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Walk 3714 - printer friendly version

Lapworth & Kingswood Circular Walk

Author - Millennium Way

Length - 8.0 miles / 13 km

Ascent - 550 feet / 167 metres

Grade - easy/mod

Start - OS grid reference SP181712
Lat 52.3385860 + Long -1.7357677
Postcode B94 6JU (approx. location only)

This easy Warwickshire circular walk starts at The Boot Inn Lapworth on the B4439 SE of Hockley Heath, a welcoming old established country Inn. Initially the route follows the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal, leaving this at Drawbridge Farm to follow a delightful section of the Millennium Way where you will be guided by the distinctive black Millennium Way way markers.

A - Our walk starts from the Car Park of The Boot Inn. Exit to rear of the car park via the track which leads to the canal towpath. Go ahead over Bridge 33, then turn L along the towpath keeping canal on left. Continue gently uphill past a flight of locks to reach a small cottage. Go left over Bridge 32 and stay on towpath, now with canal right. When you reach Bridge 30, cross bridge to reach towpath on the other side and stay with canal left passing several canal side dwellings. Stay ahead under Bridge 29 until you reach Drawbridge 28. Here you are joining The Millennium Way.

B - Turn left over the drawbridge down vehicle track into Drawbridge Farm, then pass in front of farm buildings to take kissing gate just to left of right-hand gate. Go with fence and hedge left to take far corner gate to next field then continue downhill to take far left corner gate. Go ahead through narrow field to find and take another corner gate, past dew pond and continue with hedge left to take gated bridge over stream into field. Stay up field towards tower of St. Mary's Church, Lapworth. Exit field by stile adjacent to metal gate and stay ahead towards church taking stile to road. Turn right on road, and after 120 paces (just before Green Acres) go left down block paved drive, through gate on left, then follow block paved driveway past greenhouses to end, to find ground staff buildings with gated courtyard. Turn left here onto gravelled drive and go ahead 70 paces with hedge right then take hedge gap right (with two-way posts) to continue line down towards motorway, now with hedge left. Take the gap through tree line (by solitary way post) and take stile to vehicle track and continue over motorway bridge.

C - After crossing bridge, take stile left and go down steep steps keeping to line of fence at bottom of steps (do not veer right to footbridge). At the end of fencing take bridge to field staying ahead across centre of field to pass through gate in gate then under power lines to further gate within a gate to exit. Head across narrow part of field and take kissing gate through scrub into field. Stay ahead with hedge left to exit by far-left corner kissing gate to rough vehicle way. Go right on vehicle way down to lane. Cross lane to take bridge and stile, turning immediately left through kissing gate to field. Go across field to far corner kissing gate. Take gate and bridge to go through short scrub into field then go left with hedge left. After large gap left go 30 paces to take stile on left and go diagonally slightly left keeping hedge left to take hidden corner stile to road. (Alternatively avoid tricky stile by going diagonally right to gate in gate further along road). Look out for lovely blackberries in hedge during August). Go right on road for 500 yards to reach staggered crossroads. Go directly over, past the post box, and continue along Ireland's Lane.

D - After approximately 0.75 mile go left down farm track towards Ireland's Farm. Here we leave The Millennium Way, so ignore footpath immediately on right and continue down track passing under power lines. Just before the entrance to the farmhouse go left down wide grassy track. At the end of the track take metal gate and cross a short section of field to take further metal gate and stile across stream. Proceed ahead up field keeping wire fence right to take stile adjacent to wide metal gate to farm track. Turn right for 10 paces then go left through gate signed "Heart of England Way". Go initially with hedge/trees right following the line of the hidden dismantled railway. The path then swings left towards a double metal gate. Here we leave the Heart of England Way to take the gate and continue forward to walk uphill on bridleway with trees left. Where the track levels off you will find a commemorative bench on which to take a well-earned breather and enjoy the spectacular view. Continue along track past a pine wood right to take wooden gate and narrow fenced track behind dwelling. Stay on access lane to reach road.

E - Turn right on road to reach T-junction then turn L in the direction of Lapworth. Continue past High Chimneys Farm and just before you reach the overhead power cables turn right and go through kissing gate. Go ahead past buildings with wire fence left and after 100 yards, just as the track starts to swing left, look out for concealed kissing gate in hedge on right. Take kissing gate and wooden plank bridge into field and go left with hedge left towards the motorway. At the field corner take kissing gate into next field and go left for a few paces to then turn right by the way post proceeding across field towards motorway. On reaching a way post at the far side go left along field edge keeping wire fence and wood right, to find another way post and slightly concealed path right which will take you onto the canal towpath via metal gate. Cross Bridge 39b directly ahead of you, then go left on towpath to walk underneath the motorway. As we leave the motorway behind us, we are soon back into a delightfully tranquil section of the Stratford Canal. Shortly we pass a wooden bench in memory of Doug Smith, the creator of Lockmaster Maps. There is another bench a bit further on in memory of Thomas and Irene Patrick.

At Bridge 39 there is an information board which is worth a look. Stay on towpath with canal left and on reaching Bridge 37a cross over to the opposite towpath and then stay with canal right. Shortly we pass Kingswood Junction where there is a link between the Grand Union Canal and the Stratford Canal. Proceed past the marina and under Bridge 35. On reaching Bridge 33, we leave the towpath to turn left back into the car park of The Boot Inn.

Walk 3714 Route Map

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