Bermuda Park to Bedworth Railway Stations, Rail Trails

A surprisingly rural walk between two stations on the Coventry to Nuneaton line. The route starts at Bermuda Park on the southern outskirts of Nuneaton and follows the Coventry Canal to Marston Junction before field paths bring you to the town of Bedworth.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.79 km
  • ◔
    Calculated time: 1h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: No
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 17 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 7 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 108 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 91 m

Description

Start: Bermuda Park Railway Station (CV10 7QR) Grid ref. SP 359 896

(S) From Bermuda Park (A) Railway Station entrance go left a few paces then left on a tarmac path that goes under the green railway bridge. Continue on the path to a fork, go right and follow the path through a tunnel under a road.

(1) Keep straight on through the metal barriers beyond and after about 30 metres, before reaching a plank bridge over a stream, turn right on a large path. Keep straight on along this to a clearing. The path you follow on this stretch of the walk follows the line of an old branch canal (B) that once served his coal mines in the area.

Ignore the clear path going left and go straight on past a sign to find a bench with a view of the canal ahead. Go past the bench and through a metal barrier, then keep straight on along a narrow path with the canal to your left.

(2) Reach a brick bridge, known locally as the Turnover Bridge. Cross it and go right to continue in the same direction, but now with the canal on your right. Continue for 1.7 Km until you reach Marston Junction (C), where the Ashby Canal goes off to the left. Cross the junction bridge and go ahead a short distance to the next bridge, keep left of it to reach a road.

(3) Go left on the road for about 20 metres. Immediately after the road crosses a ditch step over the crash barrier on the right and go down the short bank to an old concrete stile next to an old fingerpost and enter a field.
(If the short bank down to the stile is too overgrown, keep ahead on the road a short distance and climb a silver field gate on the right to enter the same field.)

Go to the far left corner of this rectangular field and climb two awkward stiles to enter the next field. Go half left to pass a protruding hedge corner and follow the hedge on your right a few paces. The formal line of the path is often blocked by crops at this point. If it is clear, go half left angling away from the hedge up to the brow of the hill somewhere between the two pylons.

(4) Once over the brow you will see buildings hidden in trees in the far right field corner. Head for the biggest of three pylons just to the right of these where you will find a waymarked gap in the hedge about 50 metres right of the buildings.

(5) Go through the gap and go half left to pass just right of the first pylon. Keep in the same direction, getting ever closer to the hedge on your left until you reach a track by a house.

(6) Turn right at the waymark post and go down to another pylon. Go half left down the field, passing two lone trees, to the bottom hedge. Turn right and follow the hedge on your left. Look for a small waymark post at the top of a bank that directs you onto a path running between bushes and trees to reach the canal again.

(7) Turn left a short distance to bridge 14. Go up onto the road (B4029) and turn right up it. After about half a mile you will find Bedworth (C) Station on the right from where you can catch a train back. Alternatively keep straight on a little further to find the town centre where shops and refreshments are available.(E):

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 98 m - Bermuda Park Railway Station
  2. 1 : km 0.35 - alt. 99 m - Tunnel under a road
  3. 2 : km 0.99 - alt. 96 m - Canal - Brick bridge
  4. 3 : km 2.69 - alt. 93 m - Road
  5. 4 : km 3.22 - alt. 106 m - Between two pylons
  6. 5 : km 3.78 - alt. 106 m - Pylon
  7. 6 : km 3.97 - alt. 105 m - Track by a house
  8. 7 : km 4.64 - alt. 94 m - Canal
  9. E : km 5.79 - alt. 108 m - Bedworth Railway Station

Practical information

Start: Bermuda Park Railway Station (CV10 7QR) Grid ref. SP 359 896

Transport: Bermuda Park is on the Coventry to Nuneaton line and is operated and served by West Midlands Trains. There is one train per hour in each direction, Monday to Saturday daytime, with a reduced service on Sunday. Links to further destinations can be reached at Coventry and Nuneaton respectively.
There are limited facilities at this station, although you will find options for refreshments nearby.

Refreshments: Before starting your walk, we suggest popping by the Chilvers Coton Craft Centre, where you’ll find the award winning Rhubarb & Mustard Cafe amongst a thriving collection of independent craft studios. Closer by there’s the Middlemarch Farmhouse Inn and the Griff House Beefeater, part of the childhood home of author George Eliot.
The walk ends in Bedworth where you’ll find plenty more options for sustenance and more on the mining heritage of the area.

Middlemarch Farm: If you need to fill up, or have the family in tow, we’d recommend the nine minute walk from Bermuda Park to Middlemarch Farmhouse. Its pub classics, carvery and sweet buffet is the place to fuel up!

The Cornerhouse: A short diversion along the Ashby canal brings you to the very welcoming Corner House, replete with beer garden. Its not quite canal-side but its quality food and a great stop off regardless!

Rhubarb & Mustard Cafe: An independent cafe huddled amongst a range of craft vendors, serving a diverse brunch menu centred on indulgent homemade food and sustainable local resourcing. The craft centre is most definitely worth a peruse as well!

Discover the Heart of England by rail at Heart Community Rail Trail here.

In the nearby area

(A) Bermuda Park: Once a small pit village housing workers at the local Griff Clara colliery, a new development was built at Bermuda Park in the mid-2000s, and consists of a modern housing estate (complete with Bermuda Lake and Mount!), industrial and business zones.

(B) Coventry Canal: Starting in the Coventry Canal Basin and stretching for 38 miles into the Midlands’ countryside, much of the canal is rural, home to diverse wildlife and is popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists.

(C) Marston Junction: Where the Ashby Canal joins the Coventry Canal, this junction once held a stop lock where tolls were exacted from boats passing through. Nowadays its just an extremely pleasant spot to sit and enjoy...

(D) Bedworth: Whilst thought of as a coal mining area, Bedworth actually developed during the 18th century when French Protestant ribbon-weavers, driven out by religious persecution, settled here. And these very residents were mainly responsible for the digging all 38 miles of the Coventry Canal (from 1704 to 1726)!
The original village of Bermuda was named after Edward Newdegate, local landowner and former governor of Bermuda (the Caribbean one).

Bedworth Heritage Centre: House in Bedworth’s beautiful grade II listed almshouses, the heritage centre hosts a wide range of events and exhibitions every year. Usually open on market days, Tues, Fri and Sat/

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