Moorings on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal

The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal — universally known as the Mon & Brec — runs 56 kilometres almost entirely within the Brecon Beacons National Park, climbing the Usk Valley from Pontypool through Crickhowell and Talybont-on-Usk to terminate in the market town of Brecon. Managed by the Canal & River Trust, this is one of the most ecologically and scenically protected waterways in the UK, and is widely considered the most beautiful canal in Wales. For boat owners, the Mon & Brec offers an exceptional cruising experience: only six locks in total (mostly clustered at the Llanfoist flight), long contour pounds following the Usk Valley, the dramatic Ashford Tunnel, and views of the Brecon Beacons throughout. Long-stay moorings are available at Goytre Wharf (a popular cruising base), Llangynidr, Talybont-on-Usk, and Brecon Basin at the head of navigation. The canal currently has no through connection to the wider inland network — restoration work continues at the southern end — so cruising is essentially a there-and-back-again proposition, but few canals reward such cruising more. Liveaboards enjoy genuine national park living, with hiking on Pen y Fan from the towpath, world-class dark skies, and reasonable road access to Cardiff and Hereford. Rail at Abergavenny gives onward connectivity to Newport and beyond. A truly special, scenically unmatched waterway.