Past Walks

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Kenilworth, Warwickshire

Explorer 221 Coventry & Warwickshire

8.3 miles

SP 29010 74752

March 2009

Memory Map Overlay (.mmo)
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We parked on Cryfield Grange road where the bridleway (not footpath!) crosses next to Roughknowles Wood. The woodland has recently been cleared to make way for ginger Tamworth pigs. A group of 35 started North descending and circumnavigating Hurst Farm to the amusement of some, as this involved a near double back on our route to follow the line of a farm track.

Crackley Lane and through to Burton Green presented us with an absence of fences and stiles which gave quicker progress, but knowledge of the only sleeper bridge [crossing a large ditch] was required. We crossed the old Kenilworth/Burton Green railway, which now forms part of the “Coventry Way”, then headed briefly along Hob Lane to the highest point of the walk, with no views to speak of, until we left a tree lined enclosure of houses and stopped above Redfern Manor. This offered a good vantage point and view of where we were headed whilst we took a break. Slightly off to the right was Rudfyn Manor: itself a good, yet exposed location; straight ahead was Redfern itself with its Tudor chimneys and finally, off to the left, was the misted outline of Kenilworth Castle.

A fast descent, road cross then climb up and down from Rudfyn brought us to Chase Lane houses and a direct route to the castle. After a walk around the ramparts, we took another break on the bench or in the local pub - unfortunately the tea rooms were full.

The last leg saw us descend from the road past the remains of the abbey, which was hidden by trees, then swing around the Abbey Fields sports complex, before following the brook (a mere trickle but known to flood greatly in the distant and recent past) passing allotments and reaching an area known as “the Common”. This climb provided a shaded respite from the urban walking before reaching Crackley, where we joined the old railway line to Crackley Wood. We picked up the bridleway which took us alongside the wood until we reached our parked cars on the Cryfield road. The walk was slightly longer then the grade ‘C’ maximum of 7 miles: road walking would put this below the limit, but would have taken the diversity from the views that most commented upon.