Overall comments on Usk Valley Walk

In all I walked 112 miles along the Usk Valley Walk including the distance to and from railway and bus stations. I stayed one night on route, heading back home on the other nights, however I could easily have stayed at Newport, Usk, Abergavenny and Brecon to make a continuous trip.
This distance was for starting at Newport and following the recently waymarked link from the Wales Coast Path to where the original Usk Valley Walk began. I would recommend doing this extra distance as it brings in extra history in the shape of the Transporter bridge, old wharves, Newport Castle and the Roman remains at Caerleon. Newport still has a feel of the industry that would have dominated the Usk Valley and its canal during its heyday in the Industrial revolution.
Outside Newport the route is very pastoral and it does not have the dramatic scenery of other walks in the area such as the Beacons Way, Offas Dyke or, in a wide open sort of way, the nearby Wales Coast path. Nevertheless it is a very pleasant and gentle walk, and would be more gentle and pleasant still if you keep to the canal between Crickhowell and Llangynidr, instead of deviating uphill. The towns on route, including the nearby towns of Abergavenny and Crickhowell are also worth a visit, if only for lunch or a cup of coffee, Usk and Brecon are directly on route, and a pleasure to visit.
If you have the time you could do a circle, combining the Usk Valley Walk with the Taff trail, maybe a section of the Beacons Way over the popular Pen-y-fan mountain and the Wales Coast path between Cardiff and Newport. This would result in a very varied walk giving an insight into the varied scenery and history of South Wales.