Newport City Council have started essential work on a popular walking and cycling spot in South Wales which will close it for weeks.

On August 19, visitors of Fourteen Locks can expect closures to towpaths due to ‘desilting’ work being carried out along the canal.

Silt is a solid, dust-like sediment that's made up of rock and mineral particles that are larger than clay but smaller than sand.

Silt can be harmful to the environment in a number of ways, including causing water pollution, harming aquatic wildlife, making the canal more likely to flood and contributing towards an increase in the presence of Algae.

The council hope that this work will increase water flow downstream of the canal and help with water retention in the Rogerstone area.

A spokesperson from Newport City Council said: “Starting from Monday (19 August) we will be carrying out desilting work on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, from the Fourteen Locks visitor centre up to the Caerphilly/Newport boundary at Harry Roberts Bridge.

“The work will take around 4-6 weeks and will involve draining down sections of the canal and removing both vegetation and the silt build up on the canal bed.

“Removing these will help water flow coming down the canal and is part of our work to increase water retention along the Rogerstone section of the canal.

“During the works, there may be occasional closures of parts of the towpath along this section. These closures will be kept to a minimum, and for all closures, diversion routes will be in place and well signposted.

“All work will be monitored by an external team of ecologists.

“We thank residents in advance for their patience and understanding while this important work is carried out.”

If you have any questions or concerns about the work, you can contact the council by calling 01633 656656 or emailing info@newport.gov.uk.