WITH a belly stuffed full with festive meat, vegetables and pudding, and an expanded waistline stretching our festive jumpers, there is a certain appeal to kick back and relax indoors throughout the Christmas period.

But for many a walk will be an ideal way for the family to lightly work off the heap of roast potatoes and turkey breast, as well as a chance for the young ones to burn off that Christmas excitement and energy and for you to enjoy the company and chatter of family and friends in some of Wales’ most scenic and historic locations.

With some areas made up of vast green grassland and others of idyllic landscaped gardens, Gwent is home to contrasting but equally beautiful walking spots - perfect for a festive afternoon stroll.

Newport's Tredegar Park is a great location for young families to enjoy a walk and for the kids to burn off some energy. A relatively quiet spot, a path wraps around its vast green fields which are more than large enough for a kick around with a football. The park also boasts a children’s play area, sure to tire out even the most hyperactive of youngster.

Some five minutes along Cardiff Road is Belle Vue Park, a historic public park given to the people of Newport as a gift from Lord Tredegar in 1891. This beautiful park was designed by Thomas Mawson, who went on to become one of the foremost landscape architects of his time.

Typical of a Victorian park, it offers conservatories, a bandstand, rockeries, and a stunning pavilion.

Pontypool Park stretches across 150 acres and offers footpaths leading into both the Brecon Beacons National Park and the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal.

The grounds are mostly open grassland and woodland, and are home to lots of old chestnut trees. The park also includes landscaped areas like its Italian Gardens and the Nant-y-Gollen Ponds. You can expect to see the Folly Tower, a three-storey tower built around 1765, near its eastern edge, and also the Shell Grotto, an old summerhouse built by John Hanbury in the late 18th century, now a Grade II listed building.

In Blaenau Gwent, Bedwellty House and Park was formally opened to the public on April 18 1909, following its previous use as grounds to the Tredegar Iron Works which occupied Bedwellty House. The house was later used as a base for Tredegar Town Council – where the founder of the NHS Aneurin Bevan’s political career began.

At the front of Bedwellty House are its Circular Gardens, which were formed as a commemoration for Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1952. It is also home to a large pond, filled with water running down from the surrounding mountains along a natural water cascade. A Cenotaph dedicated by Viscount Tredegar on December 1924 stands tall in the park, and serves as a memorial to those who died in the First and Second World Wars.

Visitors should keep an eye out for “The Devil’s Arch” – an archway made from sharp inwardly pointed stones, found at the rear of Bedwellty House, leading onto a grotto containing flower beds and a water fountain. There’s also a children’s play area for young ones to take advantage of after taking in the gorgeous scenery.

Cwmcarn Forest, in Abercarn, Caerphilly, might have its seven-mile Forest Drive closed but the magnificent forest itself is still open to admirers to take in its vast and varied beauty. The forest contains several trails to choose from, suiting all type of walks and walkers, ranging from the light Bluebell Walk, which takes 30 minutes, to the more challenging Twmbarlwm trail, which takes around two hours.

Contrasting scenery ranges from thick woodland, ponds and streams and valley views, to steep hill paths leading to stunning viewpoints over both Cardiff Bay and the Brecon Beacons. Walking boots are recommended for the more challenging trails.

Remember to wrap yourself and your loved ones up in the cold temperatures to make sure you really enjoy that post Christmas walk.