LIFETIME of WALKS by DEREK HARWOOD

We parked in the Kenilworth Castle car park and used our English Heritage membership cards. We walked south following the Centenary and Millennium Ways direction arrows past Castle Farm, towards Oaks Farm. Skirting the farm, we passed fields of sheep grazing with their lambs, to Rouncil Lane. We turned left along the lane towards Kenilworth for 200 metres (yds), then right towards the perimeter of Woodcote Grounds, the Warwickshire Police Headquarters. We passed between lakes with 'The Lunch' on the right and left the Centenary and Millennium Ways. We continued south at first, then the path turned east towards Leek Wootton and the village church. From the church we walked south to a lane between 'Stone Edge' and Warwick road. At first we planned to follow the footpath down to the by-pass island, but the footpath wasn't well defined, so we decided to follow the lane to the road and walk down the busy road to the island and beyond to the Saxon Mill restaurant. Great care was required on the busy road because of the fast traffic. We took the footpath to the south (right) of the restaurant, stopping for a short while to admire the old water wheel in the old mill, before crossing the footbridge over the River Avon. Using the well-defined footpath we crossed the open fields, past Manor Farm to the Old Milverton Road. Then we crossed the road to a passage leading to a low bridge under the railway and followed the footpath south east to the estate road 'Guy's Cliff Avenue'. Walking down the avenue we passed Trinity School, Milverton to the A445, Rugby Road at the lights, and crossed over to Warwick Street. We turned left to Leamington B4099, as far as 'Grove Street', then right (south) down Grove Street, past the fire station to Regent Street. We turned left to Leamington again, and crossed the A452 Dale Street at the lights. We continued to Bedford Street on the right (south), then 100 metres on the left to the end of the walk, the rear entrance of the Benjamin Satchwell public house, Wetherspoons, where the beers are second to none. It had been an enjoyable and varied walk with Larry, ending with a well-earned pie and pint at the end.

Location Map: - www.streetmap.co.uk
Kenilworth Castle

Hazards: None.