Fourteen Locks on the Crumlin Arm

In what is becoming the season of defunct canals, Son the Younger and I decided to continue our dog walk along the Crumlin Arm of the Monmouthshire Canal, from where we left off last time, just above Fourteen Locks (the Cefn Flight).  

With us, Lucy Pupper and Grumpy Uncle Ted. 

Fourteen Locks/the Cefn Flight, which was completed in 1799, raises the water level 160 feet in 800 yards, and this makes it one of the steepest rises in the country. 

Some restoration of the top five locks has been carried out. 

We walked down the hill until we reached the underpass beneath the M4. 

It got a lot noisier from this point onwards, but it was still interesting.

'YOU WHAT?! I'M SORRY, I CAN'T HEAR YOU! '

As we'd already covered over four miles, we stopped once we reached the outskirts of Newport and headed back up the locks. 

The dogs enjoyed watching the ducks, who were ostensibly readying themselves for the forthcoming mating season. 

No kingfishers to be seen this time, but as we were nearing the car, the late afternoon sun came out and turned everything a soft gold and green which reminded us that despite the forecasted cold snap, spring is on its way.