron down to Newport docks from 1799.
  • Links to the Fourteen Locks flight a few miles south.

What you’ll see

The canal and its bridges, the Ebbw valley, and Twmbarlwm on the skyline.

Background

The Crumlin Arm opened in 1799 and was abandoned in the twentieth century, with restoration beginning in the 1990s.