Area: Warwickshire

Paths and Trails 'Information about the wealth of marked trails available in Warwickshire and the different types of waymarker which show you the status of a right of way (e.g. footpath, bridleway or byway)'.

Over two dozen descriptions of places accessible to wheelchair users, mobility scooters, pushchairs and buggies.

'Aston Cantlow Parish is a beautiful place to walk in the countryside and it is excellent exercise to help to keep you fit & healthy ... You can download lots of local walks from Aston Cantlow in PDF format that were produced in conjunction with the Aston Cantlow Parish Path Volunteers.'

'Aimed at people in their 20s to 40s who enjoy walking, outdoor activities, and mixing with like minded individuals.'

Shrubbery  'This delightful area of the Gardens is characterised by beautiful walks, decorative foliage and enchanting water features.'

'Walks in Parks and the City ... Walking Groups'

'Runs along the River Rea from Stirchley to Edgbaston cricket ground. An area with a diverse industrial history (mainly forges and mills in the 16th Century), it is now one of city's five premier parks and has been awarded Green Flag status. There are walkways and cycle routes along side the River Rea aimed at catering for wildlife enthusiasts, those seeking exercise and people looking for a good day out.'

'We walk every Sunday of the year. Walks are usually between 7 to 10 miles in length and can be anywhere within the Midland Counties. Very occasionally the walk may be on a Saturday and utilise public transport to get to the start of the walk and return ... Visitors to the area are welcome to join us on our walks. For further information please send an e-mail .... '

'We have an on-going programme of Sunday walks as well as Weekday walks and the more demanding Ridges and tops walks in the summer and autumn.'

'Organise Saturday and Sunday rambles plus “Sunset Strolls” during the lighter evenings.'

'Our main aim is to clear and waymark a hundred plus rights of way - footpaths and bridleways in Kenilworth and the surrounding parishes, to make sure that all the paths in our latest booklet Kenilworth and Beyond are always open, accessible and clearly marked. This involves building stiles, gates and bridges, path clearance and waymarking with blue and yellow arrows. In addition we hold two social events each year in August and December.'

'The Kenilworth to Berkswell Greenway is a linear Country Park set in the beautiful South Warwickshire countryside. The site forms a 6.5 kilometres section of former railway, with the entire park extending to some 16 hectares ... The Greenway provides opportunities for enthusiasts from all sections of society, including walkers, athletes, cyclists, horse riders, educationalists, life scientists, geologists and industrial archaeologists.'

'So much to see and do at Warwickshire's premier waterside attraction! Kingsbury Water Park has 15 lakes situated in over 600 acres of country park. Stroll along the surfaced paths, explore hidden corners, spot birds and wildlife, hire a bike, join an organised event or host your own event. Whatever your idea of a countryside visit is, you will find it at Kingsbury.'

'Two parks in one, Malvern and Brueton Parks, are perfectly located in the town centre. With Green Flag Park status, the space offers visitors and locals an easily accessible space to relax and play.'

'We are independent of, but affiliated to the Ramblers. We organise walks nearly every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday and in the summer there are some short evening walks.'

'An easy walk around Packwood House, going through the park and up to the church.'

An alternative 4 mile Circular Walk from Papworth is accessible from the Millennium Way.

'There are so many things to see and do at Pooley Country Park. The 62.5 hectare site, one third of which is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, contains several pools caused by mining subsidence, woodland habitats and is situated on the Coventry Canal. Take a stroll along the footpath used by miners as long ago as 1846 and visit the tea room during the course of your relaxing and enjoyable visit ...'

'Our boundaries mirror those of the old Warwickshire county and include Solihull, Coventry and Birmingham, (now West Midlands), where many of our members live. The Area contains some great walking country - amazingly there are over 1740 miles of public rights-of-way in Warwickshire alone.'

Parks and Open Spaces 'Rugby Borough Council manages more than 300 hectares of leisure open space throughout the borough.'

'The Rugby Group of the Ramblers is an active and friendly group. Whether on your own, with a partner, or with friends, you will be made very welcome. We organise over a hundred walks a year graded to suit all abilities and we also organise a variety of social events.'

Download from the Website PDFs of a range of walks around and about Rugby: Blue Plaque Tour; Pathway of Fame; Urban Walks; Town and Country Walks; Walks in the Countryside. ALERT The Website originally cited here is no longer recommended; so I have had to replace it with a Link to a Rugby Visitor Guide.

