Forecast is for rain throughout the day with occasional thunderstorms. Travelling light, we are carrying only day packs with water, lunch and waterproofs. In the heat of yesterday, we drank four litres of water between us and still finished thirsty. The estimated mileage was sixteen, barring diversions, completed primarily by the River Severn, with an occasional move inland to go round water features. It ended up longer because we chose to go right round the nature reserve at Uskmouth. At you can see from the walk profile there is virtually no rise and fall to the walk, completed almost totally at sea level.
The highlight of the day will be using the Newquay transporter bridge to cross the River Usk, one of the very few still operative in the UK. We used another one when we walked through Middlesbrough a couple of years ago. Should be interesting!
In the distance you can see the tall chimney of the power station (Uskmouth B) that sits right on the mouth of the river. Built in 1959 / 60, the B station was to be converted to burn biomass, after the coal-fired version was closed in 2014. As of November 2018, contracts have been issued for the next phase of the conversion. The A station, built in the early 1950's, operated until 1981 and lay derelict until it was demolished in 2002. Both the A & B stations were originally coal-fired. The site of the A power station is now hosting the Severn Power gas fired power facility, operated by Calon Energy, containing two identical gas turbines and two steam turbines.