Our Hikes in 2015, with the most recent at the top
Circular Walk from Lowsonford thro' Claverdon and along the Stratford Canal.
Walk Description: this walk is approximately 8 miles over undulating ground and easy underfoot. The walk started from the Fleur de Lys public house in Lowsonford where there is free car parking.
Leaving the Fleur de Lys car park turn left along the road and then left over the canal bridge, immediately after the canal bridge go left through a gate onto a grassy footpath going uphill. At the top of the hill turn right through a kissing gate and follow the path with a fence on your right, follow the path round to the right and back down hill till you meet Narrow Lane. Cross Narrow Lane and go down a rough track, passing through a farm gate into a field follow the waymark uphill over a stile and across another field downhill to a junction of 5 footpaths. Take the foot path straight ahead (3rd. one round) which is enclosed by bushes and trees, follow this path to a road, turn left along the road to Holywell village.
Coleshill Circular walk through Maxstoke
Walk Description: the walk is approximately 8 miles and will take about 3 hours, the elevation is pretty constant and it is easy underfoot. There is free car parking in Church Hill car park (B46 3AD). The walk starts from the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul; starting with your back to the war memorial walk up the right side of the church to a gate, go through and turn half left along a tarmac path signed "Country Walk". Follow the path through a gate into a cemetery and immediately turn right. Follow the wall for some 20 yards then go through a kissing gate onto a track, turn left along the track for 50 yards and then turn right through a kissing gate. Go diagonally across the corner of a field to another kissing gate on the far side. Follow the path down the next field to a kissing gate in the bottom right hand corner, go through the gate and follow the enclosed footpath, crossing over the river Blythe and continuing to eventually join a gravel track.
Circular Walk from Meriden through Corley Moor and back via Eaves Green
Walk Description: the walk starts at the Queens Head public house car park in Meriden, CV7-7JP. The walk is approximately 8.5 miles and takes some 3.5 hours. From the front of the car park turn right along the road towards Meriden village for 200 yards to a gate in the hedge on the right, go through and proceed ahead across the field to a gate opposite. Turn right with the hedge on the right to the corner of the field and turn left with a hedge on your left, proceed ahead ta farm gate leading onto Fillongley Road. Cross the road and turn right for 1/4 mile, crossing the A45, to a gate in the hedge on the left, go through the gate and follow the path ahead to a gate leading into a wooded area. Bear left after the gate and go through the wood, as you come out of the wood through a gate go ahead along the edge of a cultivated field, through another gate and then across the middle of a another cultivated field which falls away to a farm track, aiming for a gap between trees.
Circular Walk from Henley-in-Arden along the Arden Way to Morton Bagot and back via Heart of England Way
Walk Description: this walk starts outside the White Swan hotel in Henley-in-Arden High St. The nearest free car park is on The Croft, B95-5DY, just off the High St. From the White Swan proceed north along the High St. and turn left into Station Road, after about 100 yards bear right along Bear Lane. Directly after going under a railway bridge look for a gate at the top of a stepped bank on the right and go through it to a footpath running parallel to the railway on the right. this is the Arden Way, follow this path to where it turns left on a golf course, pass in front of the golf club and go half right to a sign post. Follow the Arden Way waymarks to the right and proceed along a bridleway with a hedge on the left, when you come to a lake turn left to keep the lake on the right, when you leave the lake keep ahead, following the Arden Way round to the right, over a stile and half left to a gate leading to a farmyard. Cross the farmyard to a road.