'We have walking groups to suit most levels of fitness. Try one, or more, and make new friends while enjoying the great outdoors.'

'The 100 acres of Ryton Pools Country Park are just waiting to be explored. The many different habitats are home to a wide range of birds and other wildlife. The excellent surfaced paths enable easy walking around the site, and provide access to an adjoining ancient woodland, Ryton Wood (by agreement with the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust).'

'Solihull Active is a social marketing campaign which aims to promote sport and physical activity in Solihull.'

'There are over 150 miles of public rights of way in the Borough. With such an extensive network, enjoying the wonderful wildlife and getting out into the fresh air could not be easier. To help you get the best from your walks, we have a number of suggested walks that you may like to try ... '

'Sutton Park is one of the largest urban parks in Europe, being some 2,200 acres (900 hectares) in area.[1] Already a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), it gained National Nature Reserve (NNR) status in March 1997. This is a remarkable achievement as the park is situated just 7 miles (11 km) from the centre of Birmingham, the UK's second largest city. Seldom is such a large expanse of varied "rural" habitat found so close to the heart of a major city. Standing in the middle of Sutton Park, it is hard for a visitor to believe that the Park is surrounded on all sides by suburban sprawl.'

A score or so Walks around and about Warwickshire.

'We have a vast range of Walks that run across the whole city and these are open to everyone. We believe our walks cater for everybody's needs and that everybody in the city has a chance to enjoy them.'

'Walking the Way to Health initiative (WHI) aims to get more people walking in their own communities, especially those who take little exercise or live in area's of poor health. We will be promoting walking within the area with events throughout the coming year ... Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council (NBBC) aims to increase the number of walkers locally. Anyone of any age and ability are welcome to the walks and our walk leaders will help you to walk at a pace that is right for you.'

'If you are retired or semi-retired and live in Leamington, Warwick or surrounding areas, we can offer you the opportunity to participate in a wide range of enjoyable social, mental and physical activities. Our WDU3A (as we are known) has grown to over 900 members in the 20 years since we were formed and new members are welcome.'

'Sets the town into its surrounding environment with the gently flowing River Arrow and villages of Exhall, Wixford and Oversley Green.' ALERT The Website originally cited here seems no longer.

Walking in and around Alcester 'Alcester has much to offer ramblers and walkers. There are great opportunities to explore the town, countryside and surrounding villages.' Unfortunately the four Walks formerly referenced here no longer seem accessible via the Alcester Website.

'Route from Henley-in-Arden through Alcester and Aston Cantlow using mainly public footpaths and bridleways.'

'A gentle walk along country lanes, field paths and the Grand Union Canal. Taking in Baddesley Clinton, a secluded moated manor house, Rowington Church, the Heart of England Way and Kingwood Junction.'

'The Bedworth Society Town Trail is slightly less than a mile and a quarter long and can easily be walked in about an hour. This can be extended by exploring the Miners Welfare Park, or a welcome rest in the green oasis of Church Walk.'

'The Birmingham and Fazeley Canal is a canal of the Birmingham Canal Navigations in the West Midlands of England. Its purpose was to provide a link between the Coventry Canal and Birmingham and thereby connect Birmingham to London via the Oxford Canal.'

'Walk around Stockton Locks. The route follows the canal towpath and crosses nearby fields. There are a number of sights to be seen on the way, including the Locks, Napton Hill (from where seven counties can be seen on a clear day), the 12th-century St Michael's Church and the beautiful Stockton Reservoir.'

Note from the Canal & River Trust: 'We’ve previously hosted the details of a number of different walking and cycling routes. However, when we looked at them closely we weren’t convinced that all of our routes were completely accurate. We don’t want you to get lost trying to follow one of our routes and so we have removed them for now. We would like to add them back onto our website for everyone to enjoy. If you think you could spare the time to go and check one of our old routes, make sure the distance is correct and fill us in on the best parking spots and transport links then please email us ... In the meantime you can find some great canal and river walking routes at iFootpath ...'

'Here are a set of nine walk leaflets describing circular walks of between eight and twenty kilometres (five and thirteen miles) around Southam, Stockton, Long Itchington, Leamington Hastings, Birdingbury, Ladbroke, Napton, Bishop's Itchington, Harbury and Ufton.'

'Warwickshire's Centenary Way was established by the Council in 1989 to celebrate its 100th anniversary ... This 100 mile Path starts at Kingsbury Water Park in the north of the county and winds its way down to Upper Quinton on the Gloucestershire border. The route can be followed on Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps.'

