D157: Wales Coast Path

Day 157: MAGOR to NEWPORT

Saturday 31st May 2025

Today miles: 17.7 Total miles: 2568.7

For the first week of this trip I’ve got my better half Gemma, my daughter Ruth and dog Alfie for company. I don’t think they’ll be doing very much walking, but it’ll just be nice to have a bit of company each night, for a few days at least. Early on Saturday morning I caught the train back to the Severn Tunnel Junction and immediately set off back towards the coast. The route for the first two miles is along another flat sea defence wall. It was interesting to once again note the different attitude and care given to the path by the various landowners. I could walk across a nice manicured flat path for ten minutes but then pass through a gate and then have to struggle through knee high vegetation. There’s several sluices and water features to cross and thankfully each one in turn was easily accessible. I was disappointed to see that there’s two pubs noted on my map which are now permanently closed down and boarded up, fortunately I’m not desperate for any food or drinks. Near Goldcliff I entered the Newport Wetlands nature reserve where I encountered the usual mix of bird watchers and dog walkers. I spoke to a builder carrying out repairs on a bungalow and he was decent enough to fill up my water bottle. A few minutes later I stopped for an extended break close to the small lighthouse at Goldcliff.

As I looked out across the Bristol Channel I could see another similar lighthouse on the opposite side of the estuary. Half an hour after setting off I walked close to the Wetlands visitor centre and decided to grab myself a cold fizzy drink. The next three miles is a mix of minor roads and fields of farm animals. At one point, close to Trusson Meadows I encountered a cow and her calf standing on the route, close to a gate which I needed to get through. I just put my head down, avoided eye contact and managed to make it through without being mauled or trampled. The last two miles towards Newport are through a series of vast industrial buildings and past the Newport Transporter Bridge. This is the second such bridge I’ve encountered on the coast, the last one was three years ago in Middlesbrough. Apparently, google says there’s four of them in the UK.

Shortly after crossing the bridge over the River Usk I decided to end the days walk. I then had to trek an additional mile to get to the Newport train station and catch the train back to Porthcawl. The route today was very flat and very easy going. The next few days will be similarly easy, but the route is expected to gradually get more difficult as I head beyond Swansea towards the Gower Peninsula.