Turning southeast it continues to gather water from the Brecon Beacons and from the Black Mountains to the east. It now has a companion in the form of the Monmouth and Brecon canal and the two run together for much of the journey to the Severn Estuary. The towns of Abergavenny and Usk are passed along the way and, in a final push southwards, skirting Caerleon, it enters the sea beyond Newport.

At present the Usk Valley Walk starts at Caerleon, just north of Newport, and finishes in Brecon. There are plans to extend the Walk to the source and beyond, approximately 30 miles, hopefully in 2004. The extension will follow the northern fringe of the Brecon Beacons National Park in a little-walked area and gives alternative routes of varying difficulty. Some of the sections cross high common land and may be of more interest to the serious hill walker than the more sedate southern sections. There are many early archaeological remains in the hills bordering the river.

Though a smaller river than the River Wye, the River Usk is equally beautiful. There are many relics of the Industrial Revolution but the valley is unspoilt and the larger settlements along the way are small market towns with very little modern industrial development.

The Walk is enclosed by hills for the whole of its length and it is easy to strike off into uplands at almost every point along the way. Starting at the Ship Inn in Caerleon the route soon climbs up into woodland before dropping down to river level and immediately climbing again through farmland, then falling back to the river. From there to Usk town the route is level and follows the course of the river.

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