'The series of Church2Church Walks in Warwickshire offer the walker something uniquely different. Because the distances between churches are generally very manageable to walk, it is about taking your time to go from Church2Church, to enjoy and appreciate the countryside around and when finally, you arrive at the next church, to allow yourself time to have a look around and to enjoy and appreciate the stillness and peace that can be found in and around churches and churchyards.'

'The last 5.5 miles of the Coventry canal, from Hawkesbury junction to the city basin, has been developed and transformed into the City’s longest park. The park contains an art trail, pocket parks, heritage trail and towpath improvements.'

'The aim of this site is to summarise the many walks in Coventry, UK.  This is achieved by providing a set of Coventry Walks Maps and an index with links to descriptions of individual walks or walking areas ...'

Circular route around Coventry.

'The Way's 65 miles run through the unspoilt countryside along the western side of Oxfordshire ... The idea behind the Way was to form a link between the Oxford Canal towpath, the Oxfordshire Way, the Thames Path and the Ridgeway.'

There is a Guidebook - The D'Arcy Dalton Way across the Oxfordshire Cotswolds and the Thames Valley by Nick Moon - but you might have difficulty locating a copy.

'Geochaches can be found in or around Warwickshire Country Parks, for example: [1] Burton Dassett - - - : [2] Hartshill Hayes - - - : [3] Kingsbury Water Park - - - : [4] Ryton Pools - - - : [5] Kenilworth Greenway - - - : [6] Offchurch Greenway - - - : [7] Stratford Greenway ...'

'Completed in 1899 and cutting straight through the middle of Rugby is the path of the Great Central Railway ...  The route is no longer a railway line but a nature reserve known as the Great Central Walk. Rugby Borough Council looks after 95 acres of it.'

'Circular walk linking eight villages around Southam. The guide was produced in memory of Harry Green who was the Chairman of the Southam Ramblers for 20 years and who devised the walk in 1988.' Unfortunately the Route Guide referenced here no longer seems accessible online via the Southam Website.

'There are 3 new walking routes across the Hatton Estate that link up our 2 well established attractions: Hatton Country World and Hatton Locks to The Hatton Arms Pub & Restaurant. The Arkwright family who own Hatton Country World bought the Hatton Estate in 1830 after the owner Johnnie Arkwright's forefather Richard Arkwright developed the Spinning Jenny and built the world's first factory.'

'An easy-paced eleven mile circuit around south Warwickshire taking in canal-side walking, woodland paths, and arable farmland.'

'A pleasant, waymarked 3½ mile (5½ km) walk linking Leamington and Warwick.'

'This attractive route links Rugby and Leamington Spa passing pretty villages, wildlife reserves, reservoirs and canals. From the centre of Rugby, the route follows the Great Central Way, and soon passes two Wildlife Trust Sites: Ashlawn Cutting and Cock Robin Wood ...'

'This trip to Polesworth allows you to experience a fragment of monastic England and to see a beautiful, ancient abbey church and vicarage. These buildings date back to ad 827 and form part of a nunnery built by Egbert, who is often claimed to have been the first Saxon King of all England. His daughter Editha was the abbess.'

'Project worked with local communities to establish a 25 mile circular heritage trail in North Warwickshire passing through the parishes of Atherstone, Mancetter, Hartshill, Ansley, Arley, Astley, Fillongley, Maxstoke, Shustoke, Nether Whitacre, Kingsbury, Baddesley Ensor and Merevele.'

'Walking is ideal for most people to become physically active without the need for any special equipment. It is a great way to get some fresh air, meet new people, socialise and get out and about in your local community ... '

'A series of "Your Green Track" walking routes has been completed that give you an opportunity to explore parts of the countryside in Nuneaton, Bedworth and Bulkington. The walks include interconnecting routes spanning the borough allowing you to walk through local parks, disused railway lines, open countryside and are all mainly off road and circular routes.'

'This super circular walk was devised by the Nuneaton Rotary Club and takes you on a tour of the countryside, parks and canals around Nuneaton.' Note The Nuneaton Rotarians no longer organize an annual sponsored walk of this route, but 'we continue to provide back up by way of a Guide to the Walk and a Certificate of Completion upon request. We still maintain the route through Rotary Waymarks'.

The Oxford Canal is 'a long-distance route, following the towpath for 77 miles from Oxford to Hawkesbury. The gentle engineering of the canal, with few lock flights, means that the walking is always easy, and the scenery is stunning'. The Walk itself can (also) begin 'near Hawkesbury Village at Hawkesbury Junction, also known as Sutton Stop, where it connects with the Coventry Canal, four miles from the centre of Coventry'.

