Redwick circular walk

Redwick is a small medieval village on the Gwent Levels, surrounded by fields criss-crossed by drainage ditches, or reens. Extensive marshland flanking the Severn Estuary has been converted to farmland, with the sea held in check by a long rock-shielded sea wall, which is followed by the Wales Coast Path. The low-lying fields are reasonably dry in the summer, but can get very wet and muddy in the winter.

Route detail

Distance: 5 miles or 8.1 kilometres
Start location: St Thomas’ Church, Redwick
Start Grid Ref: ST 41247 84136
Start What 3 Words: airliners.stream.relieves

Transport to the start

Parking
Parking is very limited at St Thomas’ Church and Redwick Village Hall.

Bus
None.

Train
None.

Map and GPX link

The circular route is marked in dark pink in the map image below. The purple flags show the start and finish point. View the route and download GPX link 'Redwick circular walk'

Detailed Route Description 

1. Start at the entrance to St Thomas’ Church in Redwick, which is close to Redwick Village Hall and The Rose Inn. Note a curious stone building that contains millstones, cider-pressing equipment and several items salvaged from old buildings. There are also stocks nearby. Walk through the churchyard, leaving through the back gate to walk through a small grassy area. Cross a step stile beside a gate and turn left along a road, passing a farmhouse. Turn right as signposted at a large gate with a kissing gate alongside, as well as a marker arrow for the Redwick Circular Walk.

2. Keep to the left-hand side of a field, following a hedgerow to reach a gate with a step stile alongside. Walk straight through a field that can be wet and muddy. There are two gates ahead, but just to the right is a gated footbridge in a gap in a hedgerow. Use the footbridge to reach the next field and keep to the left-hand side, following a hedgerow. Use another gated footbridge then bear left to walk diagonally through a field, aiming for the far corner. Go through two small gates built into two large gates and cross a concrete bridge over the canal-like drain of Windmill Reen. Turn left as marked through the next field, aiming for another small gate built into a large gate. This gives access to a grassy embankment. Turn left to climb onto the embankment, reaching its rock-shielded side overlooking the Severn Estuary.

3. Turn right to walk along the top of the sea wall, now following the Wales Coast Path. Pass a redundant kissing gate, then much later go through a kissing gate and pass a double pipeline that leads the eye inland to the site of the Llanwern steelworks. Go through another kissing gate and continue along the sea wall. Later still, go through a kissing gate to pass in front of the pink-painted Porton House. Immediately after going through another kissing gate, turn right to drop from the sea wall and cross a footbridge over a drain.

4. Pass a building and turn left, crossing a step stile over a fence. Turn right and walk diagonally across a field. Cross step stiles on either side of a tarmac road and continue diagonally left through another field. Cross a footbridge with stiles at each end, then keep to the left-hand side of a field to follow a hedgerow. Turn left to cross another footbridge with stiles at each end. Cross the tarmac road again and immediately leave it by crossing a step stile. Keep to the right-hand side of a field, following a drain filled with reeds. Pass a gateway and keep straight ahead as marked.

5. Turn right to cross a footbridge with stiles at each end. Aim slightly to the left to cross a wet and rugged field dotted with rushes. Spot another footbridge with stiles at each end and cross it. Keep to the left-hand side of a field, following a hedgerow, and cross yet another footbridge with stiles at each end. Turn right as marked along a grassy track enclosed by hedgerows and trees. Go through a large gate and turn left to follow a tarmac road away from the farm at Great Porton.

6. Watch for a signpost on the right and go through a small gate beside a large gate. Walk straight ahead, with the drain of Hare’s Reen to the left and a long line of trees to the right. Keep walking straight ahead, eventually passing a field containing solar panels. Continue walking with drains on both sides of the grassy path and pass another field containing solar panels.

7. Turn right along a dirt road then turn left to cross a metal footbridge over the twin pipelines that were passed earlier in the walk. Cross a gated wooden footbridge and a stile then keep walking straight ahead. Turn right to cross a narrow footbridge to enter another field. Either head diagonally to the left to cross the field, or if it has been ploughed and cropped, it might be easier to keep to the left-hand edge of the field, turning corners instead. Either way, cross a footbridge with stiles at each end to enter another field. Walk diagonally to the right to the far corner and cross a metal step stile. Keep to the right-hand side of the next field, following a hedgerow. Cross another footbridge with stiles at each end and turn right. There is a short stretch of wild, wooded, bramble-tangled path running between parallel drains. Turn left to cross yet another footbridge, which has a gate on one end.

8. Walk diagonally to the right across the next field, watching for a footbridge with a stile at each end, leading into yet another field. Again, walk diagonally to the right across a larger field and cross another footbridge with a stile at each end. (At this point, if the fields are particularly wet and muddy, there is a farm road running parallel to the route which would be easier to follow.) Walk straight ahead to cross a gated footbridge, then keep to the right-hand side of a field, following a hedgerow. Cross another gated footbridge and again keep to the right-hand side of a field. Go through a gate on the right to join the adjacent farm road, turning left to follow it across a bridge spanning the canal-like Windmill Reen.

9. Walk past Mead Farm and note how the drain alongside its old stone walls has the appearance of a moat. Walk along a tarmac road called Mead Lane and turn right at a junction to walk along South Row. Turn left to cross a step stile beside a gate, which was used at the start of the day. This leads into a grassy area, where a back gate leads into St Thomas’ churchyard to finish the walk.