Walking & cycling

The Wye Valley Walk is a highly-scenic 112-mile route following the course of the River Wye, between Chepstow in Southern Wales and Rhayader in Mid Wales. It winds through the 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty' and passes the serene 12th century Tintern Abbey.

A beautiful but lesser known walk is the Usk Valley Walk which has a 50-mile way-marked trail that starts in the former Roman legionary town of Caerleon, takes in Abergavenny and ends in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park.

St Brides Major Walk is an easy four miles which incorporates both countryside and the Glamorgan Heritage Coast. Along the route you can visit Dunraven Park, the remains of an old walled garden, Dunraven Bay with a wide expanse of sand at low tide, the remains of a Celtic stone cross and St Brides Major church.

One walk that an experienced walker would be able to complete in a day is The Three Castles Walk. This 19-mile waymarked circular route, as the name suggests, takes you via Skenrith Castle, White Castle and Grosmont Castle. The distance between the castles is fairly even and there are superb views of the Black Mountains to enjoy.

The Raven Walk is a 12-mile circular route high above the Sirhowy and Ebbw valleys. Crossing farmland and woodland, the route offers panoramic views of the Severn Estuary in the south and the Brecon Beacons in the north.

The Ogwr Ridgeway walk is a 13-mile waymarked route running east to west across several ridges and valleys. There are spectacular panoramic views of the rugged valleys to the north, in stark contrast to the broad, rich, fertile Vale of Glamorgan to the south.

In addition many of the towns have short Heritage Trails which highlight the main buildings of interest and give you an insight into their fascinating past.

Visit: National Cycle Network