'The River Rea travels through the many diverse communities of south west Birmingham. Rising on the Waseley Hills the river heads across the city towards its confluence with the River Tame near Spaghetti Junction (The Gravelly Hill interchange).'

'Links some of Britain's best-loved tourist destinations - London, the Chilterns, Oxford, Blenheim Palace, the Cotswolds and Stratford-upon-Avon.'

'Shustoke still maintains its village character in a quiet rural setting. It is ideal for the business traveller who wants to get away from the hustle and bustle. It is also a pleasant place to stop for a few days enabling the intrepid walker to enjoy the delights of our countryside, with many public footpaths around the village and surrounding countryside, and also being close the The Heart of England Way.'

'From south to north down the eastern side of the Birmingham conurbation the route uses farmland, open spaces and parks as much as possible and the longest variation of this route by-passes the city centre. (Less rural alternatives reduce the total distance to a minimum of 17 miles.)'

PDFs of '18 walks along a section of the boundary of south-east Warwickshire, where it meets Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. The 18 walks from Dick Leith's book, "A Border Walk in South-east Warwickshire" ... offer the opportunity to experience the local countryside through the eyes of an expert in the history of place and field names'. The Website cited has been set up at the request of Dick Leith's family, in his memory.

'Follows the course of part of the Honeybourne Line, a single track railway built in 1859 by the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway and closed in 1976. Now a trail for walkers and cyclists, the route links the attractive town of Stratford-upon-Avon with the village of Long Marston.'

'The canal is usually considered as a northern and a southern section. The Northern Stratford starts at Kings Norton Junction, with its guillotine-gated stop-lock that prevented water loss from one company's line to the other.  It continues on the same level for ten miles then descends by 19 locks to Kingswood Junction, where there is a link to the Warwick & Birmingham Canal (now the Grand Union Canal). The South Stratford is memorable for its split bridges, built with a gap to allow the tow ropes of the boat horses to pass through, and its unique barrel-roofed lock cottages.'

'The ancient market town of Stratford-upon-Avon is synonmous with William Shakespeare. There are many more historic facts and figures and just by walking through the town you can discover so much more ...' ALERT Website Links removed, as advised.

'100 miles of family friendly cycling and walking ... Birmingham's geography and industrial legacy has bestowed upon it a network of small rivers, canals, and Victorian parks which provide one of the best off road Urban Greenway networks in the U.K. ... The Birmingham Cycling and Walking Map is available in both paper and interactive form.'

Descriptions of twelve locations around and about Coventry associated with the poet Philip Larkin: 'This self-guided leaflet ... is aimed at residents and visitors alike, since many of today's Coventrians remain unaware of Larkin's literary heritage'.

'Discover the wealth of styles, subjects and shapes of the University's sculpture collection ... '

Family Friendly Sculpture Trail 'Take the Sculpture Trail challenge at Warwick Arts Centre! There's no need to book, simply download our FREE family activity packs and explore the University campus. It's suitable for all ages and everyone is welcome ...'

'Descriptions of (mostly circular) walks in the countryside, close to Rugby and further afield.'

'It’s a simple vision: to plant, protect and preserve a huge broadleaf forest – a place of tranquility and natural beauty that’s open to anyone and planted with the help and support of everyone ... The Forest stretches across the heart of England – from the ancient Forest of Arden, south to the edge of the Vale of Evesham. It’s an area dense in cities, towns and industry. Which is why we’re creating a place to walk under shady canopies and through airy glades, away from the bustle of city life.'

'A list of those promoted routes which meet certain criteria and are therefore supported by WCC [Warwickshire County Council]. This may mean that route-specific waymarking is permitted, or that we work in partnership with the promotes of the route. There will also normally be a link from the WCC website ... A Promoted Route is one which has a leaflet, guide book or website describing the route in sufficient detail that a member of the public could follow it with reasonable ease. '  List published March 2011.

'Members of the Forum are appointed by the three authorities to serve a term of either two or three years. The Forum’s membership is made up of people with an interest in the countryside and access, though not necessarily representatives of organisations. Interests that it is hoped to have represented by the Forum include: [1] walking, cycling, horseriding and recreational motor vehicle use - - - : [2] landownership and land management - - - : [3] accessibility - - - : [4] tourism - - - : [5] access provision - - - : [6] relevant professions'