River Usk, Rivers Brecon, Powys - Wales where to go, what to see and where to stay in Wales

The River Usk, Afon Wysg in Welsh, rises on the Black Mountain above the Usk Reservoir then the River Usk tumbles for most of its upper and middle reaches through the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park. After passing through the market town of Brecon and the pretty little town of Crickhowell, the river leaves the Park at Abergavenny and meanders through the farmland of the broader valley beyond. Shortly after the attractive town of Usk the river becomes tidal and enters the estuary at Newport, where it mixes with the waters of the River Severn in the Bristol Channel. It is the deepest river in the British Isles at its mouth and has the second largest tidal range in the world after the Bay of Fundy in Canada. As a salmon fishery the Usk is traditionally second only to the River Wye in Wales.