Day 52 Newport to Rogiet (18.6 miles, cumulative 880.5)

I checked out of drizzly Cardiff with my heavy rucksack and an additional bag containing my old boots. Despite having to take three trains, I was back in Newport by 8.30am. 

Early in the route the signs informed me of a diversion. After passing light industry for a while, the path crossed fields, where I had a confrontation with some cows. Normally cows ignore me, but this herd decided to move towards me at speed, almost cornering me into a pond in the corner of the field. I had to counterattack, so waved my boot bag and shouted at them aggressively. They stopped for a few seconds, just enough time for me to reach the klssing gate. A near miss!

Soon afterwards I reached Newport Wetlands, which was created to compensate for the loss of wetland after the creation of Cardiff Bay Barrage. After an hour, the path joined the coastal embankment. This lasted for miles and became rather monotonous, until the Severn Bridge slowly appeared out of the mist. There followed two more close encounters with cows, but I was too smart for them this time.

In damp conditions, I left the path at Rogiet and caught the train to Chepstow, my base for a couple of nights, in readiness for my final section of the Wales Coast path in the morning.

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