Day 4: Newport to Rumney

Miles: 12.4 ( RT: 41.4)

Falafel: 0 :(

Blue skies over City Bridge in Newport to start us off today.

 I have another walking buddy for this leg, which cheers up this familiar (I work just down the road from here) urban scenery. 

It's an urban start, again dominated by the Transporter bridge but there are pockets of green here and there.

Loved these popping plants as a kid. I knew a Great Dane who would pop the seed pods with his nose.

Near Duffryn, we cross the railway and things get decidedly more rural...

There's even cows. They are sitting down though which means it's going to rain according to my nan. It doesn't rain though, so the cow version of Derick the Walking Weatherman needs to check her instruments.

One last glance at the Transporter Bridge, and we are out onto the foreshore. 

This is Usk West Lighthouse, the sister of the Lighthouse from the Goldcliff to Newport leg. It was built nearly 200 years ago. Unlike it's little sister, it no longer functions as a lighthouse but as a guesthouse. Cream tea anyone? 

A glance backwards reminds me that the heavy industry of Newport won't be easily left behind. Originally part of South Wales vast mineral export system, Newport docks still function but on a much smaller scale. 

This part of the WCP (the Gwent Levels) covers marshland and the accompanying network of reens. This system is maintained and managed by both the council and the farmers to make sure everything functions as it should and the land is farmable but also habitable for wildlife. 

The sea wall is the unsung hero of this part of the WCP. It's history can be traced through Roman and Medieval times and without it the gwent levels would spend much of it's time under water owing the the impressive tidal range in this estuary. 

The sea wall has many strange features that I notice but don't understand. A quick bit of research tells me that this is a groyne used to check erosion and drifting. 

If it weren't for my eagle eyed mum, I would have missed these beautiful babies. Their dull, grey down makes great camouflage in these marshes. Less the ugly duckling and more the unlikely snackling. 

St Brides was once a popular leisure destination with the people of Newport. This is my first close encounter with what i'd call a beach so far on the WCP. 

My walking buddy is storming ahead at this point because for me, the stretch between St Brides and Peterstone is all about the coastal wild flowers. I keep stopping to admire them like some demented butterfly. 

In the background of my wildflowers you might have noticed Flatholm Island lurking in the distance, mocking my progress with it's stubborn position in my perspective. The big lump. But wait... is that Penearth I see? 

This is Peterstone gout. A simple Roman structure to let freshwater out and keep seawater from coming in to the reens. The swans seem to approve. 

As we head a way from the gout, we put the willies up a family of horses who run off into a field. As we are walking away though I catch a glimpse of the foal bouncing around like a puppy. 

A sly glance at Peterstone Wentloog Parish Church which was put on the market recently as a luxury residency. It's a shame it couldn't be put to public use like the lighthouse. 

Finally, we turn away from the foreshore and in towards Rumney, following the stream. My mum has blisters on her blisters at this point but she is a trooper. 

This leg started near to my most recent place of work and finished at the point of the WCP that is closest to my current home. It's almost an alternative commute for me really if I had a spare six hours a day or maybe a turbo charged electric bike.