Brecon Canal Cruise

A total of 46 members and their guests enjoyed a wonderful narrowboat cruise on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal with Dragonfly Cruises.

Travelling by coach we arrived at the Brecon Canal Basin about an hour before our scheduled cruise. This gave everyone a chance to look around the town or visit the cafe in the Theatr Brycheiniog for a coffee and cake.

At midday we boarded the narrowboat and set off, accompanied by an interesting commentary on the history of the canal. The Monmouthshire & Brecon actually started life as two separate canals: the Brecknock & Abergavenny Canal, and the Monmouthshire Canal. The 35-mile navigable section seen today is mostly the former.

Though originally constructed to transport coal, lime and agricultural products the canal was used extensively by ironmasters and industrialists as their main transport network, bringing the raw iron ore up the canal from Newport to Llanfoist Wharf and thence by tramroads to the iron works and returning with trams loaded with iron, the finished product.

 Throughout the 20th century various parts of the Monmouthshire Canal and its Crumlin Arm were filled in for road construction. The line was all but obliterated through Cwmbran, and was effectively unnavigable further north. It's fair to say that this beautiful part of our canal network came close to disappearing altogether. But vigorous campaigning by canal enthusiasts heralded a new dawn for the canal, and in 1968 restoration work from Brecon to Pontymoile began in earnest.

Recent developments have included a complete regeneration of the terminus at Brecon, and various works continue to reclaim the navigation between Pontymoile and Newport.

We travelled serenely along the canal, enjoying the spectacular views and our afternoon teas. Passing through the Brynich Lock we then stopped on the Brynich Aquaduct which takes the canal over the River Usk. Here we were able to stretch our legs while the boat was turned round ready for our return journey to Brecon.

A thoroughly enjoyable day with lovely scenery, great food, very pleasant company and even the weather cleared while we were on the cruise!