Start: Queen & Castle, Kenilworth CV8 1ND. Grid Ref: SP279 723
(S/E) From the lower end of the free car park take the wooden kissing gate and walk around the perimeter path of the castle (A), climb a few steps to reach the castle entrance approach, then go left to pass the ticket office. Go over the bridge then at the service road go right onto the Millennium Way to pass the car park on your left.
Stay on the service road, ignoring the first footpath lower right, and after 50 paces you will reach a solitary waypost and see the first distinctive black and white waymarker.
(1) Here turn left and go up the track through short stretch of woodland to reach a wide gap with an adjacent gate right. Take the gap and immediately go half right to take a gate leading onto grassy passage signposted Rouncil Lane 1¼ miles.
After 150 yards you reach a solitary waypost on your right. Here we leave The Millennium Way for the time being to continue straight ahead keeping hedge right. Continue along to take the metal gate and exit the next large field by the metal kissing gate.
(2) Keep to the right-hand path and stay with the hedge right, then go through a gap in the corner of the field and ahead keeping hedge left. Just before the end of the field go through the metal gate left and continue with the hedge left.
On reaching the hedge corner stay ahead across centre of field to take a wide gap in the distance. Stay slightly right across the field towards the white house, partially obscured by trees, to find and take a kissing gate to a farm track.
(3) Turn right and continue under power lines to reach main road. Stay ahead to pass Brook Cottages on your left and where the road bends sharp left go ahead to take footpath right through a metal kissing gate into the field staying ahead with the fence left.
The track continues between fences eventually to bear left to the corner kissing gate. Take the kissing gate and bear slightly right through scrub to take wooden footbridge over brook, then through kissing gate to turn left. Keep the hedge & brook left.
(4) Take the next bridge left over brook and then ahead through metal gate and up next field. Take the next gate ahead then turn immediately right along the bridleway keeping the hedge right. Continue through gated hedge gap eventually to reach field corner. Take a metal gate right, under power lines, then follow the blue bridleway marker into the right-hand field to go left and continue on a cinder track with the hedge left to the end of the field.
At the end of the field, by large metal gate, turn right along field bridleway (do not continue on the cinder path to Deer Park Farm) but continue with hedge and fence right. Go through corner metal gate and ahead with hedge and fence right to reach field corner gate.
(5) Take the gate and go immediately left to continue gently up farm track between trees ahead. Stay ahead on surfaced track, past Deer Park Farm entrance left and when you reach the corner of wood ahead go left through metal gate and continue down wide bridleway keeping hedge left.
Eventually pass through large metal gate on left and continue on same line now with the hedge right to pass under power lines. Stay ahead to pass left of farm buildings and take metal gate right following bridleway sign.
(6) After a few steps go left and stay along surfaced track leaving Goodrest Farm behind you. After 200 yards you will pass a waypost & a gate on your right at which point the Millennium Way rejoins our circuit. Do not take this gate, just stay ahead on surfaced track to reach the junction with Rouncil Lane.
(7) Go right on the lane for 50 paces and take metal gate left. Go with hedge right and wooden fence left to follow the field edge cinder track and exit by a corner gap. Stay ahead with hedge right to exit via metal gate then ahead with hedge right to end of field. Take a metal gate then ahead to pass Oaks Farm to find a corner concrete bridge.
(8) Cross the bridge to find a metal gate ahead. Take gate, then ahead, across field, to take second metal gate. Stay ahead with the fence right (ignore kissing gate right to playing fields) to take metal gate then ahead with hedge right to eventually pass dew pond reaching a solitary waypost just ahead - you have now joined your outward route.
(9) Go right here along wide grassy corridor between hedge left and fence right to exit by gate to driveway. Go left down drive taking gap next to metal gate descending gently down woodland drive to junction then go right to pass car park.
(1) Go left towards castle entrance, retracing your steps on the outward route, past ticket office, descend steps on right just in front of castle entrance and continue around perimeter footpath to arrive back at a wooden kissing gate leading to the car park with the Queen & Castle pub opposite. The Time for Tea tearooms are just up on the left. (S/E)
