Brinore Tramroad

Running for 8 miles (13 km) from Talybont-on-Usk to Trefil, the Brinore Tramroad was operational as a horse-drawn railway between 1815 and 1865. An important industrial artery, it linked the Tredegar iron works and the Trefil limestone quarries to the Monmouth & Brecon Canal.

Today, it is a popular hiking route, with splendid views of Talybont Reservoir’s serene expanse and the emerald sweep of the Central Beacons. The Usk Valley Walk, a long-distance hike that follows the Usk River between Caerleon and Brecon, makes use of the stretch above the reservoir.

The tramroad originally carried coal from the Rhymney Valley into mid-Wales, and limestone from local quarries to the Brecon to Monmouth canal for onward refinement. to be used for agricultural improvement. Today, it is simply a local gem of a connecting route for bikers, runners, and hikers as a well-used public right of way. Its high hedgerows are also a natural wildlife corridor.

Moderate trail with some elevation, good path with some overgrown plants