20 walks/40 pages

A finger of the Brecon Beacons National Park stretches south from the main area of the park towards Pontypool, reaching out along a wild moorland ridge that drops almost to the centre of this historic valley town. From the top of this ridge the view south embraces the waters of the Bristol Channel and the shimmering hills of Exmoor. Eastwards, you can look across the verdant and fertile agricultural lands of Monmouthshire to the Forest of Dean and the English border. To the west is the first of the Welsh iron and coal valleys. Heartland of radical thought and industrial innovation, this is Torfaen, the land of the Rocky River, more traditionally known as the Eastern Valley. This selection of walks includes explorations in both Monmouthshire and Torfaen, with miles of open walking, generally unencumbered by stiles and fences and with great historical interest. A fairly unknown but wonderful area.