A Circular Walk from Berkswell to Meriden Shafts via Millison's Wood
Walk Description: the walk starts from the carpark opposite to Berkswell reading room, CV7-7BB, and is approximately 7.5 miles long, easy going with no significant inclines. The walk follows the Heart of England Way to the Meridan Shafts. From the carpark, cross the Meriden Road and turn left away from the village centre and proceed for about 300 metres along the road and then go right up a track waymarked Heart of England Way. Cross a cattle grid and pass Blind Hall Farm on your left continuing uphill to another cattle grid, follow the track round to the right and continue to a stile. Over the stile turn half left and go diagonally across a cultivated field passing a copse on your left to another stile, follow the HoE waymark keeping the hedge on your left to another stile. Continue with the hedge on your left, crossing a stile and going through a hedge gap. When the hedge on your left ends, maintain direction to join a hedge on your right, following it to a stile/gate on to a road opposite a house called the Byre.
A Circular Walk from Knowle thro' Temple Balsall
Walk Description: this walk is about 7 miles and starts from Knowle Church, B93 0LN, there is free car parking at the week-ends in the municipal carpark behind the Greswolde Arms with pedestrian access to the churchyard at the rear right-hand corner.
Starting in front of the church on Kenilworth Road, walk away from the town centre to Kixley Road, turn left and follow the road to its end just over the canal bridge, there go through a gate into a field. Go ahead across a field to Elvers Green lane, turn left and walk along the road for about a mile to a T-junction with Hob Lane. Turn right along Hob Lane to Piercil End and take a grassy, deeply rutted track on your left with hedges on both sides, follow this track to a ford, cross the ford by a footbridge on the right and then go ahead to Balsall Street. Turn right onto Balsall Street and proceed into Temple Balsall taking the first road on your left, Fen End Road.
Circular Walk from Baddesley Clinton thro' Rowington & Lowsonford
Walk Description: the walk starts from the National Trust carpark at Baddesley Clinton, B93 0DQ. and is approx. 7.5 miles long. The walk follows two alternative routes for The Heart of England Way which make a circular walk.
Leave the carpark as if visiting the Manor House, keep to the left of the ticket office and turn left just before reaching a wall, the HoE Way is signed, walk down an enclosed path to a gate leading to the churchyard, pass to the right of the church to a gate opening on to a wide track. Just past the gate go right through another gate into a field and proceed along the left-hand edge of the field, when you arrive at a fork in the path keep to the left following HoE Way signs and make sure the hedge is close on your right.
Circular Walk from Hampton Gym thro' Barston
Walk Description: starting from the gym turn right along Old Station Road to the end and then turn right along Meriden Road. When a sharp right hand bend is reached turn left down Belle Vue Terrace, at the end, turn right into a narrow enclosed footpath which leads to a gate leading into a meadow on the left. Walk through the meadow keeping a hedge close on your left, at the end of the meadow go through two gates within 10 yards passing into a cultivated field, still keeping the hedge close on your left go through two fields to a gate leading onto a farm track. Dogleg left and right into a field keeping the hedge close on your right to a stile into the next field. In a short distance you arrive at a stile on your right leading to a lane, cross over onto the lane, turn left and go ahead along the lane to Walsal End, where the lane turns sharp right, go to the left and go straight ahead in front of a group of newly built houses to a gate leading to a wooded area. Go over a stile and through the wooded area, follow a track left and right as you exit the wooded area into a cultivated field, proceed across the middle of the field to a footbridge and then across the middle of two further fields into a field where you need to keep to the edge with a hedge close on your left. In the next field keep the hedge close on your right and proceed to Oak Lane in Barston, turn right along Oak Lane to a T-junction with Barston Lane.
Inaugural Circular Walk from Hampton Gym to Balsall Common
Walk Description: this walk starts from the gym in Hampton in Arden and is about 6.5 miles long with no hills and is easy going.
From the gym turn right down Old Station Road and walk to the end where you turn left before crossing Meriden Road and proceeding down The Crescent to a track on your right, turn down the track which takes you to a bridge over the railway. Do not cross the railway, instead turn left and take the footpath which runs alongside the railway, keep to this path passing through a kissing gate and continue along the edge of a cultivated field with the railway on your right until you reach the end of the field. Here turn right under a railway bridge and turn left on the other side, continue along Marsh Lane, a concrete road, with the railway now on your left.
