The river that gives the town its name, is what makes Usk so special. With its source high in the Brecon Beacons National Park, the River Usk flows 120kms through beautiful countryside and the towns of Brecon, Crickhowell, Abergavenny and Usk until it reaches Usk Mouth at Newport and enters the Bristol Channel.

The water quality of the river is good both chemically and biologically. The Usk is regarded as an important river both for salmon and wild brown trout and for rarer species such as the allis and twait shad, brook and sea lamprey eels, common eels and white clawed crayfish.

Flowing through the heart of the town, the River Usk provides tranquil walks, fishing, two riverside playgrounds, and a place to paddle and picnic in the summer. In recent years otters have made a return to the river and have been spotted in Usk itself. Keep quiet and you may just be lucky enough to spot one on a riverside walk.

On the town side, the river bank can be reached from the town bridge, from Conigar Crescent, from a pathway with a kissing gate next to the vet’s in Porthycarne Street, or from the almost-hidden pathway alongside the Royal Hotel in Newmarket Street. On the other side of the river, the west bank, there is parking a few hundred yards north of the bridge, signposted The Island.

Usk Valley Walk

The Usk Valley Walk is a long distance trail following the course of the river from Caerleon to Brecon – for more information click here.