Walk 18 (Day 1) - 13th July 2013 - Newport (Gwent, Wales) to Redwick (Gwent, Wales)

After the train journey from Gloucester to Newport, we caught the bus from the bus station in the centre of Newport to St Stephens Church, a short walk away from the Newport transporter bridge. The transporter bridge is one of only six operational transporter bridges left in the world. The bridge opened in 1906 and is basically a suspended ferry. A high level boom that allows ships to pass underneath is suspended from towers at each end. The boom carries a rail track on which a moving carriage or 'traveller' runs. A gondola or platform is suspended from the carriage and can be pulled from one side of the river Usk to the other by means of a hauling cable. For more information see the website: -
www.newport.gov.uk/heritage/index.cfm/TransporterBridge.

It was the transporter bridge that Julie and I spotted across the waterlogged fields when we walked from Newport to Cardiff earlier in the year in March (walk 15). 

The sign on the left shows the bridge in all is glory!

The gondola working it's way towards us.

Julie and I happily seated on the gondola, looking forwards to the short journey over the river to the start of our walk.

On reaching the far side of the river, we walked a short while through an industrialised area along side the waters of Cold Harbour Reach.

Sculpture of bull rushes in the area of the Newport Wetland Nature Reserve.

We walked past the diminutive East Usk lighthouse in the grounds of the Newport Wetlands Nature Reserve. It dates from 1893 and stands guard at the eastern entrance to the River Usk in the Severn Estuary.

After walking along side Goldcliff Pill, we discovered The Farmers Arms in the village of Goldcliff. A perfect opportunity for brief refreshment.

The sea wall looking away from Goldcliff Point and the last section of todays walk.

A wooden groyne (a man-made sea defence) just before Porton House.

Another groyne. From this point we continued to walk along the banks of the River Severn, until we reached a footpath leading to Redwick and our overnight stay.